I am still in the process of gathering information before I build my railroad. I will have an N scale using Kato Unitrack. I am confused about DCC and how simple everyone says it is. I'll go with a NCE system. I plan on a small RR perhaps 3'X5' with a few switches and able to run 2 locos at the same time. For a starter kit should I go with the Power Cab or the Power Pro system? I don't want to under power my future RR. Are the switches operated from a separate power supply or from the Power Cab? The more I read the more confused I get with a simple system. Thanks for any information, offshore. :question:
Right now I would just use DCC to power your trains. Run your switches separately, from an analog power supply. Later on, when your understanding has progressed, then you can easily go back and take a look at switches. For what you are doing at present, you really don't need to do anything fancy.
Be advised. Only DCC experts will say DCC is easy. I run the Power Cab with HO scale. Three sound locos. Stick with analog for any other power requirements. Turnouts. Layout lighting, etc. Rich
Of course if ya don't know anything about it, it isn't "easy". Almost nothing is. However, for most model railroaders, learning about it isn't difficult, but it DOES take some effort. What you're doing is essentially building a test layout, which is a good idea. When I converted to DCC five years ago, I built a 6' test module, to learn ALL about my new Digitrax Super Empire Builder-Radio, so I wouldn't make huge, costly mistakes on my DC layout. I don't consider myself an "expert" in DCC, as there are things that it allows a model railroader to do that I haven't done yet, but, it only took my son and I about a week to get the test module's track laid, everything wired up properly, a switchable programming track all set up, install four decoders into several different styles of engines, test 'em, program 'em and run 'em. I'm not a newbie to electronics and both of us are computer literate, so maybe we had an advantage. Both of us were able to find answers to all of our questions and problems by doing Google searches, then applying the solutions. Sounds like you're on the right track. IMHO, DCC is well worth the effort it takes to "learn" it. The only question I have is why it took me so long to finally get the message and convert from DC. Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
offshore, I have been running my previously analog (DC) HO, 35' by (widest curve area) 5.5' since getting with NCE PowerCab for about 6 years now. The PowerCab is excellent and least expensive throttle in their line. Believe me if you are building a 3x5 N scale RR you have tons more than enough power and programming ability, even if you go larger later on. All you need to be cognizant of is polarity concerns in return loops, wyes and turntables and adding rail gaps here. This is exactly the same as in analog anyway. You'll need no gaps in rest of layout trackage. One thing I didn't know about until too late is to not push down on the NCE thumb speed wheel in center. We tend to push into it when panicking to make a FAST slow down. It eventually destroys the electronics inside on its shaft. As I have been doing ever since is just use the 4 push buttons on either side of wheel until I feel like installing the new one NCE sent me for free. But, again, you'll be a happy camper with the PowerCab. It does take allot of getting to know all the programming features in it. Finally, one more biggy: All new DCC loco's addresses are default No. 3 address/engine No. If you get to understand how to change this to, say, the number on the cab, sometimes we inadvertently screw this up while doing other programming. Now your engine #3656 won't move anymore. It's usually that it is back to factory default #3. Select loco 3 and she'll run again. Then you can reassign its address to what you want (3656). The NCE manual is a tad hazy about this and many of us have had some frightening moments thinking we fried something. There is NO SUCH THING as frying anything due to any programming what so ever. ANYTHING done wrong can be brought right back in a few learned moves....Do it ! You'll love it !!
Offshore, Before making the switch to DCC, In did a lot of homework on the various brands and systems available.. I chose an NCE PowerCab to run my N scale layout.. My layout at the time was running on DC, three separate loops/tracks isolated at the turnouts that connected them.. Connecting the PowerCab to my layout was almost as simple as removing the wires from my three old DC controllers, connecting the 3 positive wires together, connecting the 3 negative wires together, and then connecting them to the PCP panel that comes with the PowerCab.. In fact, the most difficult part of the changeover was drilling a suitable size hole in my layouts facia panel to mount the PCP panel.. NCE did suggest installing an 18watt, 12V automotive globe in series with the output, and I later achieved this by buying a cheap taillight assembly for a trailer from an auto parts store, then I removed the 3 red wires from the PCP panel and connected them to one side of the light globe, then connected a new wire from the other side of the light globe, back to the PCP panel where the 3 red wires were removed from.. Now if something happened to short out the rails when the PowerCab was turned ON, then the globe would illuminate and limit the current to the rails just like a fuse... My layout has grown in physical size, now has 4 loops and multiple sidings, and I am running multiple locomotives in consist, and with the possibility of operating the layout lighting and turnouts in the future, I upgraded the systems output by adding a NCE SB5 5Amp booster... Programming locomotives on the other hand can take some time to learn what all of the CV's do, but if you take baby steps, you should be fine..
