Calling Gaugemaster Prodigy users - help please.

[mattog]

Some DCC consoles may keep 'testing' their output by momentarily reapplying power, but cutting it off again immediately if the short is still present.

 

It's this 'testing' that the PA does that worries me. Surely reapplying these bursts of power could damage a sound decoder?

[Brian]

It's this 'testing' that the PA does that worries me. Surely reapplying these bursts of power could damage a sound decoder?

Hi

I don't think it would cause any serious damage?

 

If you want to overcome the self resetting then simply wire a 12 volt 21watt single filament cars reversing or indicator lamp in series with one of the 'Track' output wires (doesn't matter which wire).

Then when a short appears the PA doesn't go into shut down mode, but the lamp illuminates and limits the fault current.

Alternatively, section (Zone) the tracks - IRJs fitted at all entrance and exit rails of the section, and wire electronic overload units or car lamps into the feed path for that section.

 

All these will help prevent the PA (or any other DCC system) from going into overload shutdown.

 

AFAIK Lenz DCC systems continually test their output upon a short being detected too, and perhaps other systems do the same?

[mattog]

I like the lamp solution - cheap and easy to install. thanks for the advice.

[Barry Ten]

I was driven nuts by this here is the solution

 

Good Luck,

 

Xerces Fobe

 

Just a follow up to say that YES! this works, many thanks. Tonight I was able to set up a second consist, after first making sure

that neither of the locos were in the "stack". It's such a basic thing, you'd think they'd mention it in the manual, wouldn't you?

[Xerces Fobe2]

Just a follow up to say that YES! this works, many thanks. Tonight I was able to set up a second consist, after first making sure

that neither of the locos were in the "stack". It's such a basic thing, you'd think they'd mention it in the manual, wouldn't you?

 

 

Glad it worked for you.

 

Xerces Fobe

[Crosland]

I have a Prodigy Advance 2 and I run sound locos. What worries me is when a loco runs into an incorrectly set point and shorts. Rather than completely shutting down, the advance keeps applying bursts of power and you get that high pitched buzzing from the decoder. Surely this can't be good? I usually shut the unit off but it means i can't leave the room or stray too far from the controller.

That's fine. The system is reapplying power but then shutting down again because the short is still present. If the short is cleared then the system will come back up normally. Otherwise every momentary short would result in a complete shutdown requireing the power to be re-applied manually.

 

Andrew Crosland

[Stevelewis]

I use a Prodigy 2 on my 00 layout I very occasionally get the SVDA indication, but no noises, beeps or buzzing decoders described above.

 

In 99% of the occurances things continue to run normally, I simply unplug the handheld controller for a few seconds and it restores to normal working.

 

Most of my stock is Bachmann Emus & Dmus plus a handful of diesels and one steam loco a Hornby 9f RAILROAD version which I purchased to ' do up' ( excellent value for £50) The 9f is the only loco which very occasionally causes problems and only when passing over a Peco CURVED point, no probs on anything else including single & double slips.

 

Incidentally I am using INSULFROG points n the current layout ( probably due to laziness!!) but I do find that I am getting far less problems, with short circuits occurring than when I last used LIVE frog points on a layout constructed a few years back.

[R300AML]

How do you delete all the numbers in the handset, I have so many  I can't get anything to work! I just want to clear it and go back to DC it's much simpler, and no geeky problems to sort like with DCC