difference between main and program track

[pooldoc58]

sorry I know this must be a dumb question to most of you but  I am not sure.

difference between main and program track if I just have a simple loop that I can use to set up decoders and try out lights etc.

Using just the one train at a time can I set decoders on the program track, is it ok to have a complete loop, then will the train run or do I have to then rewire to main track

sorry in advance for the dumb question

[Yardman]

The main difference is the program track is low power and will not damage an incorrectly fitted decoder. So should always be used on a new decoder install. Also a program track allows feedback to the comand station of CV's loco number etc. programming on the main is better for setting speed curves, sound parameters and the like as the effect of changes can be seen as you alter cv's.

[pooldoc58]

15 minutes ago, Yardman said:

The main difference is the program track is low power and will not damage an incorrectly fitted decoder. So should always be used on a new decoder install. Also a program track allows feedback to the comand station of CV's loco number etc. programming on the main is better for setting speed curves, sound parameters and the like as the effect of changes can be seen as you alter cv's.

great thanks so its ok just to have a simple loop to do this on then

[Yardman]

15 minutes ago, pooldoc58 said:

great thanks so its ok just to have a simple loop to do this on then

Any peice of track will do, just don't connect it to the rest of the layout.

 

[Matt C]

Yes you can use your loop. What I have is a piece of track that has one male and one female connector permanently wired to it (I only use a length of track as I use a rolling road on it) I then have wires from my DCC controller (main) with one male and one female connector, wires from my controller (program) with one male and one female connector, and wires from a DC controller with one male and one female connector ( these are all wired so when plugged in to the track they all have the SAME +. - orientation) I simply plug in whichever set of wires I want to use, main, program, or DC. This settup means I can ONLY have ONE plugged in at a time So no risk of DC and DCC mixing. Just label your controller wires clearly so you know which set you are plugging in.  You CAN do this with switches but I like the fact that my settup is pretty idiot proof so suites me 

[WIMorrison]

2 hours ago, Yardman said:

... Also a program track allows feedback to the comand station of CV's loco number etc. programming on the main is better for setting speed curves, sound parameters and the like as the effect of changes can be seen as you alter cv's.

if you use Railcom then you can do all of this on the main track whilst the loco is running - extremely useful when  you want to tweak a setting as you can READ the existing setting before WRITING a new setting.

 

Without Railcom you can only WRITE new settings without knowledge of what the existing setting actually is.

[Danemouth]

On Danemouth the programming track is the headshunt which is isolated from the rest of the layout and fed by a two way switch

 

Dave

[pooldoc58]

thanks for the replies 

 

[jpendle]

Hi,

 

As you have bought a Z21 then the programming track can be part of your layout, it just needs to be electrically isolated from the other tracks.

When the Z21 is not using the programming track output then that output behaves just like the Main Track output.

 

Also what Iain says is correct, but in my experience the Z21 gets confused with Railcom responses when doing Programming On the Main (POM), if more than 4 or 5 loco's are present.

 

Regards,

 

John P

[WIMorrison]

John

 

My Z21 doesn’t have any issues reading and writing using POM via Railcom to any one of my 26 locos when they are being run automatically simultaneously whilst utilising LocoNet feedbacks and operating 54 turnouts.

 

definitely a lot more stressed than operating with just 4 or 5 locos and it doesn’t ever miss a beat.

 

 

[Yardman]

14 hours ago, Danemouth said:

On Danemouth the programming track is the headshunt which is isolated from the rest of the layout and fed by a two way switch

 

Dave

Not a good idea unless your headshunt is separated from the rest of the layout by a dead section at least a loco length long or a physical barrier to stop a loco bridging the gap and shorting the program track to the main layout. Depending on the make of your system this can toast your command station.

[pooldoc58]

thanks to all who have relpied this is very helpfull to a total novice

[Danemouth]

2 hours ago, Yardman said:

Not a good idea unless your headshunt is separated from the rest of the layout by a dead section at least a loco length long or a physical barrier to stop a loco bridging the gap and shorting the program track to the main layout. Depending on the make of your system this can toast your command station.

 

Not a problem since I turn the power off to the main track at the same time so the rest of the layout is dead.  Whilst on the programming track the loco does not move.

 

 

Dave

[jpendle]

18 hours ago, WIMorrison said:

John

 

My Z21 doesn’t have any issues reading and writing using POM via Railcom to any one of my 26 locos when they are being run automatically simultaneously whilst utilising LocoNet feedbacks and operating 54 turnouts.

 

definitely a lot more stressed than operating with just 4 or 5 locos and it doesn’t ever miss a beat.

 

 

Hi Iain,

 

Neither does mine now I'm using CAN bus Railcom feedbacks.

The problem occurred before I went down the automation route and had the Z21 trying to directly read Railcom data.

 

Regards,

 

John P