Very basic questions about using DCC.

[Sarah Winfield]

No beepy thingy on my meter.

I have 4 insulating rail joiner, two each end of my isolated section on the rails.

I have this isolated section wired into my powered track via the DPDT switch I've found a switch with a centre off position and I've wired it up in accordance with the picture on the forum.

I'll hold myself in anticipation of a successful return loop.

I may even wait until tomorrow before actually trying if it works. I've had enough disappointments for today.

SW

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Do you still get low voltage on only one position of the switch?

Try this stuff with the meter, do not sacrifice a train!

This can be solved logically, step by step...

I'd suggest you double check your wiring, on the switch, is there any possibility 2 wires are touching when they should not?

Can you post a picture of the wiring of the switch itself?

It's something simple.

Greg

 

[Neil Robinson]

My DPDT switch is wired in. Does it make any difference to the way the reverse loop works if the switch doesn't have a centre off position but instead just has 2 positions.
Sarah Winfield

Absolutely not. The center off position was suggested to allow complete isolation of a train in one loop if using DC control. In this case (DC) it could avoid using an additional on/off switch.

 

[PhilP]

Of course, if Sarah is trying to measure 'voltage' on her track, and has DCC on it a voltmeter would have to be on AC to register anything very much..

 

[Sarah Winfield]

I measure the voltage with my meter set to AC and it comes out about 16/18V.

Please bear with me while I explain how the switch is wired.

Viewing my switch from the back and going in a clockwise direction with 12.00 o'clock straight up. Soldering tag 1) being at about 5 minutes past; soldering tag 2) at 15 minutes past; soldering tag 3) at 25 minutes past; soldering tag 4) at 25 minutes to; soldering tag 5) at 15 minutes to; and soldering tag 6) at 5 minutes to.

I have soldered wires across from tag 1) to tag 4) and from tag 3) to tag 6) they are isolated from each other..

The tags at 1/4 past and 1/4 to are to the live rails, one on one side and the other on the other rail.

So far so good I hope?

Tags 1) and 4) are connected to one rail in my isolated section between my isolating rail joiners.

Tags 3) and 6) are connected to the other rail in my isolated section between my isolating rail joiners.

I hope you can understand my logic.

At the moment the wiring is covered for the night. Tomorrow I'll try out if the reverse loop works.

SW

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Sounds correct here... the back of your switch looks like the illustrations we presented before, right? (ignore the numbers on this picture) so tag 1 is the upper right terminal in this picture, tag 2 is the middle one on the furthest right, and so on, going clockwise.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Exactly correct Greg.

Please carry on with your description.

SW

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So, one thing is that your meter might be fooling you when you are trying to read AC...

when you measured low voltage, try swapping the probes on the rails, to see if it makes a difference.

Also, be sure you are not testing with address 0...

Greg

 

[dunnyrail]

Exactly correct Greg.

Please carry on with your description.

SW

Can you show us a close up picture of your wiring? Use close up option if you have a Camera, will be a sort of Flower Option if you do not know.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

My wiring is as I have described it in post 85.

But tonight I think my head is "fuzzed" and I'll be more focused tomorrow morning.

In the meantime thank you for your input. I'm sure we'll have it right soon.

Was it Shirlock Holmes who said, "if you eliminate the implausible what is left must be plausible"

SW

 

[dunnyrail]

My wiring is as I have described it in post 85.

But tonight I think my head is "fuzzed" and I'll be more focused tomorrow morning.

In the meantime thank you for your input. I'm sure we'll have it right soon.

Was it Shirlock Holmes who said, "if you eliminate the implausible what is left must be plausible"

SW

No that was Spock fromStar Trek!

 

[phils2um]

Is there anyone out there who can help Sarah out on site? It's quite a trek (and ocean crossing) for me. This thread has got me totally confused even though it should be fairly straight forward.

Phil S.

 

[dunnyrail]

Is there anyone out there who can help Sarah out on site? It's quite a trek (and ocean crossing) for me. This thread has got me totally confused even though it should be fairly straight forward.

Phil S.

Yes I was hoping that there may be one of us with knowledge a little closer to Sarah. I think a lot of her problems could be solved easier with some pictures of what has been done, as they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Everything is tickateboo on reverse loop no 1. Thank you.

Coming to reverse loop 2, that is the one with two tracks one end into my main circuit and one track the other back out to my circuit.

The easy question for me to ask in where do I put insulating rail joiners and do I need 1 or 2 DPDT switches please?

Thank you.

Sarah Winfield

 

[Neil Robinson]

Coming to reverse loop 2, that is the one with two tracks one end into my main circuit and one track the other back out to my circuit.

The easy question for me to ask in where do I put insulating rail joiners and do I need 1 or 2 DPDT switches please?

Thank you.

Sarah Winfield

I don't wish to complicate the issue but there is more than one "right" answer.
Indeed one, two or three switches may be used
If you only intend to have one train moving at any one time then you could use your existing one switch for all three loop tracks. However it may be more convenient to use more than one to save long runs of wired from the one switch to all tracks. It may also be easier to operate with the relevant switches near to relevant points.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

As mentioned earlier in this extensive thread, you can use one switch for both tracks or one switch each.

At the current state of uncertainty I believe you should put a different switch on the second track, thus reducing confusion and possible debugging issues should something go wrong.

Also, are you going to fit the LED indicators as strongly and multiply suggested?

Greg

 

[Sarah Winfield]

I don't mean to be rude but I won't fit the LED's for the moment.

Now, I would just like to get my 2nd reverse loop working.

I'll totally isolate both tracks from the main circuit with insulating rail joiners. Then use DPDT switches in a similar fashion to how the first loop was successful.

SW

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Yes, the "are you going" meant in the future. I'm very step by step.

I was just anticipating after you "clone" track two's implementation to track one's...

Greg

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Is it always essential to have insulated rail joiners each end of a reverse loop, please?

SW

 

[Greg Elmassian]

YES !!!!

The reverse loop must be completely isolated....