Marcus’
NCE DCC for Everyone. No pictures in this version. More DCC
stuff at my Main
North HOME
Topics in blue are web pages and won’t print in DCC for
Novices. Topics in italics are
future Topics
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DCC is for Everyone. |
Sound Decoders. |
Wiring & General. |
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General |
See Allan Gartner’s Wiring for DCC |
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General
instructions & programming |
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Speakers
and mounting |
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Programming. |
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Soundtraxx – Tsunami & DSDs |
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My method of setting up Tsunamis |
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QSI |
Decoder Pro. |
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Decoder Pro 2.4x Manual > 8.0 MB |
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NCE Specific Information - System. |
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How about a video visit to NCE? |
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Installing Decoders & Gen info. |
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Decoder types/sizes
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Great DCC sites, Groups etc. |
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Details of 2004 EPROM Upgrade |
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Motor Control |
NCE Info - Cabs/Throttles. |
Marcus’ NSW Main North in DCC
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Choosing a DCC system. |
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Intro NCE
& DCC at Tony’s |
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Lights & Resistors |
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NCE Radio |
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Power
Cab – NCE’s “Entry Level” |
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LEDs Connecting to decoder. |
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Consisting. |
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Clubs/Associations of |
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Australian Model Railway Mag. |
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Australian Model Railway Assoc |
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Consisting with Back EMF |
NMRA Australian Region. |
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Printing DCC for Novices. |
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DCC is for Everyone.
During Oct 06, there was discussion on the NCE DCC
Yahoo Group requesting a book along the lines of the “xxx for Dummies” series
of books and asked if there could be a DCC for Dummies or a similarly titled
book to address issues that a newbie or novice DCC user would have, that don't
understand all sorts of things electrical etc and the jargon that sometimes is
necessary to solve some of the new issues.
I thought the user manuals that came with systems and
all the components, answered so many of the questions asked. On the 15 or so
model railroad Yahoo groups that I belong to, there are many questions that
repeat themselves due to the steady growth in new members. All these groups
just get bigger as people see and reap the benefits of sound and DCC on their
ever growing model railroad empires that provide a much more satisfying operating
experience. Model trains are now MUCH more fun, now.
Later in the month (Oct 06), I had a very comfortable,
non pain 5 day hospital stay that caused me to miss the NMRA Convention here in
Sydney Australia. I took my laptop and decided to start to put together “DCC
for Novices” that I hope will help a few modellers. Something I would not have
done if I was at home. Being a one fingered typist and of average comprehension
ability (I should have been more serious at high school all those years ago in
the 60s), what I get onto these pages may not be grammatically correct and free
flowing, hopefully will have the technical content, necessary to answer any
questions asked.
I purchased my NCE DCC radio system in Feb 03 after
using a local DC Command control system, Infocom, so independent train control
is not new to me. I am still learning about my NCE DCC system and I don’t use
all the features of this great DCC system that just continues to get better, if
that's possible. NCE releases Command Station Upgrades regularly (EPROMS), that
provide enhancements to the system eg the great new 2004 Consisting method of
double ended loco addressing etc and fixes to any bugs that get past the beta
testers that become evident due to many modellers demanding operating experiences
and Jim Scorse's relentless desire to make it the best DCC system. Thanks Jim
and the team at NCE.
Thanks to Mark Gurries, Rex Beistle, Don Vollrath,
Mark Schutzer, Den Lippert and others for all the great informative replies on
the NCE Yahoo Group list, that answer so many of the questions. I am staggered
at their input and I am always learning.
DCC for Novices is aimed mainly at NCE users, as I
know a little about the NCE system but nothing about the others. I can see how
hard it would be to write a DCC for Dummies type of book for all the systems,
because many of the questions asked are system specific. Systems are being
enhanced with more features and better ways of doing things (look at the way
Consisting is done now). A requirement for a continually updated book would be
impossible. There are many general topics for all. Now I am committed to the
web book, Ill have to update it along the way.
If anyone has a question, that the answer would be
valuable to others, please let me know and I will include it in these pages.
Hope you enjoy DCC for Novices and hopefully it
answers some of your queries.
DCC is for ALL existing DC layouts and
layouts of any size, not just for new and large layouts. Now is the time to
connect DCC, its much easier now. Just connect DCC and have so much more fun.
