Great Job!!!! DCC Concepts has really made it so simple with their plug and play system. Best on the market as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for posting ole Chap!!!!
Excellent job with this work-around. I myself emailed DCC Concepts and mentioned the exact same thing you did not want to hav e to rely on you handheld Cab to throw the points. Thumbing through the menu and figuring out what address to enter was I felt a big time sink. I was told that that idea would not work and I would have to purchase the Alpha Box and Alpha Power Adapter along with a couple other miscellaneous items. That was a big cash outlay I was not looking to do. Love your approach, so simple and direct. Allows me to purchase other great DCC Concepts products with the savings. Great tip on that RK12 connector to be aware of. Thanks!
You are more than welcome, (and glad you could save some money, it is a very expensive hobby at times and I have a limited funding budget so try to keep things simple... and my wife happy) DCC concepts make great products, and when i made these videos they were still based just down the road. Always found them helpful. Again thanks
Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to make these videos. I now have the confidence to make this up for myself. I have been experimenting with DCC concepts point (turnout) control systems and I have to put in a word for DCC Concepts. If you need any further help just give them a ring, the techie guys are very knowledgeable and are happy to spend as long as it takes to help to get things working.
just found your channel. I was thinking about changing to the alpha system but it all seemed to difficult after reading dcc concepts instructions so I put it aside and stayed with my existing system, but after your fantastic how to series I am very tempted to have a go myself. thanks for the very informative uploads on your channel.
Great video, you cover it all in excellent detail so it should be understandable for most everyone ! One point that you "sortta" noticed, but did not really pick up on for the watcher was when screwing the power wires into those horrible green screw connectors. When you tightened those screws the green unity moves - quite a bit sometimes, so it is worth mentioning NOT too be heavy handed when tightening those screws, or to hold the green adaptor wit something as it can not be stressed on its mountings to the ~PCB, as they really are not very strong.
Yes certainly having fun along with some frustration. You tube watching like yours is a great learning curve, keep at it as for novices like me need it. Unfortunately no local model railway clubs near Dunsborough!
I only learnt through experience and making plenty of mistakes, still learning, still making mistakes, have just finished the overall control box with all these gadgets in to find one panel didn't fit quite right so now re doing that panel, but alas its all learning, DCC concepts are great help[ if you get into their shop, but sometimes they make it sound easy and when you get home you realise they left one or two things out.... like the cable between the sniffer and the encoder having to have one end up side down, Still thanks for letting me know you are getting something out of it
Thanks for Part 2 on the switches installation. It does look complicated, but I suppose, until I try to do the same it will be a mystery. Great work and mighty helpful . . . again! . . . Chris
Thanks Chris...Not so much complicated as intricate, I think the end result is worth it, DCC concepts use NCE themselves, if you get into the DCC shop in naval base and have a look they have a demo set up in there, looks simpler than mine, .... cheers , Al
Great video, just about to install 13 cobalt digital motors, difference using Hornby Elite for now.DCC Concepts are a great help at Navel Base, thanks to Peter.
Have been unavailable for the past 12 months,. but now I'm back am hoping to get some more videos up and running, the DCC Cobalt system functions well but have a few tiny hiccups that I need to sort out, been concentrating on the scenery so will put update out soon.thanks for all the positive commentsAl
Watched your video again, so good.Not happy with Railmaster, so bought NCE controller from DCC Concepts, now thinking of getting Alpha system, going away from computer control.
Thanks Al for these excellent videos which have enabled me to create a complex mimic panel and avoid the practical problems you highlight. All my leds work but unfortunately when I connected the sniffer to the sniffer port on my Roco Z21 it’s confused all the point numbers on the dcc concepts ads8 fx point accessory decoders! Waiting for dcc concepts Settle to open to obtain advice. They could do worse to adopt your videos as advice on the system! Thanks again.
The flat cable to the sniffer has the RJ12 plug inverted in relation to the RJ12 plug from the decoder, could you show both RJ12s side by side to show any pinout differences in the wiring
can't in the comments section, if you wish to email us then I can reply with a photo for you, or alternatively the wiring colours from left to right with the tab facing downwards are white, black, red, green, yellow, blue. If you lined up the other end parallel with the tab downwards, and both ends facing away from you the colour order is the same. ie both ends look identical if the tabs are in the same position facing the same way, however this means the cable is actually twisted 180 degrees horizontally (easier to explain with a photo) Al
Did you make a follow up video or not Al? I have just watched the two videos on DCC Concepts cobalt alpha switch installation. I still have not made any progress on my layout, but have been watching more than helping on the Albany Model Railway Association's new display layout, but I have also been learning. I found your You Tube series very informative - Thanks, Chris
really been in hibernation for a while, that is intended to be my next video but have changed my layout so much i have had to re install it. track modifications included so now need to redo the mimic board to reflect them. so hoping to get there.
