Kato automatic level crossing 20-650

[andydoob]

purchased one of these from greedybay, I plugged everything in (I have the double track extension as well), the unit powered up straight away and was blinking and ringing just fine but I cannot get the sensors to work at all, they dont' seem to have any effect on the crossing. I have no idea how they work but only read they are electrical sensors.

any help would be really good. thanks in advance

[Drunkenclam]

Sorry I have the newer crossing. So I don't even know how these get wired. But I read somewhere that the track sensors emit a slight glow in the dark. So check they are working. Also it isn't dcc friendly so they might be some power pick ups in the track.

[katoftw]

Have you ran trains over them?  The are a led/photocell combo.  They need changes in light ie- a train running over them for them to work.

[kvp]

Is this the old style electrical contact variant or the new style photosensor one? (for me the 20-650 seems like the old version)

 

The old type uses the DC track power to detect trains, so the metal wheels on the first car close some contacts and according to the direction of travel (polarity of the DC voltage) closes or raises the gates. The newer version uses upwards looking photocells, that detect trains by bouncing back an optical signal from the plastic undersides of the trains. The old type is not DCC friendly and only works with DC power and metal wheeled train cars, while the newer variant could be a bit sensitive to dust and might not work with all types of trains, depending on the reflectivity of their underside. Also it's better not to mix the two types, as the sensor tracks are incompatible.

[Drunkenclam]

Thanks for clearing that up. Kvp.

Andydoob's problem sounds like its detecting a train when none is present. So constantly keeping the gates closed and lights on. I would start at the track sensors.

[HantuBlauLOL]

any flipped cables?