NCE’s “Entry Level” system, the 1.5 Amp
Power Cab at US$189.95 (Tony’s $149.95) Aug 2010, makes this so much cheaper
than the Power Pro, and is a “full blown” DCC system, in the palm of your hand
with most of the features of the 5 Amp Power Pro.
With the availability of RTR DCC locos complete with
sound and cheaper DCC Entry Levels systems, it has never been easier and cheaper
to install DCC on any layout. All those stories you've heard about re-wiring
the layout and modifying points/turnouts may not happen on your own layout.
Just get DCC connected and see what ACTUALLY happens.
Imagine how an owner of an existing DC layout that
operates free of any major problem, would feel, when told by us DCCers, or what
he reads in the DCC books, sees on the chat groups, that if their wiring was
smaller than 12 or 14 AWG, they would need to rewire their layouts. Not many DC
layouts are wired with anything this size. Also to have trouble free operation
at points/turnouts, all these should be made DCC Friendly. Any interest these
DC owners had in DCC would soon disappear. They would feel that DCC is a big
joke. They would rightly say I’ll be happy with DC if that's what it takes to
have DCC. They would be robbed of all the benefits of DCC.
While I thoroughly agree with using thicker wire, so
that the system can sense a short, this depends on the size of the layout, the
length of the Power Busses and the DCC system used.
The effect of global shutdowns of the layout when
there is a short at the points/turnouts should be assessed for EACH layout and
can only be done AFTER DCC has been connected. You may only have the occasional
short that may be very tolerable. Modifying all your installed points/turnouts
for this, is plainly too much effort for only a small gain and certainly not
necessary before you connect DCC. Anyway any problems found, you can fix them
later at a time that is suitable and convenient to yourself, in the meantime
you're reaping the benefits and having fun with DCC.
See below how to easily connect DCC.
Digital Command Control is where a decoder (receiver)
with its own unique address, is installed in every loco, between the loco’s
pick ups and the motor, to tell it how to operate. The address, speed,
direction etc, of a loco, is selected on the throttle and is combined with
power from the system and sent to all sections of the layout. Only the loco
with the address “match”, will move while all the others, remain stationary.
To achieve this level of independent control, does
require extra expense and in a lot of cases effort (installing decoders), but the
benefits of operating a layout with DCC, will soon be realised.
A simple analogy is: In DC you control your layout and
in DCC you control your loco/train.
The extra level of realism that DCC provides, is in
every ones reach now, with the availability of many reasonably priced RTR DCC
locos (fitted with a decoder), many with sound and cheaper entry level DCC
systems. Wiring up a DCC layout is easier than DC, no need for any electrical
blocks in many situations and DCC can be installed on any existing operating DC
layout, see below how to.
As a DC owner/operator, would you like any of these
features when operating your trains on your personal or club layout?
If you answer yes to a few of these, then DCC is for
you. The benefit that each modeller gets from DCC will vary, depending on the:
DCC is not for everyone. Some model railroaders are
happy watching trains go around the layout and don’t consider operation as a
part of the running session. What someone sees as a priority, others may not?
It is all about choice.
There are hardly any choices with DC but DCC has many.
I have mentioned some of the benefits of DCC, and YES
they do come at a cost. These include:
Talking about installing decoders in all your locos, I
operate a medium sized walk around double deck layout (approx 30 feet x 30
feet) with 25 locos. So now how many do you have to chip? Fitting decoders to
locos is so much easier now. The size of decoders is getting much smaller, more
features and cheaper. A small HO decoder is the size of your thumb nail. How
easy will this be to fit?
Manufacturers are now providing locos that make it all
that easier to go DCC, when purchasing new models. They are:
DCC Ready
locos that have all the loco wiring terminated (for HO) with a NMRA 8 pin
socket that makes installing a decoder really easy. Another benefit, there is
room for the decoder and this is important if the loco is manufactured with a
large weight and many are these days.
DCC Equipped locos that come with a decoder already fitted and ready to run. There
are manufacturers making RTR sound locos, for example Broadway Limited in the
Once you have operated on a DCC layout, you will find
the restrictions in DC, hard to put up with.
