One Problem After Another


D&J RailRoad

D&J RailRoad

Professor of HO
While wrestling with the Digitrax Loconet Repeater (LNRP) issue, now my signal system has quit working completely.
I can see my BDL168 respond to a train in each block. The LEDs on the little testor boards that plug into the BDL168 illuminate properly but I don't see the associated block change color on the computer screen of the Train Controller Silver. The SE8C is still connected to the signal heads as I can toggle the signal color with the on-screen signal head in my Train Controller Silver. I can turn track power off and on with the TCS.
It just isn't changing the signal head colors as I drive my loco through the blocks.
 
After days and hours on monotonous trying and retrying the same thing over and over, I suddenly noticed a clue to the problem. It was the SE8C (signal control board) that was causing the problem. With my focus on that, I was able to confirm it by removing it then reinstalling it to produce the problem again. I had another SE8C board in the spare parts bin, so I installed that and the system worked properly.
I slept well last night.
 
I’ve lost my bell sound on my steam engine, any hints on how to maybe get it back; I have digitrax and you are a lot more experienced than me, tried a bunch of CV attempts yesterday to no avail. Can programming be done on my mainline do you know?
 
BigGRacing said:
I’ve lost my bell sound on my steam engine, any hints on how to maybe get it back; I have digitrax and you are a lot more experienced than me, tried a bunch of CV attempts yesterday to no avail. Can programming be done on my mainline do you know?
Click to expand...
Yes, select "Prg on main".from the menu.

Personally I have a note of any CV's I change (from X to Y) and just return the CV to it's former value.
 
Smudge617 said:
Yes, select "Prg on main".from the menu.

Personally I have a note of any CV's I change (from X to Y) and just return the CV to it's former value.
Click to expand...
Sadly, I didn’t do anything that I know of. I did put another DCC engine on the track and thought that it might have taken on that engines program. Not sure and now don’t know which CV fixes it…..grrrrrrr
 
Sometimes, it's just gremlins messing around. You can hear em giggling when you appear to be puzzled by something.
I don't like to do programming on the main. Too much can go wrong when you're not paying full attention.
You said you have Digitrax system. What brand is the decoder?
 
Mine is a SDXH166D, and looks like this
IMG_9459.png
 
Got the 2nd district sorted out and signaling right. 1st district is testing right now. Updating the documentation and labeling the cables as I prove each section.
Once the 3rd section is finished testing, I can tuck all the wiring back in and put all the facia back up.
The computer screen is the TrainController Silver program that coordinates the block detection with the signal heads.
The room is 55' X 35'. 6 1/2 scale miles of double track mainline.


20231005_180012.jpg


16965488378682854516391770205609.jpg
 
Well, I figured out why the SE8C went bad.
The power supply that was supposed to be providing 15VDC went bad and cranked up to 38VAC. I figured that out when a second SE8C started acting the same way as this previous one.
So much for taking advice from another person who told me the PS14 wall warts from Digitrax produce electronic noise.
 
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