39. Quick and Easy DCC Cable Testing

DCC cables are not 100% perfect and you occasionally get a bad one. In this video I'll show you how to test your cables before installing them so you don't waste a lot of time going back over your work trying to find out why something is not working. By the way, I noticed in the final video that it wasn’t clear that the Digitrax tester only works with their cables whereas the Velleman tester should work with all cable types. The tester shown in this video is available from Jameco.com and is a Velleman VTLAN4 cable tester. You can find it even cheaper elsewhere if you do a Google search.

[@deanpurcell7771]

Thanks Larry, very informative. I'm a Digitrax user and like their tester. You should mention that you need to have a throttle plugged in to a loconet jack in order for the tester to work. I do like the look of that other tester though. I am a member of a free-mo club and I think that tester would come in very handy!

[@davidhudson391]

Track continuity testing can save hours of needless soldering.
With a track including thirty points, about forty metres of track,
and a Fleischmann turntable, the conductive integrity of track has
reduced the number of soldering operations required.
And I enjoy soldering where appropriate.

[@bobainsworth5057]

If you wired the entire layout the easiest way to test is unplug first and last plugs, Plug in tester, if there is a problem unplug half way test left then right. What side has trouble unplug half way again so and so forth you will find bad connector or wire rather quickly.
Thanks again for good info.
Bob

[@ricter591]

Thanks Larry!

[@chrism7894]

Nice video Larry. FYI the cable tester that you recommended seems to have been discontinued now.

[@TheDCCGuy]

I am sure there is a similar one that replaced it. I’ll see what’s out there.

[@mcintoshtech8111]

thanks great video ,keep them up we are listening.
regards Mac

[@bobainsworth5057]

Can you test one end of layout to other through equipment? If you can and it fails you go halfway back. If it fails again split it halfway again. If it passes you test back half and and split it in half again and again. When you find section that is defective you can crimp both plugs if that fails you can replace each plug one at a time if that fails look for damaged wire or just replace wire.
Another good video.

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes you could do that but you’d end up with a lot of extra connections. The best bet is to test the whole bundle of cable before using it and if it passes, which it should since they are likely factory tested in large lengths, then any failures will be due to a bad crimp. In over 25 years I have never seen a defective cable, only bad crimps.

[@bobainsworth5057]

@@TheDCCGuy I have once twist in cable wire broken there. I used the test to check if I flipped jacks properly . Just a thought. Thanks for answering me , it was a good video. Thanks again.

[@raymondjackson6069]

Hello Larrry, what AWG gauge do you use, or does it matter? If so why? I am deciding between 26AWG and 28AWG, 1,000 feet. Appreciate guidance. Thanks.

[@TheDCCGuy]

What are you using the wire for? At any rate I covered wiring in depth in videos 110-114 so spend a few minutes watching them.