I need some help. I’m struggling with motivation wiring up my Digitrax system. While hooking up my starter set should be easy, all the videos I watch have added items like block detection, auto reversing, short recovery, auto point detection, and some crazy control panel/power busses. I’m worried that I will install the base system and wish I had planned for something. Really, it’s paralysis by analysis. I need to stop watching random videos and find a good book or website that walks through DCC that includes some advanced concepts. Can anyone recommend a book or website for this? Especially one that uses Digitrax and maybe JRMI. Everything I have is from the 90s. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you can't get help here, try the Digitrax group on groups.io. They also have an excellent JMRI group there. You will probably need to provide your system's part/model number(s) for meaningful help. For JMRI, you will need a Loconet to USB interface to connect to your computer running JMRI. Hopefully your computer is not also from the 90's... JMRI is actually a suite of applications, including Decoder Pro for decoder programming and management. It makes programming decoders (and understanding what they are already programmed with) MUCH easier than using the throttle on your DCC system. It can also read out your decoders' register contents for future reference/restoring, should a decoder die on you. Decoder Pro also manages the names of the locomotives that show up on WiFi throttles/apps when running trains. JMRI Panel Pro is used to run trains using on-screen or WiFi throttles (or throttle apps on tablets or smart phones), throw switches, etc. You can also set up on-screen Graphical User Interfaces for controlling switches on a graphical schematic depiction of you layout too. Or you can throw switches from your WiFi throttles/apps too. There are other applications within JMRI to do lots of other cool stuff, but DP and PP are the most-used ones. JMRI generally works the same way regardless of which brand/model of DCC system you have, so it also can give you portability between different systems should you desire to change in the future (not necessarily recommended, but it is always nice to have options). Since I don't use a Digitrax system, that's about as far as I can help...
I appreciate the help. I’m not sure why I’m stuck with this idea that I need an old school panel with LEDs and push buttons. The money and time I’m putting into probably could have gotten a touch screen set up going. I really think it’s more of a nostalgia thing. I like pushing buttons in the age of touch screens. I will loconet to a computer in the next couple of years. I have an older Windows computer that will be assigned to it and a 3D printer. I just need to get my wiring done first. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