Playing trains is only a part of this wonderful hobby.
Some modellers spend a great deal of their hobby hours building beautifully
detailed models, while others make wonderful scenery etc. There still is only
24 hours in a day. DCC is NOT the only way to control a layout, but it has been
said, In DCC you operate your loco, whereas in DC you operate your layout.
Things have changed
since I went to DCC, in April 03.
These things have changed and will make a huge
difference in going DCC. Now is the Time. The below list items, will make you
DCC adventure cheaper, easier and above all, more fun especially with the
availability of RTR sound locos and sound decoders.
· DCC systems have become cheaper.
· Many DCC manufacturers offer entry
level systems. Eg. NCE’s Power Cab can be purchased for US$139.95.
· Decoders are cheaper, smaller in
size for easier installation and offer more features and function outputs.
· Decoder current determination uses
slipping current instead of Stall current, enabling Z scale decoders in HO
locos.
· These small 1 Amp decoders like the
NCE Z14SR and the TCS M1 can be located between HO steam locos driving wheels,
allowing separation of tender and loco for better handling and easy
installation. Good for club operators.
· Locos of the latest designs (last
15 to 20 years) only need about 200 300 mAs of current.
· Manufacturers are producing DCC
RTR locos.
· Many RTR locos are available with
sound. Sound provides a whole new dimension to your layout.
· The availability of these RTR,
means users that feel they don't have skills to fit decoders, now can have DCC.
There are four excellent DCC books available from
hobby shops and the Internet. The first 3 are published by Kalmbach Books.
Any of these books are suitable and certainly
worthwhile for new entrants into the DCC. These books explain what DCC is
about, in not too technical terms. Included are descriptions of the DCC systems
components including: Command Stations, booster, throttles etc, how to wire up
a layout, how to install a decoder etc.
The latest (late 2007), The DCC Guide by Don Fiehmann,
is thoroughly recommended.
Digital Command Control was written by members of the
NMRA DCC Working group that implanted certain Standards and Recommended
Practices (R.Ps.), that are necessary for the continued success of DCC. What
these Standards & RPs gives us is commonality at the rails. In essence,
this allows ANY DCC system to control ANY brand of DCC decoder.
While writing some new pages for DCC for Novices, I
thought about two recent converts to DCC that I know about. Both of these model
railroaders, along with many others, have well established operating DC layouts
with wiring that is nowhere near the standard that is promoted and recommended
by all, including me, for DCC. This recommendation is NOT for the actual
running of trains (a loco draws 100- 300 mAs) but because a 5 Amp short on all
sections of the layout has to be sensed by the Power Pro’s booster, to remove
power from the short.
The catalyst for both of these modellers going to DCC
was the introduction of a sound loco (a 620/720 or an AD60 QSI equipped model
of our local NSW Australian prototype) on their DC layouts. They soon realised
that sound brings a whole new dimension to their layouts. Their interest in the
hobby has been rekindled and they are having fun, more than ever before, just
like a kid with a new toy. Now they wanted sound for their existing favourite
DC locos. One of the modellers, I fitted Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders to two of
his C36 4-6-0s. He wants more sound. They were bitten, “big time” by the Sound
Bug. After operating the Tsunami, they both asked, how hard would it be to
connect DCC to their layouts, to get the most of the Tsunamis and QSIs.
Connect an Entry Level DCC system like NCE's US$140
Power Cab to the layout, by switching all the mainline blocks to one Cab, say
Cab 1, disconnect Cab 1 from the layout and connect the Power Cabs track
connections to the Cab 1’s layout side connections, taking less than 30
minutes.
The Power Cabs current (Amps) capacity of
approximately 1.5 Amps and this will operate 2 to 3 sound locos at the same
time. Enough power for a single operator home DC layout with the capability for
a second operator using any of NCE’s standard throttles, irrespective of the
size of the layout. It’s not the size of the layout that determines the
capability of whether a system is “big enough”, it is the AMOUNT of locos that
are RUNNING at the ONE time.
No layout re-wiring and making their
points/turnouts, DCC Friendly, is/was necessary.
It’s that easy.
See below for using a 5 Amp Power Pro system.
Re-wiring, DCC
Friendly Points/Turnouts and DCC for existing DC layout.