Many thanks to all for the answers to my questions and advice given. I suppose performing brain surgery is easy when you've done it hundreds of times. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as my RR progresses. Thanks again, offshore.
I also did a ton of research before buying my DCC system. For various reasons, the clear winner for me was Digitrax. One of the reasons I went with Digitrax is the capability it has of running non-DCC (Analog) engines, which NCE will not allow you to do. If this isn't important to you, then NCE is an excellent system. Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
OffShore: I've been using DCC for over 13 years. My large N scale around the room layout is run by a Radio controlled NCE Power Pro which is a fantastic DCC system. There are three power districts on my layout. All my switches/turnouts and signals are run by the NCE Power Pro. What I suggest that you do is read as much as you can about DCC. A good source for a beginner as well as advanced DCC users is Tony's DCC Primer. There is plenty of great info in this primer in a very easy to read format. This was written several years ago, but the info is a good building block for a beginner such as yourself. I occasionally go back to this primer myself to review certain principles. The link is below: http://tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm Have fun with it.... Shades
Is it the Digitrax system that you have to convert the CV values to Hexidecimal to program? For me the big selling point with the NCE system was in the ability to expand the system without making the older equipment redundant.. You could for example, start with a PowerCab system, and then later upgrade to a 5 or 10 amp PowerPro system, and continue to use the original PowerCab handset as a second Cab on the PowerPro system.. Here is an example of a TCS decoder manual.. http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Literature/Decoders/N_Scale/Atlas_N/AMD4_Web.pdf With the NCE system, it is a simple matter of going to the program track, calling up the CV you want to change, and then typing a real number into that CV.. Say for example that you wanted to make the front light on your locomotive flash, and the rear double pulse strobe, rather than be on constant.. So on your PowerCab you would go to the program track, press 2 to allow you to change CV's, then from the TCS manual above, you can see that CV49 controls the front headlight, so we would type 49 and press enter on the PowerCab to select CV49 for the front headlight, then see the table that fwd and flash =3, so we enter a value of 3 to CV49 to make the front light flash, then press enter again.. To change the rear light, we again refer to the manual and see that CV50 is for the rear light, so we type 50 and press enter to select CV50, then check the table that rev and double strobe =21, so we enter a value 21 for double pulse strobe, then press enter again.. Now both CV49 and CV50 have been programmed.. When you go out of programing mode, the front headlight will flash when in the forward (fwd) direction, and the rear light will double pulse strobe when running in reverse.. Programing can seem difficult at first, but it can be quite fun playing with all of the functions, if only to see what they will do..
Absolutely not! No current DCC system from any manufacturer requires you to use hexadecimal numbers to program decoders. Some of the early Digitrax throttles did require hexadecimal for programming CV's, but the last one to require that was discontinued in 2000. When they did require it, it was because DCC equipment was still very expensive, so to make the throttles more affordable they used an already available 4-digit display instead of the custom display they use now. When programming, that gave them 2 digits for the CV and 2 digits for the value and using hexadecimal you can display numbers from 100 - 255 using 2 digits.
I think he might be referring to the bit maps like CV 56.4 and so on. It's covered in my thread, "DCC and what I want out of it." This might help too.
There are many sets of aggregated cv's rolled into one location where adding is required. The one you deal the most with is CV29. The easiest way to get around the CV programming is to get JRMI and the adapter from the computer to the system. The JRMI software is free, and the adapter varies around $60. Now you have a nice GUI interface that also knows how to program all the decoders optimally in most cases. No more worries about programming decoders.
