Since I received my AC-12 and installed a Digitrax DN163PS I have a concern. The AC-12 did not run but at a crawl until I changed my booster (Digitrax Super Chief) from "N" to "HO". It still will not move until the throttle is above 35-38 and a nice realistic speed is obtained at a throttle setting of 75-80. I then noticed that my other engines are responding better (Atlas, Kato) when I run them with the switch in "HO". Of course they respond at 0-3 as they always have and the E7A does a lot better. Question (yes I have one) is this hurting the motors/decoders? I have upped the CV's on the AC-12 quite a bit but not changed anything on the others. Thanks for the help,
Now, I'm not qualified to answer this question BUT, let me share what I know. CV's (those darn radical creatures that lurk in our decoders under the programming modes) these may need to be set to your choice of A. Starting Voltage B. Increase Speed and Decrease Speed C. Numbered CV's that will direct the computer chip in the decoder to move your locomotive at the desired speed options you so choose. Don't ask me how I know this...I just do...and am still hostile toward the idea that we...you and I...yes, I said, we...have to set these. Seems, we cannot do this without reading reams of pages of technical specifications, instructions, explanations and all lacking in what could be simple flow charts and etc..but that's another discussion for another time and thread. Hopefully, someone can jump in here with very specific and to the point information that won't take hours to decipher. You don't need to be lead around in useless circles. Heck, if I wanted to do that I'd go to Disneyland and ride the carousel. Grin! Tony's Trains: DCC Primer | Tony's Tips at Tony's Train Exchange., has the best (in my anything but humble opinion) verbal, (excuse me) written assistance out there. Lot's of luck. That should stir the pot...a little! (I'm not grinning, just gritting and nashing my teeth) OOP's there goes the pop off valve time to pull into the next siding and give it a rest.
I have a Z scale decoder that is in a 50 year old American Flyer Hudson that I regularly run on the HO voltage setting at my club with no damage to it. I also run my N scale locos on the HO setting. After several years doing this I still have not burnt out a decoder. I wouldn't run them on the O/G voltage setting though. Reading the manuals and learning to adjust CV values to get the performance you want is part of the fun of DCC. If you can't learn it , or don't want to, stick with DC.
If you just put in a decoder you will need to program it. So, go back to the CV's and info provided before I have a heart attack or stroke trying to get your attention here. Grrrrrrrr! That is.... if you installed it correctly. If not then go back to what DCESharkman aka David suggested. You might want to PM him as he is pretty good with deciphering and diagnosing these kinds of problems. Then come back to programming the decoder. AND he can help you with that as well.
