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Operating the turnouts in dual mode: analog or digital
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Author:  pierpiero68 [ Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:02 am ]
Post subject:  Operating the turnouts in dual mode: analog or digital

Hi all,

I am building an HO layout with power routing turnouts (they all have live frogs) and I wish to manage them both in analog and digital mode (one mode at a time :wink: ) as the majority of my rolling stock still has to be digitalized and just few engines have a decoder installed.
To make things easy, in analog mode the turnout blades would have a fixed position (I mean they cannot be changed) and the frogs have a specific polarity (provided either by the positive or by the negative pole).
What happens if the same frogs also use a second wire (for the digital mode) to be connected to the frog juicers?
Can I run the turnouts in analog mode while the second wire is still connected to the frog juicers but without using the frog juicers (as they can only be used in digital mode)? Would the frog juicers be damaged by the analog voltage coming from the frogs?
In a few words, when operating the layout in analog mode, should I physically separate the frogs’ analog wires from the digital ones in order to avoide any interference between the "two worlds"?
The analog frogs are currently fed by 2 bus wires (+/-) that cover the whole layout: in digital mode the same frogs would be fed by the frog juicers.

Kind regards,

Pierre

Author:  jtfirth [ Sat Sep 01, 2012 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Operating the turnouts in dual mode: analog or digital

Hello Pierre,

If you don't have a way to isolate the connection to the Frog Juicer when operating in analog (DC) mode you will damage it. What you plan to do is not recommended.

Author:  pierpiero68 [ Sat Sep 01, 2012 4:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Operating the turnouts in dual mode: analog or digital

Hi Terry!

Thank you so much for clarifying: I feared the analog mode could somehow damage the juicer but I was not 100% sure.
I will then find a way to isolate the connections; after all it should not be too complicated. :wink:

Regards,

Pierre

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