Nomenclature
Throttle
knobs
Note on the picture above
there are two throttle knobs on the top of the throttle.
These knobs are used for several jobs, which leads to more power in a
smaller package, but more confusion in learning to use them. Each knob can run
a loco. They are referred to as
the right throttle and left throttle.
1.
You select which
throttle knob you are going to use by pushing it. This makes it the ACTIVE
throttle.
2.
Speedup or slow down
the loco it is controlling.
3.
Pushing or clicking a
throttle knob twice in quick succession when operating a loco reverses the
loco that knob is controlling.
4.
If you are in the
select mode or program mode when
a knob is selected twisting it can make the number count advance or decrease.
(more on this later)
Keys
There are a number of
keys on the throttle (usually one
for each job, although some are used for more than one job) I will be
describing only those used to OPERATE a loco or train.
Row
1, Key 2
MU key is used to add/remove a loco to a consist of
locos.
Row
1, Key 3
LOCO used to select locos. Also known as SELECT key
on other Digitrax throttles.
Row
2, Key 2
It is used for two uses. ‘Y’ = yes, and ‘+’
= yes, and also in some cases ‘+’= advance speed.
Row
2, Key 3
Does the opposite of row2, key2.
NOTE:
As a general rule on all throttles YES/NO ON/Off +/- all
do the same functions.
Row2,
Key 1
Controls the direction of the left throttle knob.
Row
2 Key 4
Controls the direction of the right throttle knob.
NOTE:
Direction buttons signified by the double arrow under the button.
Row
6, Key 3
This is the key you use to toggle the lights on and off.
It has a light bulb on it.
Row3,
Key 1
The DISP key. It
is used to dispatch locos. More
on this later.
Row8,
Key 4
Emergency Stop - the bottom key on the right is where if
you have a train runaway and you forget what you are doing press and hold this
key and (if you are lucky the train will stop).
If you pressed a throttle knob thereby changing the throttle selected
you can press this key until you die and the train won’t stop.
Turn
on the POWER
As with all Digitrax
products turning on the track power is a two step process.
First you have to turn on the power to the box under the layout. This
should be signified when the ‘power on’ LED is lit on the small box under
the layout. (DCS-150, etc.)
However, even though you
may think this should allow the trains to be run that is NOT the case.
You have to turn on the power to the tracks.
This is done with a throttle. Each
throttle has a procedure that is a bit different, but nearly the same. Once
you get it figured out, you can usually interpolate what you know with a
different throttles and get it
going.
On the DT-400 press the
power button on the lower left corner of the keyboard – ROW8, KEY1.
Now what are we going to do with the power?
Use the plus key ’+’ to turn it on (ROW2, KEY2) and the minus key
‘-‘ (ROW2,KEY3) to turn it off. Once
you get that sequence in your head it works for ALL throttles – you just
have to look at the keyboard of each to figure out what the POWER key is.
Now we have track power
on. Check the track status light
on the Digitrax box. I bet it’s
on. On our club layout you’ll note that several of the fascia plug stations
for throttles have pilot lights on them. When the power is on the layout they
will be lit. If you come to a
meeting, plug your throttle up, and these lights are lit, no need to go
through the power up routine – someone has already done it.
Select
a LOCO
Now you have to select a
loco to run. Hopefully the loco
number is either known to you or the correct number is obvious on the loco.
Our club is using the last two digits of the loco number on the tender
or number boards. So if you want
to run loco 4950 you are going to deal with loco number 50.
Decide which throttle
knob (left or right) you wish to use to control Loco # 4950 and press it.
Press the LOCO button (It’s
in the top row of buttons (ROW1, KEY3) and this will start an area of the
display blinking. If the throttle had no locos selected it will be SEL that
will blink. If there was a loco number selected it will blink.
Once you press the LOCO
button, the blinking signifies the throttle is waiting for you to put in a
number. You can key the number in from the numeric keypad or you can use the
right throttle knob to dial in 50. Once you have the proper number in press
the LOCO button again and the characters stop blinking displaying LO 50 which
signifies the throttle is set for the number loco 50.
