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Thanks

Thanks Tinman, time is getting a problem but will be getting back into it in a bit

Thanks, but i just do my bit, have to agree about the DCC concepts though Cheers Al

Not particularly the closest they do is insulated connections and the like but not wiring diagrams per se, but you might be able to use the line function to add in on a another level

Yep but now as they are in the UK not AUS anymore it would cost the same to post it back as it was to buy a new one

No problem

Liked your comment on part 2, so hope its all right now cheers Al

yep you got it in one, but would have been nice if DCC concepts had included a suitable description or wiring diagram at the time. This was several years ago and several others have commented on having the same problem with no solution... that's we all do this to help each other out Cheers Al

Thank you! Cheers!

Thanks for your comments Peter, It would be nice if there was some way of lubricating them without having to pull them apart, hadn't thought of the contacts, might have to revisit a couple of the dead ones,. Cheers Al

Yep that's how originally installed them via the dcc power bus, but was fiddly having to remember switch addresses (memory not as good as it used to be)etc to use through the dcc controller hence moved over to this system using the sniffer etc but thanks for your comments Al

the number that comes up on the display is that of the last switch operated, its normal for it to come on then disappear

it is a wall adaptor 1 amp regulated

Thank you have a great day. I like your videos by the way. Very detailed and informative. Thanks

@@bonpitt55 Thanks for the feedback, always helps

Thank you , hopefully within the next week

Thank you

Thank you , I keep meaning to redo this video as my technique has changed somewhat now, but it keeps getting pushed to the back of the line of jobs

[youre, welcome]

Thanks, Steven, interested to see how you go in TT120. never really looked at it myself

thanks for your comment

Why Thank you sir Anthony, always like feedback, good and bad

Thanks Tony The main reason that the sniffer would turn red is if there is a wiring issue, like a short or something, the other main factor that would affcet a sniffer is if you are using a different power supply, (having fried a sniffer myself using the wrong power adapter it didnlt just turn red it smoked as well) that may be the wrong voltage or current... so check that and see if its still giving you the right amps and volts. From memory I believe the originally recommended a regulated power adapter, The fact you can still operate your points is interesting.... so you still have power. Where the points working when the red light was on? if everything else checks out then maybe its just the LED circuit?, otherwise I have no idea hope that helps Al

@@allynwoodmodelling Thanks for your reply. The issue has been solved by repairing a dry solder joint on the unit. Regards Tony

Great to hear @@tonystringer5452

It needs to run a seperate bus wire, and if your points are electrofrog then you will also need to run wires from your track power bus in order to give the electrofrog the correct power (so 5 wires per motor, 2 "dcc in" wires to control the point motor from your new sniffer bus, 2 wires from your track power bus to provide power for your frog, and the frog out wire to the electrofrog itself), but mine works well once i figured that out....... hope that helps Al

I've decided to purchase the alpha box as it saves putting in another bus, can you still operate the point motors using the digitrax controller?

I have no idea, @@paulrounding5260

no problem

I haven't watched the video for quite a while, but the whole idea of the system is to use it separate from your normal DCC power bus, if you are using your controller then you wouldn't be using this system-as they are two separate systems. and you cannot run both a power DCC bus and a Sniffer bus into the DCC in ports of the motor. You could possibly wire an LED into the board from your motor but you would havde to look at the motor wiring manual or seek advice from others as i have not had to do this. Hope that helps Al

Thanks

Thanks for the feedback, did you watch the whole series?

@@allynwoodmodelling I did indeed, appreciated.

2 things i can think off. One after setting 197 then turning it to run are you turning the power off to the motor? and the only other option would be to remount the motor flipping it through 180 degrees so it mounts on the other side of the point to wich you have it now?

Those blokes really know what they be doing down there

Thanks, i like the fact a lot of their scenery is empty, just like the real thing.

Nah I think yours show the sense of fun that you get out of it, I do too just have a little OCD problem!

@@allynwoodmodelling sense of fun is generally the same way I describe being broke. I choose the life of voluntarily simplicity.

for the $45 i sure agree.

Hi Josef see the comment reply on your other comment, keep up the enthusiasm hey?

@@allynwoodmodelling your right. I mean if one of mine failed I would simply just replace it and while it’s not that tricky to unhook it’s the frustrating part of reprogramming for default position. I have done it multiple times and I am halfway through editing a video regarding this yet still haven’t finished it because it seems like every time I do it I miss a step and I’m never sure if I’ve done it right how the simplicity I was so convinced that one company would come along with a nice RJ 11 or RJ 45 connection that we just plugged in and it was truly plugged in play i’m still waiting.

to be honest, I wouldn't know unless you could somehow rig a decoder to the solenoid points? to take the digital address signal from the cobalt alpha encoder

They do a an accessory decoder but said it would use too much power so they said I would have to use a Alpha pier box and an Alpha box another £200 also said I couldn’t use their sniffer with my controller the same as yours confused.

