WIMorrison

I use a Lenz LK200 auto-reverser for a reversing loop on an HOe layout and it reacts instantly not causing any shorts or stuttering of the locos - and they are not large being essentially just n-gauge chassis with bigger tops on them I don't have any capacitors or keep alive modules fitted to the locos.

NFU are very good for house insurance and outbuildings, hence why I use them

Just wondering if points could be the issue? You say it was a DC layout and you have installed DCC on it and I wonder if all your points are DCC friendly or whether you have them wired and once is closed causing a short? Theoretically this should cause the controller to shut down but as we don’t know any details we don’t know if this is the case - perhaps the normal default settings have been changed and rather than cutting off the power what has been set is for the system to remain powered and the locos stopped due to short? Would be good to see a track plan and know where your feeds are together with knowledge of what DCC system you have purchased and which decoder you have installed into the loco

I am not saying there is a fault in your wiring, I am just giving you some steps to isolate where the issue might be, then when it has been narrowed down to that single area that area can be investigate.

You do have the correct address slected for the loco, I hope? If you are using the default setting for the decoder this should be 3, however if it has been changed by someone(yourself?) then you will need to make sure that you use that address. I suggest that you take 2 wires from your controller to the test track and get the loco to move up and down, then take that same pair of wires and connect to your main track to confirm that there isnt an issue with the track or bus. if the loco worked on test track and main track using the same wires then your issue is with the bus. If it works on test track but not on main track using same wires you have a track fault.

I have a Lenz Gold Mini that is showing a value of 4 in CV30 yet it runs perfectly and electrically I cannot find any short on the motor or chassis. I have reset the decoder (CV=33) and I assume this worked as the ID went to 3, yet the error remains Anyone any suggestions on what could cause this? Thanks Iain

The PL10 are hopeless and the switch you stick on to change the frog is totally unreliable therefore I needed something better. I looked at the tortoise but a video on YouTube swing me to the Cobalts when I realised a mimic panel with LED indicating direction setting controlled by a single push button for each point was possible and that I would still have spare changeover switch - even after switching frog polarity - swung it for me. Costwise buying them in bulk brought the price down to the same as tortoise plus the decoder and with (I believe) more potential capability, though I have yet to prove the enhanced capabilities:) Just need to get on with the household chores then I get onto the fun times

Because when the wife finds out I will need the money to pacify her! More seriously, I cannot see the need for 2 systems. The Z21 provides everything that the LH100 does, plus a lot more and I have an old Roco Multimaus that I can plug into the Z21 should I feel the need for a physical controller - I bought that years ago because I don't like the len buttons, though they are a lot easier than the Digitrax but neither is as easy as a touch screen that can have everything. I will also be making a mimic panel for the points using the capabilities of the DCC Concpets Cobalt motors that I am using on this layout rather than the PL10 that I have used before - more expensive but so much better.

Well folks, no progress on the track or block detection but I am now the proud owner of a Roco Z21 Found one for well below retail price and have snapped it up - time to put the Lenz kit up for sale now

Alan I am with you here - what you are doing is what I would call edge switches which are placed near to the consumer of the services - in this case the points are the consumers and the Z21 data processing server and other parts would be the core switches And as for signal confusion, data networks carry all sorts of stuff encapsulated in the IP packets and they don't get confused - even when diverse routing is implemented

I always find that going into a computer room or data centre where the cables are all neatly bundled up is so much more pleasant than one where the cables have simply been taken from point to point with the resultant maintenance nightmare that ensues when trying to find or trace the one faulty cable. Strangely enough there are also fewer faults in tidy well managed cable runs than spaghetti piles. On the subject of cross talk I have installed cable bundles with upwards of 50 CAT6 cables in the bundle which means 200 twisted pairs or 400 wires in each and I have never had any cross talk interference - that is why twisted pairs are used If I can wire a comms room with several thousand cables, keeping them neat and all properly labelled then I don't see an issue in doing the same with DCC components as all they are doing is using the same network cables with a slightly different protocol. Just saying that there are other ways to look at this

What a stunning layout - and the wiring of the DCC modules deserves a medal on its own! I now need to think about the rats nest that I had on the last layout and ensure that I meet this high standard

Keith I don't dispute the functionality of the DR5000, what I am saying is that for the same effective amount I can get a Z21 which provides me more 'out of the box' and potentially better future proofing. It also interfaces easily with RocRail which is my favoured programme (actually I would prefer TrainsController but that isn't in the budget!) I love touchscreen control and had previously looked at the Roco app, definitely the best out there today and It provides the initial functionality from day one - loco control, accessory control, layout control, route setting - and all with easy pictorial control using pictures of the track and locos. The ability to use all the busses means I can get whatever I want and it will work - there are some super extensions available for loconet, some for s88 and some for Xpressnet - I can mix and match with ease - and all from the same simple interface. If there was a financial advantage to using the DR5000 I would take another look, but the sums don't add up as the cost for it is the same (assuming I can sell the LH100) that the Z21 is - and unlike Lenz it is being updated regularly.

