:-) I am learning... I have entered the MTH DCS world recently buying a new TIU and WIU. It has been an adventure seemingly taking two steps forward and one step backward. The good news is that it seems that reading Barry's books (I have both the normal and the wifi versions) and reading this forum my knowledge base is growing. I truly appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge it has certainly helped my knowledge curve. I am having some more issues I cant figure out and I was hoping for some help.
Here is what I have. I have a TIU Rev L hooked up with the WIU. I have a Z500 brick plugged in to the TIU to provide the TIU unit power for its electronics. The power going to the tracks is provided by two PW ZW transformers with a 7 amp quick blow circuit breaker between each ZW and the TIU. The power from one ZW runs to variable input 1 and the power from the other ZW runs to variable input 2 on the TIU. I am using the variable outputs because I have many conventional trains that I would like to run on our layout using variable voltage. The first time I hooked everything up, EUREKA, it worked great. Just as it is supposed to. A couple of hours later, we went back to use the layout and the variable power on variable output 2 of the TIU worked, but the power output on variable 1 did not. Power went to the input of TIU (we checked with a volt meter), but there was no power coming out (again we checked). Having an issue like this previously, I thought that it might be a fuse, so I took everything off and opened up the TIU up to check the fuse. The fuse was not blown and everything looked OK on the TIU internally (just a visual check). Not knowing what else to do, I just put the TIU back together and tied everything up again. Once I did this, both variable outputs worked again. EUREKA!!! I fixed it not even knowing what I did... or well so I thought.
The next day, we went to use the layout again, the other variable output on the TIU (output 2) did not work (just like variable 1 the day before). Variable 1 worked. To make a long story short after examining the TIU unit and checking with a voltmeter (it showed power going to the input of variable 2 of the TIU and nothing coming out of the output of variable 2), we shut everything down for 15 minutes. We went back to using the layout and the variable output was working again. Wahoo! Unfortunately, after about 3 minutes of operation, the output on variable 2 stopped working. Ugh! Well, later it started working again (we do not know why it shut off, or started working again). Since these issues, the outputs on both outputs have stoped and started working again a couple of more times. We do not know why they work and then not work. The only thing consistent about their operation and lack of operation is that it is inconsistent.
With all of that information, can anyone on the board here help me trouble shoot so that the variable outputs on the TIU consistently work. I appreciate any input and thank you in advance for your anticipated help.
-Wally Werderich