Hello ! I’m watching your video on DCC Concepts Cobalt Alpha Sniffer Operation and Fault Finding. I wonder where the power on the Alpha Switch D is coming from ? Is it from the track or from wall adapter? I see that yellow and white wires connected to the sniffer is from the bus wire. I just want to know where the Cobalt Alpha Encoder and the Alpha Switch D are getting power. I see on the video it has black and red wires. Thanks
Hi Al, enjoying your videos. I am struggling with understanding that you have used Sniffer with setting up your buss and switches etc, but how do you connect DCC and frog power routing to this set up. David
that was an issue that I have struggled to sort out but now have sorted it out, you need to bring two wires down from the track power bus to the motor itself , the sniffer bus is only for operating the motor, the 3rd frog wire changes polarity but the other two wires provide the actual track power, they go into the two
Hi. I still can't quite get my head around needing 2 switches per turnout. Also, I'm a little concerned that I would need a sniffer for each turnout. I have a fiddle yard with 12 turnouts and at £25 per sniffer, this will cost £300 before looking at the other electronic devices.
Hi Paul 1 switch throws the point (turnout) the other switch closes the point (Just like the throw and close command on the DCC controller. ) You only need one sniffer for the entire layout, the "Phone cable" comes from the control coder unit and into the sniffer then the bus wires come out of the sniffer and droppers going into each switch motor. DON'T BUY 12!!!!!!!! Does that help??? Allan
@@allynwoodmodelling Thanks, Allan. The penny about 2 switches per point did actually drop after I had posted the question! Thanks for the tip about the sniffer; the bit that puzzled me was that (it seemed) there was only one output to the points.
Great Job!!!! DCC Concepts has really made it so simple with their plug and play system. Best on the market as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for posting ole Chap!!!!
no problem wish I could get more on... need more time off work
Excellent job with this work-around. I myself emailed DCC Concepts and mentioned the exact same thing you did not want to hav e to rely on you handheld Cab to throw the points. Thumbing through the menu and figuring out what address to enter was I felt a big time sink. I was told that that idea would not work and I would have to purchase the Alpha Box and Alpha Power Adapter along with a couple other miscellaneous items. That was a big cash outlay I was not looking to do. Love your approach, so simple and direct. Allows me to purchase other great DCC Concepts products with the savings. Great tip on that RK12 connector to be aware of. Thanks!
You are more than welcome, (and glad you could save some money, it is a very expensive hobby at times and I have a limited funding budget so try to keep things simple... and my wife happy) DCC concepts make great products, and when i made these videos they were still based just down the road. Always found them helpful. Again thanks
Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to make these videos. I now have the confidence to make this up for myself. I have been experimenting with DCC concepts point (turnout) control systems and I have to put in a word for DCC Concepts. If you need any further help just give them a ring, the techie guys are very knowledgeable and are happy to spend as long as it takes to help to get things working.
Thank you, Hopefully I can get the time to do it more now
just found your channel. I was thinking about changing to the alpha system but it all seemed to difficult after reading dcc concepts instructions so I put it aside and stayed with my existing system, but after your fantastic how to series I am very tempted to have a go myself. thanks for the very informative uploads on your channel.
your welcome
Great video, you cover it all in excellent detail so it should be understandable for most everyone ! One point that you "sortta" noticed, but did not really pick up on for the watcher was when screwing the power wires into those horrible green screw connectors. When you tightened those screws the green unity moves - quite a bit sometimes, so it is worth mentioning NOT too be heavy handed when tightening those screws, or to hold the green adaptor wit something as it can not be stressed on its mountings to the ~PCB, as they really are not very strong.
Yes certainly having fun along with some frustration. You tube watching like yours is a great learning curve, keep at it as for novices like me need it. Unfortunately no local model railway clubs near Dunsborough!
I only learnt through experience and making plenty of mistakes, still learning, still making mistakes, have just finished the overall control box with all these gadgets in to find one panel didn't fit quite right so now re doing that panel, but alas its all learning, DCC concepts are great help[ if you get into their shop, but sometimes they make it sound easy and when you get home you realise they left one or two things out.... like the cable between the sniffer and the encoder having to have one end up side down, Still thanks for letting me know you are getting something out of it
Thanks for Part 2 on the switches installation. It does look complicated, but I suppose, until I try to do the same it will be a mystery. Great work and mighty helpful . . . again! . . . Chris
Thanks Chris...Not so much complicated as intricate, I think the end result is worth it, DCC concepts use NCE themselves, if you get into the DCC shop in naval base and have a look they have a demo set up in there, looks simpler than mine, .... cheers , Al
A really excellent video. You have given me the confidence to go ahead and update my layout.
