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Frequent poster 820 posts David Calhoun Frequent poster 820 posts
David Calhoun

I have tried adding a DB150 to my layout to boost power to the 6 power districts I have. Here is some data to consider:

1. The boosted has its own power supply and is connected to my DCS 51 Zephyr via loco net cables which are correct. 

2. Toggles on the booster are set correctly for my HO layout. The booster is connected to Track A and Track B correctly through PSX 1's for the West main and the Port area which are the two power districts it should control.

3. My Zephyr is connected to the East main, East yard and Staging via PSX 1s which are all separate power districts.

4. When power is supplied to both the booster and Zephyr, ALL the PSX's show a short and everything buzzes. I have shut it all down to avoid damage.

Here is my problem. The booklet describes adding another Zephyr and changing OPS switches to make it a booster and not a command station. It does not say anything about how to add a DB150 or other booster that has no programming switches. 

Are there OPS switches needed to be changed on my Zephyr to tell it that a booster (DB150) is added to provide power to distracts that are part of my railroad? Is so, what are they and how do I change them? How do I troubleshoot my system if I still get short indications? I added this booster as the Zephyr worked for the entire layout but could only run 2 trains and shut down engines and then restarted them a few moments later.

Comments please and/or internet referrals covering instructions on adding boosters. Thanks.

 

Chief Operating Officer

The Greater Nickel Plate
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marcfo68 Frequent poster 656 posts
marcfo68

. . .

You inserted the required  jumper wire between  CONF A and GROUND  on the DB150  ?

There is nothing on the Zephyr that needs changing.

One exception might be changing the shutdown response time from 1/4 to 1/2 second via OPSW 18  on both the Z and the DB150.

Marc
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ACR_Forever Prolific poster 1,361 posts
ACR_Forever

David, you don't mention

if you wired GROUND on the DB150 to GROUND on the DCS51.   This is covered in the DB150 Manual, I think, though it may only be seen in a sketch, not talked about. 

But your problem sounds more fundamental, it sounds to me like you've wired outputs A to B and B to A, or have your phasing reversed between booster and DCS.  One way this can happen is if you used a 'reversing' loconet cable, or coupler, instead of ensuring you've got a 'data' style connection from DCS to DB.  That might be what you mean by saying the loconet cables are "correct", but, for example, you can use two loconet cables which are "correct", but daisy-chain them with a coupler which is 'reversing', and the result will be a loconet cable which is incorrect.  So check carefully.

There's lots of info on the Digitrax website in their Knowledgebase articles about how to properly wire a loconet bus to avoid this problem.  As Marc said, there's no setting for the Zephyr that needs changing.  There is, however, a setting in the DB150 to tell it it's a booster; it's worthwhile setting that as well, although the external jumper Marc mentioned should achieve it.

Blair
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marcfo68 Frequent poster 656 posts
marcfo68

. . .

Inserting the jumper wire on the DB150 is how you do it. 

The OPSW method  involves you have a Digitrax throttle on hand to change the OPSW's in the DB150. It just gets to complicated unless you have  a Digitrax DT400, DT402, DT500 or DT602 or a computer interface such as the PR3, PR4 or Locobuffer and JMRI. 

If you use the OPSW method on the DB150, when the battery dies, you are in trouble.

Use the jumper wire solution as it is stated in the  DB150 manual.

I can also assure you this is not a Loconet issue.
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David Calhoun Frequent poster 820 posts
David Calhoun

Success!

The jumper did the trick and just had to reverse the leads to the bus from the DB 150. The railroad runs!

Chief Operating Officer

The Greater Nickel Plate
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marcfo68 Frequent poster 656 posts
marcfo68

. . .

Do not omit the large gauge GROUND between the Zephyr and the DB150.

If you omit this connection, your system will work but rely on the GROUND provided by the Loconet cable and that is a road to possible disaster and worse  ... fire.

The 30 gauge wire of Loconet is too fine  to provide a GROUND path.  There is no issue with the RAILSYNC or LOCONET lines, just add a good COMMON  GROUND.
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ACR_Forever Prolific poster 1,361 posts
ACR_Forever

Ah, so both

fighting DCS's and a phase reversal.  Interesting.  I still maintain that phase reversal could be due to a Loconet reversal, but you found a solution, so go with it.
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