DCC Concepts ADS 8sx

[collectors]

Hi, i was looking down the list of decoders in the Elite for points & couldnt find the DCC Concepts ADS 8sx ? I can see the old version "ADS 8", but wasnt sure if to use this, or if it needs the sx part to work. Also didnt want to damage anything.

 

Thanks

 

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi 

 as far as I know that you can use the ADS 8 instead of the sx on the elite controller if it’s the same as it is in Railmaster with the elink or elite controller as that’s what I used when setting up my decoders as I have the ADS 8fx and there’s no difference as far as I can see but one of the other members of the forum might give us the difference between them and the settings on the controllers as well as Railmaster 

Hedley

[Fishmanoz]

Hedley is correct. It is a learn mode decoder so doesn’t really need any setup from the Elite anyway. 

[collectors]

Thanks for the replies. I will try the ADS8. It has to be said the instructions are not always the best from DCC Concepts, As its says in the instruction notes to not to select from the drop down list & just select an allocation number, but you have to select one of the decoders or it will default to Hornby. 

[Chrissaf]

Hi, i was looking down the list of decoders in the Elite

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The statement above, confuses me somewhat. I have an Elite, and I am not aware of any 'list' embedded in it. Either in the Elite hardware 'menu' system, or in the Elite paper documentation. So I am assuming that you mean the decoder list in RailMaster when connected to an Elite as the controller.

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Many of the decoder brands listed in the RM pull down box are 'Self Learning' decoders. Self Learning decoders only need to respond to DCC Accessory Decoder 'Operate' packets. These packets are a standard format as defined in the NMRA specifications, thus all Accessory Decoders should conform to them.

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Therefore it is my understanding that the 'Learning Decoder' types included in the RM pull down list (in the Track Design screen) have just been placed there by HRMS to provide user confidence, and have no real impact on actual operation.

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As an experiment (I have Hornby R8247 Accessory Decoders) to try and prove my understanding above. I selected an ADS 'Self Learning' decoder from the selection list in RailMaster and my R8247 controlled points continued to operate absolutely fine.

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Also didnt want to damage anything.

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It will either work or not work, you can't damage anything.

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As its says in the instruction notes to not to select from the drop down list & just select an allocation number

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Below is what the ADS sx manual actually says regarding RailMaster as opposed to your paraphrasing.

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It is not very well written, mainly I suspect because DCC Concepts are not 100% up to speed on using RM.

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Basically what it is saying. Is create a point on your RM track plan and allocate a port address to it. Then instead of trying to send a DCC point operate command from within that screen (using any pull down lists - the RM ProPack version has a point test function on this screen that can do that). Instead you use the point operate button on the normal main track screen (as you would to operate the point normally) to send a normal point operate DCC packet command (action 4 in the list below) to the ADS to 'Learn' from when placed in 'Learning Mode' (action 3 in the list below).

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[collectors]

Ah! Chrissaf, You should be working for DCCconcepts, lol, Yes it was the  RailMaster i was getting the list from & didnt relize it had more of a self learning capability.  But what you posted has cleared up a lot.Would you also know if the peco electrofrog points work OK straight out the box with the 8sx. I wasnt sure if the 2 link wires needed cutting that connect the frog to the change over rails &  then linking the outer rails to change over rails.? Some say this is still a better way to do this.?

Thanks

Chris

[Chrissaf]

Would you also know if the PECO Electrofrog points work OK straight out the box.

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Yes PECO Electrofrog points WILL work straight out of the box. But you are not getting the best reliability out of the point that you could by doing that.

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I wasn't sure if the 2 link wires needed cutting that connect the frog to the change over rails &  then linking the outer rails to change over rails.? Some say this is still a better way to do this.?

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This is purely optional, but as others have said, highly recommended. What your query is describing is converting the Electrofrog to 'switched power'. I use switched frog power and wouldn't personally consider doing it any other way. You are halfway there, because the ADS decoders have integral frog switching contacts. It doesn't make sense (to me) not to use the facility DCC Concepts have thoughtfully provided built into their decoders.

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I have highlighted the key modifications that you MUST do if you implement the frog switching facility.

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If you get a 'short' when rolling stock touches the frog. Then just reverse the wires shown as red and blue [yellow highlight] on the DCC Concepts drawing below:

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Note: I have shown wiring above for the SX product by DCC Concepts (as it was the SX that was specifically stated in the original post), wiring for the FX product is different.

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[Chrissaf]

Forgot to add this to my two replies above.

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Each individual port on the DCC Concept ADS products each have their own individual 'SET/RUN' switch. Therefore, you have to configure the port addresses on ALL the ports on the ADS decoder independently and separately. Unlike some other brands of decoder, you do not set the address for port one and expect the decoder to auto assign DCC addresses to the other ports automatically.

[collectors]

Hi, thanks for all the great help & it has cleared up some things i wasn't sure on. I think i will do the wiring alterations to the points as it seems like a good thing to do at this stage for some extra safety & still use the 8sx facility to change polarity as i need the spare switch on the points to run some extra LED's i want to use.I resize the 8sx has an LED facility as well, but i will use this for some other local LED's.

I am also assuming the connection to the 8sx is the same as using the P1 motor switch terminals.?

Thanks

[Michael_A]

Getting back to the original question, according to the DCC concepts website the fx and sx are both CDU decoders, but the sx has power off memory

 

[Fishmanoz]

The presence of a CDU comes from the S for solenoid in the ADS designation. The ADS Series was a later development by them, their original AD decoders being for slow action point motors which they make and are their preferred motor.