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Talk about the "flight of ideas"!  This past weekend I was doing some track rebuilding on the PRR Panhandle.  On that stretch of track there is an unbuilt yard (just the switch off the mainline is in place).  I was thinking about how I might install another switch as well as a couple of spurs there eventually.  It occurred to me that the switch machine (Z-Stuff DZ-2500A using a DZ-2001 Data Wire Driver) would need to be programmed, and I wondered how best to do it.  A few years ago when most of the layout was constructed, I just disconnected the track leads from the distribution panel and did it.  Now with everything hooked together, I don't want to go thru the hassle plus there are a bunch of other DZ-2500A's in the circuit that I don't want to disturb. 

 

Then I realized I have a spare Command Base and DZ-2001.  All I have to do is connect them up on a board, hook up an accessory transformer to power the switch machine, and use the setup to program it.  It's portable, too!

 

A few questions:

  • Anybody see anything I forgot?
  • Can you share any description or photos of your programming setup?

 

Thanks,

 

George

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Originally Posted by loss caboose:

Just recently replaced 17 DZ2500 machines to the newer gold contacts one at a time without any problems with programing. They are powered with pure sine-wave as recommended & 18ga wire to each one. In the 4 yrs of using them they always been programmed in placed.

 

George

That's great and I'm happy for you.  I've not had such good luck with them.  I built a yard with 5 DZ-2500A switches and track on a 3.5' x 8' plywood board (0.75" thick) and then installed it under the layout.  My original intention was to program all the switches prior to final placement, but it didn't happen.  Naturally the two most inaccessible switch machines would not take their programming.  I'm considering mechanical linkages for those 2.

 

George

Hi 

Not clear on what this means and would like to know if I should anticipate a problem or talk with Dennis about it at York.

 

I have Z's -- 1000 and 2500's --  the 2500's are on the data driver. I haven't had any issues, except ones that I cause, with the 2500's on the data driver.  The power is PW ZW and MOD ZW [not the L] with 180 bricks, which go to TPCs then BPCs to the track.  How do you know what kind of wave comes out the other end?

 

Ralph

I've seen these programmed without issue using not pure power sources. I would imagine the advice to use a pure sine wave is in case you have issues programming them. Some of the non pure sine wave sources are very dirty with noise and could be suspect when there are programming difficulties...most likely not, but an easy blame.

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