Hey rails, I just bought an HO Bachmann K4 on eBay. It's brand new in sealed box, refundable,has warranty and only $76-ish with handling . Low price is that it's DCC-ready. But all else is same. My question is: If I do put a decoder in later to run on a club's digital road, does decoder have a toggle or such which is user friendly allowing me to switch back and forth at will ? Or is Decoder hard-wired when in stalled and must remain digital operated unless I re-take-out the soldering gun and shoot myself !!! ? Mark Harris
As little as I know about this is that the decoder can be programmed to "enable DC" or "NMRA DCC only." When you program the decoder it must use "enable DCC" to allow the engine to run on both DC and DCC. Default should be "enable DC" but you never know so I would check it. I am not sure of the layout or power supply requirements. [edit 1] I search for DCC+DC in the DCC and Electronics forum. Please check these threads: Thread 1. Thread 2. Thread 3. Thread 4. Thread 5. etc. This should be in the How To forum.
Mark, you can install a decoder in the loco and configure it for DCC and DC operation. Some people have noted loss of control of DC enabled decoder equipped locos whilst operating on DCC but I have not seen it myself. As for the decoders, I would look at a TCS decoder for the install. They are reportedly the most transparent on DC (as if the decoder is not installed) allowing for lower throttle settings to be used.
Alot also depends on the DC power. If it is NICE CLEAN DC, with no clipping or PWM for slow speed perfomance, it should work OK. The DCC decoder gets confused with pulsed DC as it thinks it is a DCC signal and not DC. The reason some locos act badly on DCC layouts when DC is enabled in the decoder is because when the DCC signal first comes up, it looks like DC and the loco then thinks it is on a DC layout not DCC and takes off for the hills. Clear as mud right?
Guy, thanks for replys . I did name thread wrong.. It should be 'Analog to digital and Back' because I am starting with an analog K4.. But I get the jist..You are all saying in essence this shuttling between types of control is totally within reach with a little bit of getting to know your equipment and its parameters ; both power/throttle and loco/motor designs..and it is performed all the time, I.E. is common..10-4 ?
I think its fairly common. These types of decoders are called Dual-mode decoders, as they can operate on DC and DCC. I have a TCS M1 installed in a Kato Mikado and it operates beautifully on both modes of power. No setting need be changed as it detects which mode it is receiving and adjusts accordingly. (Though I am unsure if that extends to being able to run from a DCC block to an adjacent DC block (or vice-versa) with out a problem.)
Don't even think about trying that. The loco will connect the DC and DCC systems together and one or both the DC controller and DCC base station will probably explode. Well maybe not that dramatic, but you can expect to be replacing/repairing something expensive afterwards. The loco will probably stop but be undamaged
Thanx guys..I tend to lean to Mark in that I'll bet ones who had burnouts didn't possess 'dual mode' decoders as engineer Watson (above) has infered do exist..Anyhooo o000oo <(check Pacific wheel arrangement !) I can't wait for my Spectrum K4; any day now...
