WIMorrison

been around on the iPhone/iPad for quite a while aslo

The z21 Start has been a pain ever since the invented it - essentially a z21 that needs an unlock code from Roco to enable the network interface. I dont know how many people I have had to help with that one, they thought they were getting a fully working and very cheap z21 The XL boosters look good but I am struggling to see what the Z21 pro Link does to make something that is already very simple easier at a probably significant cost. An update of the apps, or even a PC based app would have been a bonus

John AFAIK it is just a standard RJ11 cable

Your link doesn't include a power supply https://www.ironplanethobbies.com/product/dr5033-booster/ can be awkward to set up though and get the options sets correctly, thought Ryan knows how to do it

I used to have a 10805 and I just used an old laptop SPMS. Volts are volts, amps are amps, Roco don't make special ones for their boosters And the cable isn't anything special either

replace it with an up to date electronic unit rather than the outdated electro-mechanical system you have today

The will display whatever information you program into them - they could say Happy Birthday if you wanted

Your other choices could be to create a computer monitor screen mimic panel and drive that either using JMRI (free), Rocrail (free) or iTrain Lite (€119) . You plan on an ECoS and that interfaces with all 3, though I have to say my preference would be for iTrain light - you could enhance this later for other aspects later if you chose to. Secondly, have you already purchased the Tortoise motors? If not I suggest you look at the MTB MP1 which you can see working here as surface mount, they mount underneath very easily and have proved to be totally reliable You can switch them very easily using something like a DR4018 which will switch 8 motors

Which fitting is the decoder for loco?

I know, but to use them with ECoS you need to pay another £100 for a Loconet interface

almost certain that the phone isn't connected to the DR5000, normally that is the issue as people gave their phones connected to their local network when at home. The phone needs to be connected to the DR5000

And then you are either locked into ESU for peripherals or you have to buy expensive interfaces to be able to use industry protocols such as Loconet. Good, but ultimately extremely expensive that doesn’t offer anything especially unique for the money.

No, it isn't an app, it is a program that only runs under windows. You should have used it already to configure the DR5000?

The Z21 power supply is 20v for 230v. if you are using an 110v then the output is 18v @ 4a - either way the replacement power supply doesn't have the same specs. I agree that the use a working SMPS on your friends unit (e.g. your one) will confirm whether the z21 is faulty. EDIT - the z21 SMPS is 18v for 230v input.

They were known as bus bars because they carried the power around, the same as a bus carried people and in computer terms they carry the data around - the name comes from omnibus and the fact they buzzed was coincidence :)

Here you go £9.99 for 10 metres :)

I suggest that you stick to one manufacturer of decoders - there are several very good comprehensive OEMs (e.g. ESU & Zimo) that are well documented and only use those makers decoders as you will start to understand how that OEM implements his interpretation of the 'standard'. Trying to cover all makers and all variations of decoders would be an impossible task, as has already been suggested. Personally I stick with Zimo, they have an excellent range and their documentation is good covering all decoders in one fairly dense doc. http://www.zimo.at/web2010/documents/MX-KleineDecoder_E.pdf Good luck - if you do create a book of your findings it may be a best seller (at least within the DCC world )

@RobjUK At least you have understood the reason for my question :) Though I am not sure I would want to use heat shrink on the decoders either, they get hot quite quickly and insulating them and thus keeping the heat inside doesn't seem a good idea to me.

Surely if you shrink wrap them then the heat can't escape?

@Grovenor I simply use a loco as the load on the track If i notice a difference in performance, speed or pulling capacity of a loco in an area of track then I simply stick the meter across the track with the loco there and see if there is a voltage drop, if there is then I go hunting to find the voltage drop, if there isn't it generally means that the loco needs a service.

As Keith knows that is also why I got rid of the DR5000 I had with the only difference being that I gave up at v1.5.4.

You can plug almost any handset into the Z21 that you want to - any XpressNet or LocoNet handset will work - I currently have a very old borrowed Digitrax DT400 plugged in and it works perfectly, co-operating with the WiFi Multimaus and iTrain.

Yes, it shoudl work with the ECoS - in fact slightly better as the ECoS can recognise the locos using Railcom+ - however you will need at least Railcom enabled DCC decoders on the locos to make this happen and DR5088RC to pass the Railcom and occupancy data via Loconet back to the ECoS

Can I suggest that the actual ‘voltage’ is academic and what actually matters is the differential between what comes out of the command station and what is available to the track and a train at any given point on the track. if you get ‘17.9v’ at the back of the command station (Z21 for me) and at the furthest point - using the same DMM - I get ‘17.88v’ then there is nothing wrong with the bus. if at some place on the track I got ‘16.5v’ or similarly low reading then I would have an issue that I need to resolve as that suggests a dropper is at fault. the ‘real’ voltage measured by some expensive meters could be any value, it doesn’t really matter as it will not change the performance of my layout or the reading on the meter. for the record the Z21 outputs 17v

Paul The are Common Anode Iain