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Wiring Blocks Common Rail or Isolate both rails?


steve
 

I have a layout with blocked sections. I isolated both rails in each
section. I am using DCC and will be installing a BD4 to operate
signals through an SRC24.

Do i need to open 1 rail and make it common through the entire layout,
or can i leave both rails isolated? I have all my power comming
through a 4 block circuit breaker.

Thanks for your help.

Steve


wirefordcc
 

Steve,

I'm not quite sure I am following your question. Maybe I'm not
following you as to how you have your railroad wired. I think you are
okay with what you have.

Here is the URL from my website that shows two rails with all the
associated wiring.

The heavy black lines are labeled Rail "A" and "B".

I double gap everything. I find it is easier on my sanity. That's
just a personal choice. If you have double gapped everything, you
are fine.

Notice that my rail "B" has many gaps in it, but those gaps are
effectively bridged by the white wire. The white wire is labeled
COMMON BUS on the drawing. Notice however, that the white and the
black for each booster are NOT connected together. NEVER connect the
outputs of boosters together. DO NOT have a common between boosters.

Hopefully, this information and the drawing answer your question.

Allan


--- In WiringForDCC@..., "steve" <snorring@a...> wrote:

I have a layout with blocked sections. I isolated both rails in
each
section. I am using DCC and will be installing a BD4 to operate
signals through an SRC24.

Do i need to open 1 rail and make it common through the entire
layout,
or can i leave both rails isolated? I have all my power comming
through a 4 block circuit breaker.

Thanks for your help.

Steve


steve
 

My problem is that i have a BD4 occupancy detector, which i am
trying to use to trigger a DS54. All Blocks run through a
Powershield circuit breaker and are all on one booster.

the BD4 doesn't seem to be sensing and i'm not sure i'm connecting
it correctly. Any assitance would be apreciated.


--- In WiringForDCC@..., "wirefordcc"
<wire4dcc_admin@c...> wrote:

Steve,

I'm not quite sure I am following your question. Maybe I'm not
following you as to how you have your railroad wired. I think you
are
okay with what you have.

Here is the URL from my website that shows two rails with all the
associated wiring.

The heavy black lines are labeled Rail "A" and "B".

I double gap everything. I find it is easier on my sanity.
That's
just a personal choice. If you have double gapped everything, you
are fine.

Notice that my rail "B" has many gaps in it, but those gaps are
effectively bridged by the white wire. The white wire is labeled
COMMON BUS on the drawing. Notice however, that the white and
the
black for each booster are NOT connected together. NEVER connect
the
outputs of boosters together. DO NOT have a common between
boosters.

Hopefully, this information and the drawing answer your question.

Allan


--- In WiringForDCC@..., "steve" <snorring@a...> wrote:

I have a layout with blocked sections. I isolated both rails in
each
section. I am using DCC and will be installing a BD4 to operate
signals through an SRC24.

Do i need to open 1 rail and make it common through the entire
layout,
or can i leave both rails isolated? I have all my power comming
through a 4 block circuit breaker.

Thanks for your help.

Steve


wirefordcc
 

Steve,

You have 4 possible areas of failure:

1. The BD4 isn't wired up correctly to the track. I don't see the
BD4 manual on Digitrax's website so I can't help you much. I am
using BD1s which require that a particular terminal go to your
track. If the BD4 is like this, make sure you have it wired up
correctly. You may want to connect your BD4 temporarily directly to
your booster and a short section of track for test purposes.

2. The BD4 isn't wired up correctly to the DS54. You will just
have to consult the manuals for the BD4 and DS54.

3. Your DS54 isn't programmed correctly. I provide a table of CV
values for your DS54 which will enable block detection and send
Loconet messages.

4. Your method of displaying detection messages on Loconet isn't
set up correctly. I assume you are using a computer to detect to
your Loconet messages from the DS54. You should also see messages
from your throttles. Make sure it is picking them up.