DCC system reset on switch


AyTrane

AyTrane

Member
I have the MRC Prodigy DCC system. I have noticed recently that when my engines cross a certain section of track at slower speeds they will reset my system, causing the screen to read "SVDA." This tends to happen at a few different spots in a four foot section of track. One spot is at/near a turnout (Atlas). Another is in the middle of a curve. I though maybe it was because I had a jumper in that section hooked to a DPDT toggle switch for when the layout is in DC operation. I ran a hard jumper from the section before that, but it's a no go. Then I realized that the switch that sometimes gave me issues was in the safe block, so I guess I'm dealing with two different blocks with the same problem. I'm not sure it's the turnout that is the issue as all of mine are Atlas turnouts, and it only seems to be certain spots, in one corner of the layout, that give me trouble.

I've been thinking of just hard-wiring everything to DCC since almost all of my good locomotives are converted now. Should I keep the blocks? I have about 100ft of track that would be running on one loop if I did.
 
With regards of having blocks with DCC...the blocks can be both good and bad. the good is that if its a large layout you can isolate an issue by turning off blocks untill the short is found. the bad is that it can make you chase issues that a relay or toggel has caused.
are any of the switch tracks to a reverse loop?
are the frogs isolated. Some of the old switch tracks on the club layout are 20 years old and not DCC frendly. this creates issus with some of my locos with wide drivers bridging the frogs.

If you dont already know how to reset the system on the hand held when it says SVDA?
just unplug the throttle and plug back in.. it took me a year to figure that one out LOL!!
 
Yeah, it just gets irritating to keep unplugging it. I think I figured out my problem. I tracked down a couple loose solder joints that I think were confusing the system when the load would rapidly change from cars crossing the track. This would explain the intermittent problem, and seemingly random problem location. I have pinched the rail joiners for now, and this seems to have fixed the problem.

I read the manual cover to cover twice before I put any power to the tracks when I got the system. I didn't want to fry any $20-50 decoders. But alas I fried a $40 decoder as soon as I got it installed. I'm thinking it was a faulty decoder, but the $17 to get it replaced through Digitrax seems a bit high for a replacement.
 
If your using the old atlas switches for your layout, just borrow the wife/girlfiends/boyfriends clear nail polish and cover the exposed rail head and cross cut area of the frog and it should take care of that problem. Unfortunatley almost all of my switches are atlas, got them from an estate purchase about 2 yrs ago now. I ended up with over 100 each #6's left and rt, and #4's left and rt, and a ton of double slips and wyes, all NS fortunately. :D
 
AyTrane said:
...I didn't want to fry any $20-50 decoders. But alas I fried a $40 decoder as soon as I got it installed. I'm thinking it was a faulty decoder, but the $17 to get it replaced through Digitrax seems a bit high for a replacement.
Click to expand...

If the decoder is less than 90 days old, should not the warranty replace it FOC? I've let the smoke out of a couple of decoders over the years, but I only use 2-function ones, and I can get new ones for less than digitrax's $17 fee on decoder replacement/repair, so I haven't ever bothered.
 
NCE has an even better exchange price than that , and they'll take any brand decoder, for $12. I sent them 2 digitrax, one lenz, and one nce, and got back 4 nce d13srj decoders. :cool:
 
I have a few of the NCE decoders, I really like them. I might be a little bias since they were the first ones that I installed. If only I could get a smaller size, it would be perfect!
 
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