Model Railroading > NCE Block Detection

I am looking for some advice/feedback from TO members that use NCE and have block detection on their home and/or club layout. The club layout my brother is a member of is considering adding block detection. The club uses NCE. The layout is already wired. I believe they eventually want to use JMRI Panel Pro. Because I have block detection on my home layout he is asking for some advice. I don’t know much about NCE since I am a Digitrax user. I have an 8 amp Digitrax DCS 200 command station and use a single Digitrax BDL168 for block detection. The BDL168 is reliable and communicates with JMRI.

My brother is worried they will go down the wrong path, spend a bunch of time and money only to be unhappy with the results. I did a search on TO and didn’t find a post that was helpful.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mark
Houston, TX

Mark,

I have an NCE system. I started with a standalone loconet using Digitrax BDLs and SE8Cs, but sold them in favor of RRCirkits products. I now use RRCirkits components exclusively for block detection and signaling and I highly recommend them.
Additionally, unlike the BDL168 which would likely require a lot of rewiring, the RRCirkits block sensors can be attached to feeders on the club's existing buss wire. A simple two-wire cable connects each sensor to the Block Watcher board, and each board connects using a simple three-wire cable. Once the track blocks are isolated, you'll be ready to identify them in JMRI.

Good luck,
Troy

Posted from Android

Troy,
Thanks for the response. I see RR-CirKits has the following block detection boards: Watchman, 8 block detector and the BOD-1 Single Block DC/DCC Occupancy Detector. Which one are you using? The BOD-1 appears to be an all-in-one straight forward standalone solution and with the Watchman you need to buy the coils. And for signaling I assume you are using the Signalman? FYI - with the Digitrax BDL168 you do not need to buy coils. Everything is on the board.
Any other tips using NCE?
Thanks again, Mark

Mark,

Yes I'm sorry, I meant the Watchman - the name escaped me during my initial reply. And yes, I also use the signalman. It has many cool features and, best of all, has built in resistors to simplify wiring. I use a locobuffer usb and SSB gateway to power the boards and connect to JMRI.

Although the BDL168 requires no coils, it essentially requires a dedicated buss wire for each block, which would likely cause an existing layout to be re-wired.

Troy

Posted from Android

NCE has their own block detectors;

https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201254549-BD20-Block-Detector

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Does anyone have experience with the NCE block detectors?

Posted from iPhone

On one layout that I operate on is NCE and signaled. The signals are run by the JMRI software through CMRI hardware while the turnouts are run through the NCE with stationary turnout decoders. The system works fairly well.

Darin Umlauft
A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI

I used NCE BD20's exclusively on my HO scale Onondaga Cutoff. 46 blocks are wired through the 'tombstone' on the BD20 according to the instructions. I ran each one to a separate input on the NCE 'AIU' (Auxiliary input unit) and connected those to the command station according to the NCE instructions.

The command station is connected to JMRI via an RS-232/USB cable. All of that is used to drive a parallel Digitrax Loconet that controls 4 SE8c's which drive the interlockings - turnouts and signals.

My experience with BD20's is that they are relatively low cost, easily available, interchangeable, and robust. I highly recommend for a large layout.

~RGDave
http://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/

I use the BD20s, AIUs, and the JMRI software. My TrainOrders page has the information on them installed on my layout.

http://members.trainorders.com/chessie7602/LatestProgress/LatestProgress.html

-Ken

Appreciate all the feedback from everyone. Very helpful. Once the club makes a decision which way to go I will let everyone know.
Mark

One note. Digitrax has just released a new detection unit called the BXP88. It just came out. New design but innovative as it has Intelligent Automatic short-circuit and over-current power management for each Detection Section built in. A first. I have been using the Digitrax BDL168 for detection and SEC8C for signaling for over 15 years. Products are rock solid and I have had zero issues. Enjoy.

Bruce

http://www.digitrax.com/products/detection-signaling/bxp88/