Keep Alive Power Jack (For DT200 & BT2)
When the layout is powered down we recommend that you change the DT200 that is running as the Command Station to Advanced Throttle mode so it can power down and conserve its battery. Do this by pressing Run/Stop & Left Arrow keys together.
All other Advanced Throttles on LocoNet will power down and show "idLE" when the LocoNet bus wires (pins 3 and 4 of the RJ12 plug) fall below +5Volts for more than 1/4 of a second. If the RailSync lines on LocoNet (pins 1 and 6 of the RJ12 plug) remain above +12Volts, the minimal keep alive power needed by the DT200's will be drawn from LocoNet and not the internal battery.
To build a "Keep-Alive" power jack for your Big Boy Set:
1. Wire pins 2,3,4 and 5 of an RJ12 socket to the negative lead of a 12 volt power supply.
2. Connect the positive (+) lead of the 12 volt supply through a 1k 1/4Watt resistor to pins 1 and 6. This keeps a DT200 Throttle from using the internal battery when it is hooked into this socket, thus extending battery life. If you don't want to build your own battery saver, the UP5 offers this capability when it is powered using an external power supply.