starting in DCC questions

[glakedylan]

ok
I finally took the leap into DCC

bought a Digitrax Zephyr start up system

now I plan on using it first, installing it on my Xmas display
it is a HCD with four (4) ovals of Kato Unitrak
no turnouts, no crossings, no reverse loops
just plain and simple roundy-round ovals running parallel to each other

now, question 1:
is there risk of problems or damage to DCC system or decoders by
connecting straight from Zephyr into each loop

or,
should I make each loop a block of its own?

question 2:
without any special track components (turnouts, crossings, etc.)
do I need to install a circuit breaker
if so, do I need to wire it as one breaker for all four (4) loops
or an individual breaker for each loop?

question 3:
if the answer to the last item above is yes,
then I am guessing what I need to do is treat each loop as a
district within one block, or four individual blocks
would that be correct

question 4:
having some DC equipment as part of the Xmas trains
is a simple DPDT switch sufficient to change any loop from
DCC to DC?

thanks...been reading a lot of resources online and in books
but I feeling somewhat challenged with this being my first
experience with DCC

sincerely
Gary

[peteski]

Gary, I feel sorry for you that you like most gravitated towards IMO the most awkward and non-intuitive to use brand DCC systems.  There are many friendlier (to an average modelers) DCC systems.  Digitrax has lots of followers who will staunchly defend its virtues, but I regularely operate few different systems and this is my personal opinion.

If you have simple loops isolated from each other (no turnouts either) then all of them can be powered from a single feed from your command station.  No need for complicated blocks, districts, or breakers. After all, this is DCC - as advertised it works as a simple 2-wire hookup.  ALl the complicated stuff is only needed when you have larger layouts with complex trackage.

As far as damage is concerned, DCC components are pretty robust.  Sure you can blow up a decoder if not hooked up correctly (when you do your own install), but in normal operation it is very difficult to damage either the decoder or the command station/booster.  If there is a short, the booster inside the Zephyr has a breaker built-in, so nothing gets damaged.

The bottom line is that for a simple Christmas train display containing several loops you can absolutely just run a pair of wires from each loop to the center terminals of a  DPDT switch and then hook up your DCC system's track output to one side of the DPDT switch and the DC throttle to the other side. 

[jdcolombo]

Agree with Peteski on all counts.

BUT, don't let him make you feel bad about buying Digitrax.

I have a Digitrax Chief system that I bought back in the mid-1990's, when it was pretty much the only game in town with wireless throttles.  While it is true that advanced Digitrax systems can be very complex, basic operation on the Zephyr isn't really any more complex than any other system: press the "Loco" button, enter the decoder address for the locomotive you want to run using the keypad, press "Loco" a second time, and you're ready to go. 

What I often tell folks who are getting ready to jump into DCC is to get the same system as their friends have.  There is no truly intuitive DCC system (even the JMRI Decoder Pro computerized programming system, which is supposed to simplify decoder programming - and does so, to a great degree - is complex), and having friends around with the same system so you can share information and bounce troubleshooting strategies off of is far more important, IMHO, than the brand name of the system you use, because you'll end up needing help/advice for any system.

John C.

[glakedylan]

thanks Peteski and John

with a very lean budget and having experience with Digitrax PR3xtra
the choice was what it needed to be. I struggle with technology since
having health issues for the last decade. I was introduced to Digitrax
with desire to program the Bachmann K-4, thus the PR3xtra. and,
yes, if I had not been so impatient I could of held off on programing
the K-4 until I had enough $ to purchase a more expensive DCC
system.

I appreciate your answers and information; it is very helpful!

who knows, perhaps a couple years into this I will be able to upgrade
to a different system. with my current needs being what they are
the ZephyrXtra should serve me well for now.

again, thanks!

sincerely
Gary

[robert3985]

I, on the other hand, congratulate you on your excellent choice of Digitrax.  After much research and hands-on running on various layouts, Digitrax was the clear choice for me six years ago. 

It took my son and I about a week to figure everything out, and now it's second nature to us.  When I visit other layouts, and if they're not running Digitrax, their systems seem very counter-intuitive to me...which leads me to believe "it's all in what you get used to". 

As a basic starter set, the current Digitrax Zephyr is arguably the best and most advanced basic system available, allowing very easy expansion as your needs and wants grow.

The three things that swayed me to Digitrax were (1) the vast majority of my model railroad friends ran it (2) the ease with which a myriad of add-ons could be added via Loconet, and lastly (3) I can run my DC engines with it.  Plus, I like the "model-railroady" look it has, and the way the throttles fit in my hand way better than other brands.  In the past six years of running at home and at shows, I have very few radio problems with my Digitrax layout (losing control, frequency hijacking, etc.), as opposed to my friends on their NCE layout

Truthfully, it's mostly a matter of taste and I have several N-scale friends who run NCE at home and at shows...and I don't think any less of them (well...not TOO MUCH less! )  When at shows, and they want to test out a new engine that hasn't been DCC-ized yet, they come on over to my Digitrax show layout, because on their NCE layout, DC engines are paperweights.

Peteski is entirely correct about how to hook your Zephyr to your Christmas layout.

Welcome to DCC!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

 

[lyled1117]

question 1:
is there risk of problems or damage to DCC system or decoders by
connecting straight from Zephyr into each loop

Not at all. The only 'risk' is if a short happens on one loop, all the loops will come to a stop until you locate the short. If the short is not obvious, it might take a bit to find it.

question 2:
without any special track components (turnouts, crossings, etc.)
do I need to install a circuit breaker
if so, do I need to wire it as one breaker for all four (4) loops
or an individual breaker for each loop?

sort of the same answer for #1. Without the breakers, all the loops stop with a single short. The breakers would allow the other three tracks to continue moving with a short on the fourth track. You just need to decide if that matters to you. The booster will not not be affected any differently by a short on one track or four.

question 3:
if the answer to the last item above is yes,
then I am guessing what I need to do is treat each loop as a
district within one block, or four individual blocks
would that be correct

It depends on how 'short-proof' you want to be. You could put two loops on a breaker so they're in pairs, and the other two on another. One short only stops two loops, the other two run fine. Four breakers let three trains keep moving in the case of a single short. My own opinion is breakers are unnecessary for the complexity of your layout.

question 4:
having some DC equipment as part of the Xmas trains
is a simple DPDT switch sufficient to change any loop from
DCC to DC?

It's that simple . A DPDT would do what you want.

Hope this advice helps
Lyle

[glakedylan]

thanks Bob and Lyle
very appreciated
sincerely
Gary