freescopesdad
Member
My Kato ln scale layout is at the wiring/turnout control stage. Track is laid without yet being glued down, bus is installed, terminal drops have been connected to the bus, and the track gets good power through my ESU EcOS 50210 control center. So NO LocoNet...
I have spent the last week trying to successfully wire and program my control for 16 Kato turnouts. I started out with (8) Digitrax DS64 quad decoders, which are well documented to work with my equipment. (3) DS64s were purchased new from Dallas Model Works in 2022 before their supply ran out. I obtained (2) more new units at Trainz.com, and (3) on eBay from vendors not to be named who said they were used but tested as working perfectly. I installed the (3) from DMW first and they performed perfectly. Unit 4 on my layout was one of the eBay units. It looked like it took my programming, but none of the turnouts responded. Tried the 2nd eBay unit - same thing. Tried the 3rd - bingo, no response. Finally tried a new unit from Trainz and it worked. So I finally have (4) functioning DS64s, one spare new one, and three that seem to be DOA. All well and good until I need to expand my layout or a unit goes bad for some reason. So...
I've been looking for alternatives to the DS64 that also play well with single solenoid turnouts and DCC without LocoNet. Naturally the Digitrax DS74 was suggested. There are a couple of problems associated with the DS74 however. First, I can find zero reviews (forums, YouTube, etc) of the DS74 powering Kato turnouts, much less the EcOS using strict DCC protocols. Second, and even more distrurbing, the (8) pages of instructions for the DS74 from Digitrax seem to do everything to dissuade one from using the units without a Digitrax throttle and LocoNet. They go on to state in section 7.0 (set up notes)...
I can't find this text in the DS64 instructions. Is anyone aware if the internals of the DS74 as relates to track bus power and Kato turnouts is any different than the DS64? Has anyone implemented the DS74 as a P&P replacement for the DS64 on non-LocoNet layouts? Are there other alternatives (that modelers have successfully implemented) that do the job?
Thanks for listening
I have spent the last week trying to successfully wire and program my control for 16 Kato turnouts. I started out with (8) Digitrax DS64 quad decoders, which are well documented to work with my equipment. (3) DS64s were purchased new from Dallas Model Works in 2022 before their supply ran out. I obtained (2) more new units at Trainz.com, and (3) on eBay from vendors not to be named who said they were used but tested as working perfectly. I installed the (3) from DMW first and they performed perfectly. Unit 4 on my layout was one of the eBay units. It looked like it took my programming, but none of the turnouts responded. Tried the 2nd eBay unit - same thing. Tried the 3rd - bingo, no response. Finally tried a new unit from Trainz and it worked. So I finally have (4) functioning DS64s, one spare new one, and three that seem to be DOA. All well and good until I need to expand my layout or a unit goes bad for some reason. So...
I've been looking for alternatives to the DS64 that also play well with single solenoid turnouts and DCC without LocoNet. Naturally the Digitrax DS74 was suggested. There are a couple of problems associated with the DS74 however. First, I can find zero reviews (forums, YouTube, etc) of the DS74 powering Kato turnouts, much less the EcOS using strict DCC protocols. Second, and even more distrurbing, the (8) pages of instructions for the DS74 from Digitrax seem to do everything to dissuade one from using the units without a Digitrax throttle and LocoNet. They go on to state in section 7.0 (set up notes)...
3. You can optionally operate DS74's on TKA/TKB terminals with DCC power only, but control may fail due to track power interruptions from e.g. derailments etc. Also, the total DS74 run and startup current will subtract from the Booster current available for mobile/locomotive decoders in that Power District.
8. While a DS74 can operate with just DCC track power on TKA/TKB terminals, it will not have all features available.
I can't find this text in the DS64 instructions. Is anyone aware if the internals of the DS74 as relates to track bus power and Kato turnouts is any different than the DS64? Has anyone implemented the DS74 as a P&P replacement for the DS64 on non-LocoNet layouts? Are there other alternatives (that modelers have successfully implemented) that do the job?
Thanks for listening