Thanks. Just dismantling the layout to move house soon. Might redo the basics videos
Great video, just about to install 13 cobalt digital motors, difference using Hornby Elite for now.DCC Concepts are a great help at Navel Base, thanks to Peter.
Thanks Richard, Have fun, that's the most important thing
Have been unavailable for the past 12 months,. but now I'm back am hoping to get some more videos up and running, the DCC Cobalt system functions well but have a few tiny hiccups that I need to sort out, been concentrating on the scenery so will put update out soon.thanks for all the positive commentsAl
Watched your video again, so good.Not happy with Railmaster, so bought NCE controller from DCC Concepts, now thinking of getting Alpha system, going away from computer control.
thank you a description even I can understand just about to use a sniffer to connect to ecos hopefully it works for me
Good luck, if i can be of any further help just holler
Thanks Al for these excellent videos which have enabled me to create a complex mimic panel and avoid the practical problems you highlight. All my leds work but unfortunately when I connected the sniffer to the sniffer port on my Roco Z21 it’s confused all the point numbers on the dcc concepts ads8 fx point accessory decoders! Waiting for dcc concepts Settle to open to obtain advice. They could do worse to adopt your videos as advice on the system! Thanks again.
glad to be off help
The flat cable to the sniffer has the RJ12 plug inverted in relation to the RJ12 plug from the decoder, could you show both RJ12s side by side to show any pinout differences in the wiring
can't in the comments section, if you wish to email us then I can reply with a photo for you, or alternatively the wiring colours from left to right with the tab facing downwards are white, black, red, green, yellow, blue. If you lined up the other end parallel with the tab downwards, and both ends facing away from you the colour order is the same. ie both ends look identical if the tabs are in the same position facing the same way, however this means the cable is actually twisted 180 degrees horizontally (easier to explain with a photo)
Al
I forgot to say, I have an NCE controller and intend to use NCE unless DCC Concepts own controllers come on the market before I commit myself. - Chris
Did you make a follow up video or not Al? I have just watched the two videos on DCC Concepts cobalt alpha switch installation. I still have not made any progress on my layout, but have been watching more than helping on the Albany Model Railway Association's new display layout, but I have also been learning. I found your You Tube series very informative - Thanks, Chris
really been in hibernation for a while, that is intended to be my next video but have changed my layout so much i have had to re install it. track modifications included so now need to redo the mimic board to reflect them. so hoping to get there.
Hello ! I’m watching your video on DCC Concepts Cobalt Alpha Sniffer Operation and Fault Finding. I wonder where the power on the Alpha Switch D is coming from ? Is it from the track or from wall adapter? I see that yellow and white wires connected to the sniffer is from the bus wire. I just want to know where the Cobalt Alpha Encoder and the Alpha Switch D are getting power. I see on the video it has black and red wires. Thanks
it is a wall adaptor 1 amp regulated
Thank you have a great day. I like your videos by the way. Very detailed and informative. Thanks
@@bonpitt55 Thanks for the feedback, always helps
Hi Al, enjoying your videos. I am struggling with understanding that you have used Sniffer with setting up your buss and switches etc, but how do you connect DCC and frog power routing to this set up. David
that was an issue that I have struggled to sort out but now have sorted it out, you need to bring two wires down from the track power bus to the motor itself , the sniffer bus is only for operating the motor, the 3rd frog wire changes polarity but the other two wires provide the actual track power, they go into the two
My one is the same but wired up different that’s why it’s not working right shit have to fix thank you for the advice 👍
No problem
Hi. I still can't quite get my head around needing 2 switches per turnout. Also, I'm a little concerned that I would need a sniffer for each turnout. I have a fiddle yard with 12 turnouts and at £25 per sniffer, this will cost £300 before looking at the other electronic devices.
Hi Paul
1 switch throws the point (turnout) the other switch closes the point (Just like the throw and close command on the DCC controller. )
You only need one sniffer for the entire layout, the "Phone cable" comes from the control coder unit and into the sniffer then the bus wires come out of the sniffer and droppers going into each switch motor. DON'T BUY 12!!!!!!!!
Does that help???
Allan
@@allynwoodmodelling Thanks, Allan. The penny about 2 switches per point did actually drop after I had posted the question! Thanks for the tip about the sniffer; the bit that puzzled me was that (it seemed) there was only one output to the points.