Thanks again. If your talking about the CMOS batteries like the DB100 and 200 have, the 150 doesn't have them. In fact, it doesn't have any batteries inside. I needed the reset info for just in case it had issues like it did last week (refused to power the track-no shorts or other problems) but it fixed itself. So far the annoying 3 beeps (auto purging of unused addresses) has been working just fine I guess but I don't know because I haven't maxed the addresses out yet. I was also wondering (not that I need it), but does adding a booster double the address memory or just add power to the layout and act as a relay? Just interested since I've been to a few clubs that have had more then 22 locos running at one time. As for Athearn Genesis.... I mostly run SP, SP&S, and Amtrak so I have a good number of their GP9s and GP7s in SP. Don't ask me why, but the extra bulbs needed for SP locos are wired to the side of the board but need to be rewired to the ends of the board with the other sets when adding a decoder. It's a bit of a nightmare because you have 4 wire ends going into a 2 wire hole. I don't know why they couldn't have just made the board so the extra lights were function options but they didn't and according to the instructions, this is a SP ONLY issue so lucky me. I also have no idea why they never light the red mars lights-but then again Athearn never has a working light on the rear of any loco I've seen. The RTRs have been much kinder. When the decoders arrive I'll be upgrading my soundless Kato P42s (or destroying them). This should be interesting (http://www.soundtraxx.com/documents/appnotes/kato_p42.pdf). The Atlas and BLI locos have been really easy to work on and with. My only complaint and it isn't that big of one is that I wish everyone made their sound decoders with universal functions. I have a stack of instructions sitting next to the track so I can look up what function does what. On my Rivarossi Heisler F1 isn't even the bell. At least for all of the DCC 'ready' guys I'm using all Didgitrax decoders-even the blue line BLI AC6000W. That thing is just weird. It needs a decoder to run the motor and directional lights-but it has a sound decoder onboard so you need to make sure both decoders have the same address (I did, it works fine). My London Underground consist sort of works the same way, but that's because it has a powered car at each end so I treat the whole thing as one-plus the powered cab cars are wired in reverse of each other so the consist works great. If my Kato P42s survive I might reprogram the direction on one and assign them to the Tango-or I might get a F40PHI and do the same to it so they run as one consist too.
Adding a booster will only add power (current) for another power district. There can be only one command station and that is what controls the number of addresses that can be used at one time. DB150(Empire Builder) allows for 22 as does DCS51(Zephyr Extra). DCS100 (Chief) can be set to 120 addresses. Three beeps is normal for address purging and as long as addresses are purged by the command station you should not see a slot=max message. Of the three Digitrax systems, only DCS100 has an internal CMOS battery. Martin Myers
I've moved into the layout phase. For a simple loop layout with a in loop cut across for the station, and a yard is it the same wiring as it is for DC as DCC, or are there differences?
I would refer to the Digitrax book in the first few pages. They do have differences as far as the common wireing and wireing for DCC. Also you will find the recommended wire size from the command station. I found it best to split it into separate power sections wired to the main from the command station. I chose track sections to be at 8' to10' (longer than you longest train). 12 AWG is for long runs and 14 AWG for taps and 18-22 AWG from each section of track. That way if you need a reverse or short protection you will have the wire there already, cut from feeder and attach track section to the device and then run a feed to the device. Also if you decide to ever install detecton or signaling your layout will be ready without rebuilding.
Thanks so much! I still have a few questions though (I think). For the power stations, the book does say to 'isolate' the rail. The diagram they show has a gap in the rail. So do I gap the rail as shown to provide a literal break in the circuit? I Take it that unlike DC as you said, I can't run a jump wire from the main track to the switched rail then, as it has to come from the control station. This isn't exactly the largest layout in the world so 10' would be well over half of it (6'x5&1/2'). I was also wondering if you went with solid wire as the main feed from the control station or stranded? I was thinking solid because it would be easier to solder into. I was also wondering, ho much resistance and power loss is there between powering the track and powering wires to the other side that also power the track?
I went solid wire on all my feeder from the command station and the feeders. The track I used solid and stranded wire from the track to the feeders Yes it is better to isolate both rails in a section, because if you install a reverser or want to have curcuit protection it wont work unless both rails are isolated from the other sections. This will make it easier too if you install detection and signals. Command stations could have conflicts with the packets of you run in a loop vice in a radial feed. same goes for Loconet, dont loop the loconet unless you like to go insane tring to figure out why the command station keeps beeping and not sending packets to the locomotive. I found a crimper and 6 conductor ends and 6 conductor phone line at radio shack to make my own loconet cables. Remember to daisy chain the loco net, and I wouldnt recommend splitting it with a three way. Not sure, but I think that would cause communication problems for the loconet signal.
Thanks! Yeah this isn't a huge layout so I doubt I'll be needing a booster at this point (but I do have one just in case). I'm thinking my switches will be the boundaries for the zones because for one they are a good visual and two, I'll remove the headache of 'why doesn't the track I'm switching to have power' problem I had in DC. I'm looking at around 7-8 zones so far despite the 6'x5.5' size layout. The big upside so far is that I can finally run my Challenger, Empire Builder set, and Daylight set. Sadly no one and I mean no one will convert my brass 700 to DCC so she'll be DC only I guess.
