Digital/Analog Caution

[Alan132]

I have decided to go with a commercial brand of plastic track with digital. I will be setting it up for digital and pure analog use. I understand the basics in wiring it using the multi position toggle switch.

However - - - - what about the other digital accessories attached to the track such as pit lanes, towers, chicanes etc? I understand the isolation of the two lanes but what about the printed circuit boards in the accessories that receive there power from the track?

Thank you :text-thankyouyellow:

ALan

[BARC 1]

I have Carrera digital, and the only issue I had was with the pit lane entry lane changer. For some reason this same component failed twice, and I was never able to determine why. I replaced it with a regular lane change and it has been fine since. The board is slightly different as it has the ability to identify the pace car. I am guessing for whatever reason the electronics are more fragile in this component. You could totally isolate the electronics from the rails and wire them through a dpdt switch. I never did this, instead choosing to believe that I just got a bad LC. However after a second failure there must be something happening that the pit lane LC doesn't like.

[Alan132]

Thank you Dan,
I have selected the Carrera product line also. Picked up all the goodies today.
What all do you have connected to the track?

I will have multiple double lane changers, single lane changers, position tower, driver displays, start light and the pit lane.

I also have the wireless hand controllers with the charging bases which I already have decided to not use the bases for charging.

Alan

[grenou2009]

If you do want to use all of the digital features and also use your cars as cheap analog racing, just change the switch under of all of your digital Carrera cars and you will be able to race side by side without any LC or pit option and even no lap counting, unless you buy an el cheapo lap counter that works with a touch of the cars..
To think about it, why in the world would you go to analog racing to start with if you bought digital all the way ! :roll:

[Alan132]

I realize the switch on the Carrera cars will allow you to bypass the decoder and allow it to run pure analog however not all my cars are Carrera. Not everyone in our group cares to run digital therefore both digital and analog events will need to take place. DO not want to leave some out of enjoying the new track.
Thank you for your posting!
Alan

[BARC 1]

All the digital components will need to have a constant power supply. With digital setups there is full power to the rails at all times. This allows Carrera to power all the accessories of the rails. In analog the power to the rails is variable. And not constant. So if it was me I would isolate all the accessories from the rail supply and wire them directly from a constant power supply.

If you use Bruce's software you will find you don't really need much else as it handles fuel management and leader board logistics. I have no Digital accessories.

I chipped each lane, meaning I use a digital car decoder to supply power to each lane. I would never go back to running analog any other way. You have all the features active including fuelling available.

[Alan132]

Dan,
Thought about going down that path using decoders.

What about counting laps? How is that accomplished?

Alan

[BARC 1]

Viasue Race Coordinator is what I use for analog timing.

[grenou2009]

[Alan132]

Dan,
Understand - I assume you had to install different start/finish detectors?
Thank you
Alan

grenou2009 - Understand - Important thing is to have fun no matter what!
Alan

[BARC 1]

Yes I have an IR Light Bridge and sensors in the track as well as the Carrera Digital detectors.

[Alan132]

Makes perfect sense!

Thank you Dan

Alan

[32lbking]

From your original post you say you understand the isolation of the lanes. I think what I am about to say is what you are referring to, but just in case I'm wrong...
If you run jumper wires for even power distribution on a larger track, be sure to run individual wires from each rail to the same rail [ Lane 1 outside rail to L1 outside rail, and L1 inside to L1 inside ] and the same for lane 2.
When running jumpers on a digital track some guys run a pair of jumpers to one lane, and instead of running another full set of jumpers to the other lane they run short jumpers from L1 to L2 to save wire. This works fine for digital, but is no good for analog. I know of a couple guys who ran the jumpers like this and then decided to do analog too, and forgot that they ran the jumpers that way.
Hope that makes sense the way that I wrote that.
Randy

[Alan132]

Randy,
Thanks for your input. Actually what I will be doing i running a 12 gauge two wire buss all around the layout. From that buss I will attach feeders up to various sections of track. This will give me equal voltage an data distribution. Yes it is more work but worth it. I retired about 4 months ago after 20 years with a very popular model train DCC manufacture. I helped with the design of many of the goodies they use today.
The biggest issue with that world was poor wiring!
My actual concern with my new slot track are the accessories that are connected to the digital buss for digital operation. I will have to reverse engineer ( take apart ) those devises to see if they will be able to handle pure DC for the analog setup. Was hoping some one would have the answer to save me some work.
Thanks for every ones inputs!!
Regards
Alan