cromptonnut Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Hi all Can I get recommendations please for how to best deal with a reversing loop? There seem to be a myriad of different manufacturers offering products that all do the same thing at different prices. I have a Lenz set 100 if that makes a difference. I know that both ends of the loop need to have insulating fishplates and you feed the loop part from the bus feed via the RL unit - but just wondered what people would suggest. There is one from Hornby but it seems to only work with the Select or Elite, with a switch depending on what system you are using. I'm not quite sure why this would be system-specific as surely all the unit does is detect a short and switch polarity? MTIA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I have a couple of Lenz LK100's that are going spare, so let me know when you want to go down that route and I'm sure we can come to an arrangement…..:-) Here's a video from YouTube that might help. I haven't watched it in full, but it seems OK. The Lenz manual is here. http://www.lenzusa.com/1newsite1/Manuals/lk100.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 You have mail... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil S Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 There can be a 'sensitivity difference' between differing command centreas - as to how rapidly they respond with their own internal (track) short-circuit protection ... on some it is faster than some auto reversers respond, and therefore the auto reverser effectively fails to work as expected. Some have adjustable time settings for this - this may be the purpose of the switch on the Hornby Auto reverser _ I don't have one of theirs, as I have Lenz LK100s. Bachmann Auto Reverser, LGB Auto reversr, PSXAR electronic Auto Reversers, and a 'new type' Massoth Autoreverser awaiting installation which is DC compativble, and avoids the (potentially large) shoirt circuit current possible in G Scale, which triggers the usual changeover! The basic, orginal principle used by the auto reversers, is to detect a short occuring in EITHER rail at the join/gap entering the reversable section, as the first metal wheel bridges the gap: If the polarity is 'wrong', then a large current attemps to flow across the wheel (it should not need or attempt to go via the loco body /chassis except that that forms a parallel circuit, and so will take some current flow). The circuitry in the detector measures this current as being above a chosen (sometimes user adjusted) setting - and on older units, fires a relay to changeover, changing the polarity, thus removing the short. This takes time. Units like the PSXAR are solid-state, with no mechanical part, and respond faster, and may have more 'intelligence' in detecting 'the short'. They may also be 'preset' remotely via DCC which means they could be changed whilst a loco is in section, pre-empting the auto changeover ?? The new Massoth type design, uses ADDITIONAL isolated sections either side if the autoreverse section - these need not be long, but enough to have metal wheels detect a current flow (rain (occupation) .... this is used to PRESET the polarity of the autoreverse section to be correct for that end, and this is then changed BEFORE the loco enters, and therefore without ANY short circuit. As a result it is also DC compatible, I believe . (However, this would still not work for an an analogue loco on dcc - for which the train would still have to be stopped, and 'reversed' in the section??) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Problem solved thanks to Gordon's kind offer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I have used both Lenz LK100s and Digitrax AR-1s with my Lenz Set 100. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Just to put the record straight - the Hornby version is not limited to working with the Select and Elite - I have three units working with NCE Powercab. As Phil says, the switch on the Hornby unit is intended to cope with the different response times of the Hornby controllers but I found it didn't seem to matter which way the switch was set. Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Thanks for the clarification Harold - it isn't made clear in the instructions (at least the ones I could find online). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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