If you pick a loco number that is in use, you will be offered the
option “Steal ?=Y”
Until you REALLY know how
to operate the throttle and the layout DO NOT steal ANY loco. The possibility
of confusion, disaster and hard feelings lurk for those that DO steal a loco
in use.
Dispatching a Loco
There are times when you
need to dispatch a loco or consist of locos to a person using a less
capabilble throttle. The UT-1 throttle can only select two digit loco numbers.
If you are using 4 digit loco numbers as some of us are on our home
layouts, if you wish to run one of these locos they will have to be selected
with a DT-300 or DT-400 and dispatched so that they can be selected by the
UT-1. This process is described
further under Dispatching. The
method as used by the DT-400 user is to select your loco as usual, then having
the correct throttle knob selected for that particular loco, you would press
the LOCO (ROW1, KEY3) button and then press the DISP (ROW3, KEY1) button.
This puts that particular loco number in the DISPATCH slot which can be
grabbed by the other throttle by setting it for loco #99 and pressing select.
The UT-1 user will have control of that loco until they press select
again.
MU, Multiple Units, Consists of Locos
This process is simply
programming a group of loco decoders to follow the instructions sent to a
MASTER decoder. The Master
decoder is the loco you select on the RIGHT THROTTLE KNOB. It is the FIRST loco number you select in the process.
Once you get that loco
selected (see selecting a loco above) ON THE RIGHT THROTTLE KNOB then do the
same process using the LEFT THROTTLE KNOB for the second powered engine in the
group. When you have the engines
so you can control the MASTER loco on the right throttle, speed, direction
etc. Check that you can also control the second loco with the left throttle
knob. When that is satisfactory make sure you have the locos both going the
same way when the throttles are advanced.
At this point press the MU
button You will get a prompt in the display saying
+ ADD or – Remove with the left loco number blinking.
At this point if you press the button at ROW2, KEY2 you will add the
program the left loco to respond to the same throttle commands that the loco
on the right throttle will. You
have built a consist.
You can repeat this
process to add more locos to the consist using the left throttle knob and
adding to the Master throttle (the RIGHT THROTTLE KNOB).
Likewise you can remove
locos from the consist by having the Master loco of the consist selected on
the RIGHT THROTTLE KNOB, select
the loco you wish to remove on
the left and press the ROW1, KEY2 button and take the negative option (- or N)
ROW1, KEY3 to remove the left loco.
Just remember, the locos
you MU should be speed matched. Faster
in front. Put a slow loco in the
lead and it will cause derailments. Also if you build a large consist, you
have to take the locos out of the consist.
There is a way of erasing ALL consists, but you have to bring the power
down and play with the options switches on the master control box which we DON’T
like to do.
Normally a control box
will remember consists from one session to another.
So if you build consists, please be sure you disassemble them before
stopping the operating session.
General
notes
When
the right throttle knob is turned during selecting a loco number, instead of
keying in values it dials up the right two digits of a receiver number.
The left knob selects the 100’s and 1000’s digits.
No matter which throttle you are working with, you select the 10’s
and 100’s digits with the right knob if you are dialing numbers. On the
DT-400 I doubt this is the method you will use as it is so easy and faster to
key in the number directly.
The LED display prompts
the user and gives you feedback. LOOK
at it before and after doing things to become familiar with it’s use.
The more you watch it the better you can use the throttle.
The
operator has to have some awareness of what these knobs and keys do.
Usually when something runs unexpectedly or doesn’t work, it’s not
the fault of the throttle or system, it’s the operator that jabs buttons
without knowing what they have done that causes the fault.
These things don’t have enough intelligence to do things on their own
– it’s usually the absent minded the operator.
If you
get into an area you don’t understand, wait a few minutes – it will exit
automatically, or use the EXIT KEY – ROW7, KEY2. It’s the backup key.
Information contained in this web
site is a compilation of information created for members using Digitrax
manuals, documents and other information gathered from various places.
Disclaimer
The author or OMRA (Ozarks
Model Railroader Association) can not be held responsible in ANY way for
the contents - these documents are offered for use of the membership of the OMRA
to enhance their knowledge of the products used by the OMRA in the operation of
their equipment on the club layout.
Revised: November 15, 2007