Thanks. This is what we were working with Saturday. Ray, my contractor friend, took the time to explain and show the relays to me and how they work, then we discussed how DC current works, then looked at how to wire the relay, and finally we were ready to hook up the AIU. I had planned to do it before he arrived but he was an hour early.
As luck would have it, the straight out of the box AIU didn’t work. We debated the locking relays with the switch ports vs the use of diodes with the acc ports. Diodes appears to be easier but it looks as if you give up the route function using them. That is a no go.
Two more AIUs are on order and another TIU. Four 12 volt DC wall worts arrived Monday, This morning I found where Stan 2004 helped someone else and used a twin coil relay that appears to me to reduce the number of relays that are required BUT which requires more soldering, etc.
Ray leaves for a week at Disneyworld Saturday AM and I am trying to have what we need when he returns.
If you don’t mind, we will contact you after he gets back and the AIU arrives so that we can be sure that we are correct in what we are doing.
Our second question. How do we wire track power using the acc ports. We want to be able to turn off the power to individual yard tracks, sidings, etc using the remote and, possibly down the road, a control panel.
I had just as well ask my third question which is about new engine setup. How is this best done without having to take every engine off the layout? Will it work if there are no engines but the one to be added on track powered by Fixed voltage input 1 on the TIU?
We have read Barry’s book but still have questions about what is needed/how to do.
Thanks so much,
Bill Webb
