More on Yesterday's WifiTrax WFD-30 Installation

Yesterday afternoon I took my WifiTrax WFD-30 NCE Cab Bus Wi-Fi Interface installation to the next level.  So I found an old Telstra cable modem in my office that has no use as we are on NBN.  I plugged it in and it came to life.  I found the manual online and had to work out how to reset it as I had changed the admin password quite a number of years back and I had no idea what I had changed it to.  Everyone does that right?  So I reset the modem, logged on and set about changing a few things.  I renamed the SSID (the wifi network address that the modem advertises to the world) to something related to my layout.  I then set a password so only invited guests will have access.  Don’t want those pesky neighbours trying to break into my shed wifi to run my trains when I’m not in the shed.  I tested logging in with my phone and laptop and everything worked well.  I then tried to change the WFD-30 WiFi Interface to log into ‘Home Net’ mode.  So I set the SSID and password and clicked Install in the WFD-30 web panels.  You do know it does help when you RTFM (otherwise it would not be called the fancy manual in the first place).  I rebooted the NCE system, and the now train shed’s wifi modem and then I had my phone log back into the shed wifi.  I selected a loco and bugger me, the horn worked on a couple of locos.   I might be able to get a job as plumber after all.  It seems now that the WFD-30 NCE Cab Bus Wi-Fi Interface is now in ‘Home Net’ mode.  I just need a Tuesday Nighter’s meeting at my place so everyone present with a smart phone can log in and we can determine how many we can load up on wifi in the shed.

Anyway today PK wanted some pictures.  So I thought I had better get some and do some more tests.  If I only power the WFD-30 on and not the modem, it seems that my phone connected to the WFD-30 network and I could still control a train via that network.  If I then powered the modem on and disconnected from the WFD-30 network, I could connect to the shed’s new wifi modem network, but Engine driver would not connect to the WFD-30 via the shed network.  If the modem comes up before the WFD-30, then the engine driver app will automatically connect to the shed wifi and I can run a train via the ‘Home Net’ mode.

This is the WifiTrax WFD-30 NCE Cab Bus Wi-Fi Interface straight out of the packaging.

Attach it to the cab bus, and it starts to light up.  Red says that the device has power.  Blue says that the command station is polling the address of the device.

I get my trusty $29 phone out and check for networks in the shed.  The top one is what the WFD-30 advertises.  I connect to it via Engine Driver and I can run a train.

As soon as I connect to the device via wifi, the green LED lights.  This LED has two modes.  When a device is connected to the WFD-30 directly, the Green LED will flash when information is sent via the wifi network.  When a device is connected via the Home Net mode, the green LED is continually lit.

This photo shows that the shed Wifi network has been enabled and phone has connected to the Home-net.

While in the shed yesterday I noticed that two of the new 12mm sidings in Clapham Yard did not have wiring to the track bus, so I could not use them.  I must have forgotten to do that when I installed them.  I was also having a short in the Cougal Spiral to Acacia Ridge Section.  I scanned the track and wondered if it was a particular narrow gauge point, that I might have bumped yesterday.  I changed the direction of the set of points and the short disappeared.  Being a 12mm Peco point, it is an Electrofrog point.  It has the wire connected to the point frog for powering.  I never bother to connect these wires up.  What I normally do is feed the wire back under the point and then it is out of the way.  I had another look at this point and the wire connected to the frog.  I pulled the wire back out and just let it hang there and then I changed the point again.  This time there was no short.  It appears that the wire to the frog, had worked its way out and was touching one of the stock rails, so when the point was changed to the other direction, it was connecting both stock rails to the frog.  Well at least I found and solved the issue.  It is all good now.  I also added the droppers to the two Clapham Yard sidings and the new siding I added to Acacia Ridge Yard and then ran a 1720 back and forth in all the areas to confirm it is all workable.  All Good.

Tomorrow I hope to eventually get to what I was planning to do over the last 2 weeks and I have still yet to start.  However, given that I also picked up a 10 pack of 12mm bogies at the hobby shop yesterday, I might resume my task of scratch building some steel 12mm wagons.  I have one almost complete and I should be able to complete the second tomorrow as well.  I also have another task to add to the 'To Do' list.  It is to build a 12mm wagon to place my new camera on so I can get some footage of the 12 mm track. This will be a driver's eye view of the layout.  I also have to try and remember my YouTube password, so I can upload some footage so I can then share the links.