This topic is about helping existing DC owners to
convert their layouts to DCC, so they can enjoy the benefits of DCC with the
minimum amount of fuss. This is possible if we don't scare modellers off and
explain the options.
There has been plenty of discussion about these two
topics. For building a layout from scratch for DCC, yes wiring with the correct
gauge wire is essential. Making your points/turnouts DCC Friendly prior to
installation is recommended.
For an existing DC layout, providing this, may be
impossible or at best, very difficult to achieve.
Imagine how an owner of an existing DC layout that
operates fault free to their standards, would feel, when told by us DCCers, or
has read in all the DCC books, that if their wiring was smaller than 12 14 AWG,
they would need to rewire their layouts. Not many DC layouts are wired with
anything this size. Also to have trouble free operation at points/turnouts, all
these should be made DCC Friendly. Told this any interest these DC owners had
in DCC, would soon disappear, they would feel that DCC is a big joke. They
would rightly say they’d be happy with DC if that's what it takes to have DCC.
They would be robbed of all the benefits of DCC.
I will try to explain, you can make going to DCC easy
or as hard as you like.
Why is it suggested to re-wire a layout?
In DCC a 5 Amp booster supplies the current to operate
ALL the locos/trains on the whole layout, where as in DC, the DC Cab only
supplies the current for one train approximately 1.0 Amp. A short on any layout
creates heat and the current has to interrupted to reduce the chance of any
damage. A short in DCC with a 5 Amp system will create approximately 60 watts
and in DC approximately 15 to 20 watts. For obvious reasons in DCC with this
much heat, it is paramount that the booster can sense a short.
The requirement of heavier gauge wiring on DCC layouts
is not so much to run trains, but so a booster can sense the short. Thinner
wire has higher resistance value (ohms) per foot than thick wire. Depending on
the size of the layout and the gauge of the wire used, the resistance of the
wiring may prevent the booster from tripping and removing the power to a short.
A short left un-noticed may cause serious damage.
What should an existing layout owner do?
Most shorts on a layout happen at the points/turnouts
and many are caused by running into an incorrectly set point/turnout. This is
operator error. The benefit of making your points/turnouts DCC Friendly will
vary, with each layout. Shorts at these same points/turnouts happened in DC,
but in a lot of cases, went un-noticed or the loco had a slight hesitation.
Depending on how many shorts will be sensed in DCC will depend on types of
wheels being used (may be plastic), if wheel sets are in gauge, the track
alignment etc. These shorts may be tolerable for one or two operators.
My recommendation is connect DCC and see what happens.
You never know until you try your layout with DCC. You might have two or three
shorts for a whole session. Does this warrant all the effort required to make
your points/turnouts, DCC Friendly.
For the re-wiring issue, your layout wiring may be ok.
A 1.0 to 2.0 Entry Level system like NCE's Power Cab works slightly different
than the 5 Amp Power Pro.
My recommendation, connect the system of your choice
to the layout, but for a 5 Amp Power Pro prior to operating any trains, carry
out the Coin Test by placing a coin or a metal object across the track on ALL
sections of the layout and if the booster cuts out then all is ok.
If the booster doesn't cut out, wire up the Power Pro
with an 1156 in series with one track feeder as shown below. This will restrict
the current to approximately 2.0 Amps but the booster will never shutdown,
removing power from the layout. A strategically placed 1156 will provide a
great visual indication of a short that will attract someone's attention.
Understanding the issues will have you enjoying the benefits
of operating your layout in DCC in less than half an hour. Addressing any
problem now can be done at your leisure and you never know, they may not create
the hassle that was perceived, prior to connecting the layout to DCC.
Many thanks to Joe Fugate, the DCC 1156 pioneer,
for showing us how to use the trusty old incandescent lamp to solve a “high
tech” problem. It’s not the first time in DCC that an old lamp saved a new
issue.
See other topics in DCC for Novices to help you in
your DCC experience.
Look for these features when choosing a
DCC system
Listed below are 10 of the most important features I
have found, when using my NCE DCC. See how many of these are found in the other
DCC systems. Your level of priority will be determined by
the way you operate and the type of layout you have. You may not understand
what these features are while researching DCC, but many DCC users agree that a
lot of these features are important to them, also.