Alan,

I have been studying your wiring diagram for the switchmaster machines. Not being the electrical type, but interested in knowing how it works I compared it to the DS-54 manual. If I am right the DS-54 manual shows only two wires going to the machines terminals, yellow and black. The green is used only for twin coils.

I am trying to understand how your setup works. It makes it easy to troubleshoot. PS thanks for your effort on this site. You help make DCC easy.

-- Ralph S. DeBlasi (rsdcpa@aol.com), May 19, 2003

Answers

Ralph,

My drawing is pretty much right out of the DS-54 manual redrawn specifically for the Switchmaster (or any slow motion motor). Go to their website and look at the manual they have posted at http://www.digitrax.com/ftp/DS54%20Manual.pdf

Look at page 17, section 6.1.3, figure 9. You are probably referring to figure 8, same page.

You are probably still wondering, why can't I use figure 8? You probably can. Go ahead and try it. I do not believe anything bad will happen. You would hope they would not publish such a drawing if it would.

I wish I could remember the conversation I had with Digitrax many years ago, but the jist of the conversation drove me towards the figure 9 configuration. I have a VAGUE remembrance having something to do with the onboard resistors on the DS-54 and that if I relied on them, my speed would be limited. Please note this is a vague remembrance and may not be correct.

The reason to use figure 9 may not have been a profound one. As the manual indicates, figure 9 allows for speed adjustment. It may have been suggested to me to use figure 9 for the additional flexibility. Certainly, since this drawing is for any slow motion motor, modelers using slow motion motors from various manufacturers may want this. I can say that we have had a few problem turnouts that have required us to change these resistors.

Try figure 8. If it works well for you, go with it! I think for the heck of it, since I can't remember why I was pointed towards figure 9, just might try it myself!

-- Allan W. Gartner (bigboy@WiringForDCC.com), May 19, 2003.