Happy Holidays folks: My wife got me the Bicentennial MP15 from Atlas yesterday for my birthday. She got the DCC version and I run DC. Is there a way to replace the decoder with a normal circuit board so I can run it?
You should be able to run it on DC power just fine - the decoders come set from the factory to enable usage on DC. The decoder will recognize the DC power and do its thing accordingly. DC locos on DCC are a different story - usually not so good. :err: Ray
Since there is a price difference between the two, with the DC version being lower priced, you really ought to see if you can exchange the DCC version for a DC version plus a car or two. Or, perhaps you can work out a trade with someone wanting to DCC their MP15, your decoder for their light board plus something else. The DCC will work on DC, but will not start moving until most straight DC models would be aat speed. Plus, DCC units will not work at all on pulse power, only straight DC.
That is an incorrect statement. Most DCC equipped locomotives will show little performance difference when operated on DC. The difference is more like starting at 3mph instead of 1mph. Where's "Mythbusters" when you need 'em?
Point of Clarification As a moderator in the DCC forum as well as the N scale forum, I'll make the following points of clarification. DCC loco's run well on DC with little apparent change in any speed when the throttle is increased or decreased. The decoder setting in the DCC loco is set at the factory to run on DCC or DC layouts. This setting can be changed by the user to run only on DCC if he so wishes. The CV for this change is CV 29. On the other hand a DC loco placed on a DCC layout has a noticeable slower speed differential until the throttle is dramatically increased. I hope that this clears up the points being discussed. Stay cool and run steam.....
Hi Ken: This makes 15, counting the AFT GS-4. I have a non dynamic brake gp-40 that will soon become Katy's Bicentennial unit. I also have decals for EJ&E's SD-38 too.
Happy birthday, fellow shipbuilder! And over 1,000 posts. I'll second what PSG1790 wrote a few posts ago. I have a DCC layout, and a DC test and break-in loop. I have no problem with DCC locos on the test loop. I've tried a DC loco on the DCC layout once--it wasn't satisfactory, so I never bothered to do it again.
