ESU Loksound select direct micro

[woodone]

Steve, you can’t see the mirror through the smoke-
Seeing you and Carl are located in Texas, could that cause problems?  LOL
I have been doing DCC installs for 20 years, and still get butterfly’s when I first fire up anew install!

[tehachapifan]

….I have been doing DCC installs for 20 years, and still get butterfly’s when I first fire up anew install!

Me too on the butterflies! I'm kind of like Judge Smails saying "oh, Billy, Billy, Billy" just before I apply power to a new install for the first time.

[Steveruger45]

I’ve only been doing dcc and sound installs a relatively short while, I started basically when I signed up to the railwire and started reading JC’s and others install threads.
But yes, even thought I meticulously check everything for possible shorts, good solder joints, etc etc etc, I cant help that as the engineer and wannabe electrician in me demands it, I always have that “caddy shack” moment on first start-up.  But the feeling of a successful install is still worth it.

[peteski]

Testing a new install on the programming track should reduce the anxiety level. 

[tehachapifan]

Testing a new install on the programming track should reduce the anxiety level. 

I wasn't aware that would be a safer way to test. Could you please elaborate?

[peteski]

I wasn't aware that would be a safer way to test. Could you please elaborate?

The benefits are covered in https://dccwiki.com/Programming_Track . That website  has lots of useful DCC info.

Another good DCC info site is https://sites.google.com/site/markgurries/

Just to clarify, by "testing" I mean that you can safely verify that there are no shorts in either the track or motor hookups, and that the CVs of the decoders can be read and written to successfully. If testing is successful, it should be safe to place the loco on the standard DCC-powered track.

[RBrodzinsky]

If you have the LokProgrammer, the Cab panel in it allows one to actually run on the programming track safely.  It will immediately shut off the power if any short is detected. It is also at much less current than command stations.

[jdcolombo]

If you have the LokProgrammer, the Cab panel in it allows one to actually run on the programming track safely.  It will immediately shut off the power if any short is detected. It is also at much less current than command stations.

Yep.  I always run the loco via the LokProgrammer Cab before putting it on a full-power DCC track.  It's saved me from disaster more than once - although if you have a short in the audio circuit, it will still blow the audio amp (don't ask . . . ) . . .

John C.

[peteski]

If you have the LokProgrammer, the Cab panel in it allows one to actually run on the programming track safely.  It will immediately shut off the power if any short is detected. It is also at much less current than command stations.

But for running the model LokProgrammer supplies the track with higher current than what is used for strictly programming CVs. I still recommend the initial test be done on programming track in programming mode.  This point is somewhat moot on those dedicated sound-decoder programmers capable of test-running models. When a model is first placed on the track, those programmers use the programming mode to identify the decoder (by reading few CVs).  If the model has faulty wiring, this will safely fail.