Unitrack DCC turnout control

We actually have a spot on our club layout where we are controlling turnouts from decoders through a diode matrix. The area includes a seven track double ended staging yard where both ends are always aligned for the same track. Running through the diode matrix allows us to nearly halve the number of decoder outputs needed. I just mention it to show that there are a million ways to do it.

 

I'm interested in this to. I just got my first bit of unitrack and a DS52. I have a Digitrax Zepher. My switch questions:

1. Is the DS52 ok to use? Saw other posts about the DS64.
2. Is the power routing of the Kato switch good or bad for DCC?

Thanks

 

The DS52 is fine to use. Maybe not as user friendly as the DS64, but usable for unitrack.

The Unitrack power routing is neither good or bad for DCC. (Issues with power routing turnouts are really the exact same with both DCC and DC.) The power routing feature of Unitrack turnouts can be turned on and off, and is also of the type where it leaves the route dead if the turnout is not set for this route (this requires less special wiring). As a general starting point, you probably want to leave the feature off [edit: change that to ON, see below] until you encounter any places where you want to use it.

 

I have not yet got home to open the package but is it obvious how to turn the power routing on and off? Nothing on the back of the package that I see.

 

Sgt. Toe, welcome to Train Board.

The DS52 is ideal to use for Unitrack turnouts. It will control two turnouts/switches as opposed to the DS-64 which can control four turnouts/switches. I've used both the DS-52 and DS-64 on my layout.

The power routing feature isn't a problem with DCC. If you wire all your track with feeders, all the track will always be"live". If a turnout is closed and a train approaches the closed turnout/switch, the power will shut down.

 

There's a good set of instructions here:
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_kato.htm

Now that I look at it again, Kato's terminology is pretty backwards. (Something got lost in translation on the way to Japan, I guess...) I'd say you want the power routing feature ON. (Leaving it on makes the switch "all-live", which is to say, not power routing by any other definition, but try not to let that confuse you. ;-) )

 

In the article you highlighted, The author states that the Unitrack turnout isn't DCC friendly. That statement is totally incorrect and misleading. All Unitrack turnouts/switches are very DCC friendly and have always been.

 

Yes the whole idea of "DCC friendly" turnouts is pretty misleading to newcomers. A short is a short is a short, in DC or DCC. What he means by "DCC friendly" is that each point always has the same polarity as its neighboring stock rail. But this isn't an issue if the turnout is properly designed.