Alan, Excuse my tardiness in replying to your extremely helpful post - marital orders have dictated that I have to complete a couple of challenges in the house and have them ready for occupation by October and that "toys" are not on the list of priorities :; That said, I am allowed to read stuff when in bed! I now see that you have the Z21 and I am even more convinced that this is the route I will go next year. Financially it will not cost anymore that buying the Digikeijs box that integrates all the busses, as I can sell the Lenz and the difference would be the cost of the Digikeijs box - the Z21 is way more flexible as it also provides an excellent iPad app. Going this route would give me all the busses, especially Loconet which is where many bits seem to reside, though I can also play with the LDT RS kit before hand to get experience - I am confused by the RS bus though as one person will say it is awful, and yet the next person will say they have no issues and it works for them - exactly the same as has happened here - confusing or what? I will spend some time going over the references, though I may take the Traincontroller stuff with care - that is not cheap and superbly good - but probably way above my skills or abilities. Thanks again Iain

Alan, How I wish that I were near you to come and visit then steal your knowledge on this subject. I have managed to find nothing online describing how it works, how to set it up or how to operate and I am amazed that there is so little information - perhaps I am looking in the wrong places. However I would suggest that the number of responses here indicate the level of knowledge (or interest?) that there is in the logical extension of DCC. I think that what I want for what I am planning are the LDT RS8 units - or a complete change of system to a Roco Z21 which would appear to be one of the most fully featured systems now, though pricey. I will check out your thread, but if you know of some books or online resources that explain how this works in DCC please let me know. Many thanks Iain

Perhaps in your desire to show your 'knowledge' you missed the point that the motor I was talking about is not coreless nor is the motor in the other loco that I have yet to chip. Lenz still support DC running as do other vendors and many people still have older locos that have traditional motors and that can run happily on DCC tracks. Indeed many clubs have people that bring their locos to run as guests on the club layout which is DCC but the members layout remains DC. I suggest it is always best to make posts relevant to the questions being asked and to read the information provided.

The motor has 5 poles, it is actually in a Kato/Dapol/Tomix track cleaner and when put into the Track it just runs flat out immaterial of the speed of Loco 0 The loco didn't have a decoder fitted at all hence the question about DC running. I have fitted a chip into it now and my problem is now cured but it is strange that it would run as a controllable DC motor on DCC yet another DC loco is quite happy (though it is due to have a decoder fitted soon)

I am building a new layout using my existing Lenz kit and I have an 23151 Ethernet interface for PC interaction and control with DCC IP digital point motors controlled using Xpressnet and pushbutton from a mimic panel . I will either use JMRI or Rocrail to undertake automated control at a future date but to make that work I need to implement blocks when I lay the track. I may or may not actually put on block detectors/controllers at this point (depending on the advice here) or I may just create the blocks with them all wired to the leaving the expansion into automated for the future My locos (8) all have Lenz silver mini or gold mini decoders due to the size of the bodies (HOe) I need some bits of advice as whilst I understand the concepts of DCC, block control is new to me and which block controllers or detectors should I use? Actually is there a difference between them and which should I use? what is needed in addition to the detectors/controllers? how many blocks should I have? where should I place blocks how do you stop trains within blocks beside a signal? how do I control the signals using block control? do I split one rail, or both rails? what good reading can you suggest that will help me understand how this works? The layout is effectively 2 loops that are interconnected and I want to have 2/3 trains running constantly on the top loop (blue) that I can route through reversing loop or down to lower loop (Black) where I can swap manually for another train - hopefully that makes sense Any ideas will be greatly appreciated as I want to build it correctly now for the future, especially as some sections will be under scenery and later alteration will be difficult as I want to put in insulated joints between block sections. Hopefully not to much to ask, and also I hope that the assembled expertise here will solve my queries Many Thanks Iain

I am using a Lenz system and should be able top control a DC motor using Loco/Engine ID 0 (zero) and the motor will run on ID 0 but I cant control the speed, it simply runs at top speed all the time. I am certain this didn't use to be the case and I wonder if there is something I could have changed in the setting to have caused this - does anyone have any idea? I have looked at the LH100 manual, plus the LZV100 manula I cannot see the answer in either of them. TIA Iain

Lenz have just come back saying that they will translate some of the xml into English and have, not unreasonably, asked for some time due to the amount of work involved. I will come back and post the files once they are made available to me for the benefit of all.

Thank you - pm sent

I am restarting my layout after a 10 year gap and am going down the DCC route using Lenz kit. I have the 23151 interface to allow me to use computer control and also Touchcab on my iPhone as the throttle for everything as it is so much easier to use. The issue I have is that all the decoder files for use with the cv editor are in German and the 'new' version of the software now use xml files therefore the old Dec files used before are not useable. I have tried asking various places for the English XML version - including Lenz who haven't responded at all and I have a singular lack of success with an answe, hopefully you guys will have the answers Does anyone here have the English XML files for the Gold and Silver mini decoders? The other thing that might work is if anyone has an older version of the software (earlier than the current v1.2) that use Dec files then I could revert to that for writing the CVs . Thanks Iain