I think you are missing a vital point here in that this system has nothing to do with your controller, so in a way they are right, as the sniffer uses separate bus wires (not the same ones as your controller.) to carry the digital system to your point motor (but it is a digital system so you need some way of decoding it at the point motor). If you have a DIGITAL accessory decoder attached to your solenoids then so long as you have enough power to operate it then i don't see why it wouldnt work. But for the cost and difficulty of worijng in accessory decoders you may just decide its not worth it and stick with your old system. For the cost of digital point motors I'd consider changing the solenoids out for digital motors of some kind. But that is a decision for you to make on how much you want to spend and how many you need. If all you want are LED indicators or switches then i know you could do that without the alpha system, but someone else would be better to show you how

Thanks the sniffer wires do they go to your separate accessary bus

yes

No problem 👍

Yeah i think its the removing and reinstalling that would be the pain especially if its an N scale layout!, hard enough to fit them into HO scale points. Thanks for commenting

Thanks for the feedback

Glad it helped

Thanks for the feedback, worth the $3 spent on them, and saves so much hassle Cheers

You're welcome!

Hiya sorry for a late reply but been away for a holiday for 4 weeks, I doubt very much that the sniffer would be any use to you at all? as my understan ding is that it is similar to a command station in that it takes the information and sends it out via a bus line system, so i doubt very much that it reads abnything back the other way, and it is designed to be used in conjunction with the alpha encoders. So i think they are just probably mixed up in their information. I'm not familiar with the ECOS system so can;t really help you with how to check it. being ESU and the same ESU making the loksound i would doubt if there was an incompatibility in the electronics. It really sounds like there was too much voltage going through the chip, so my advice would be 1: Recheck the wiring and make sure it is all wired up correctly 2: Check the voltage of the output on the programming track and mainline track using a multimeter 2: have you run any other loco or chip using the new controller on the main line or programming line without an issue 3: Had the loksound decoder been used previously with your old controller. 4: check on youtube or other forums to see if there has been similar issues I did find something using the Ecos and sniffer from DCC concepts link here ( www.dccconcepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ECoS-Command-Station-With-Alpha-Station-And-Sniffer.pdf ) but it looks like its taking signals from the alpha encoders into the ecos CSu via a sniffer (not the other way around) Hope this helps somewhat .... please let me know how you resolve this as its quite interesting, I presume the loksound 4 is now just a smoking pile of circuits Al

Thanks Ken for your comment and feedback I agree and as this is an old video my method has changed, still basically the same, but I now use a micro dropper bottle, filled with the same scenic mix. I think the trick to speeding the process up is making sure the ballast is well sprayed prior to dropping on the scenic glue.. with the micro dropper bottle you can get a steady small stream which flows into the ballast well without flooding it, plus doesn't require re-filling as much. If you flood the ballast you run the risk of it flowing away from the track.. But I take your point on time (which is probably why a lot of people don't like ballasting!) You can get a ballast spreader which might make it quicker, its a plastic hopper which you load with ballast and it runs along the track, not expensive, probably worth a try. I hope this helps Cheers Al

Well thanks, its great to know that they can help people, I make them because I enjoy doing it, and hopefully soon can get some time aside to do more. Again thanks for the feedback, and good luck with what sounds like a massive task!

Thanks for the comment Roger I belong to the rockingham model railway group and I can tell you that they model everything, a lot of Australian, but a lot do North American, and its about the same for British, it seems to depend on the nationality of the modeller. Most people who do Australian are Australian and the rest seem to be mostly from Mother England (myself included). I think its also affected by the availability of rolling stock and scenery kits. Just a note on the multitool, the speed of the blade affects the finish of the cut, but as i think I said, give it a go and remember to have fun. I use a 25mm wide blade. And we have a bucket load of igneous rock, in fact probably more than any other rock type in any place I have ever been. The stepping is more relating to cut rock faces, working in the mining industry we always created benches in the open pits and any cut face was stepped backwards to ensure the risk of collapse was minimalised. I extrapolated this to where rock would have been cut to enable track laying and also based on existing examples around tunnel mouths, cuttings and quarries here in Western Australia. hope this helps cheers Al

You are more than welcome, (and glad you could save some money, it is a very expensive hobby at times and I have a limited funding budget so try to keep things simple... and my wife happy) DCC concepts make great products, and when i made these videos they were still based just down the road. Always found them helpful. Again thanks

Glad to hear it!

Thanks for your comment, you can run the IP digital without a separate bus, i changed mine more to do with my controller than the wiring of the frog, using the DCC power bus is easier, and I believe you should be able to wire it up the same as your analogue motors, but then again I haven't tried. Your layout loosd pretty well completed and looking well detailed too Cheers Al

@@allynwoodmodelling Cheers much appreciated

I use a digitrax controller, but the rest of the system is DCC Concepts, usually their "cobalt " tagged components

Thanks for the feedback, I prefer the Metcalfe i think the quality is great

Thanks, I thin k we each have our own preferred method of ballasting, this one is how I do it and find it works for me... others maybe not..... I find that the ballast only on the foam doesn't increase noise.

Thanks 👍

can't in the comments section, if you wish to email us then I can reply with a photo for you, or alternatively the wiring colours from left to right with the tab facing downwards are white, black, red, green, yellow, blue. If you lined up the other end parallel with the tab downwards, and both ends facing away from you the colour order is the same. ie both ends look identical if the tabs are in the same position facing the same way, however this means the cable is actually twisted 180 degrees horizontally (easier to explain with a photo) Al