Digitrax DB150 Help Needed!

[Ian MacMillan]

Lately I have noticed that when using my DT300 throttles that the Loconet system will "reset"...ie the screen goes into its boot sequence as if you have just plugged it into Loconet. The trains will keep running at this point, but Loconet becomes unresponsive. This happens frequently and it lasts about 3-4 seconds, then the system resumes as normal.

It becomes even more noticeable when I hook the system up to Train Controller as the software loses contact with Loconet every 5 min, and can not reconnect some times. You can see that there is traffic on the Loconet as the status lights just sit there flashing rapidly because of an error. When hooked up to Train Controller you get the 16 beeps for a Software timeout failure.

I even tried eliminating the LocoNet and plugging just the throttle or LocoBuffer into the DB150 and I get the same results.

I figured that it may have been a CMOS battery..but the DB150's dont have one.

I'm out of ideas as to what the issue may be here.

[John]

I am having the same issues with a DT300 .. I suspect the problem is the throttle ..

[mmyers]

DB150 doesn't have a CMOS battery but it can be reset to defaults with Option Switch 39. Try that and see if things straighten out.

[Ian MacMillan]

I am having the same issues with a DT300 .. I suspect the problem is the throttle ..

I'm not thinking it is. I think it is Loconet because it is doing the same thing to Train Controler via Locobuffer USB in that it disconnects it. I dont have my DT100's anymore to see if it is the thottles, but even with no thottles plugged into Loconet it does the same thing.

I'm going to try to reset to defaults to see if that may help.

[Hiroe]

Is it still under warranty? If not, i'd crack it open and give it the 'sniff test'. If something smells (or looks) even slightly cooked, might be causing those kinds of issues.

[Ian MacMillan]

I am having the same issues with a DT300 .. I suspect the problem is the throttle ..

OK I'm on board with this now. I ran some tests again and Loconet is indeed running fine with Railroad & Co (problem with that was that it does NOT like address 0 and locks up Loconet) and JMRI. Plug in the throttle and it does the resetting.

Throttle is about 10yrs old so no warranty.

[John]

That could be an encoder problem .. I have several DT400s, so I haven't pursued this ..

[Ian MacMillan]

Appears to be a PS515 issue. Looks like after 9 years it has finally STB. I noticed on Daryls blog that he was having some of the same issues I was. Off to buy a new laptop supply on eBay.