Folks, I am a DCC caveman knowing very little about it as yet. My own layout is DC. I see DCC decoder equipped locos for sale from time to time and so the question arises, will a decoder-equipped loco run without modification on a DC layout? Simple question, I know but - I don't know. Anyone have some wisdom to impart? Thanks as always.
Unless it has a very old DCC only decoder it will in most cases run on DC right out of the box. I think there are still a small number of locos still made to run DCC only out of the box but most of those can be set to run on DC by moving some jumpers. Most however will run DCC anr DC with no modification. If you buy a used one and it doesn't run on DC someone likely set the decoder to 'DCC Only' as the DCC/Analog has been known to cause minor problems with some systems.
Thanks for the reply - although I have no idea what one looks like at the moment I would assume that the decoder could simply be removed without harm to the loco?
Many have the decoder attached to a light board. These decoders can often be removed and replaced with a dummy plug which is in some cases supplied with the loco. That;s the setup on the Bachmann GP7. Some locos have the decoder incorporated into the light board. Many of the Bachmann DCC OnBoard locos have that. You can't remove the decoder without removing the light board. But you can take the motor wires loose from the motor pads on the board and solder them to the pickup pads so the motor gets power directly from the track. I do something similar when I piggyback a good motor control decoder onto one of those cheap onboard decoder boards.
Never assume with DCC. Many buy the wrong thing or smoke something with an incorrect use. Bachmann has diagrams of some of their locos at their website which also has a forum. Many there use Bachmann DCC locos and some modify them for just DC layouts. p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Many of the diesels have the light board decoder with no plug. I bought 44 ton and 70 ton and they can be setup to run DCC or DC if you know how to swap the wires. I modified mine to sound so pulled the old decoders. Bachmann steamers have a 8 pin NMRA connector in the tender. Some other companies use the 9 pin JST connector. There are 8 pin to 9 pin adapters. Some decoder come with 8 pin, 9 pin, 6 pin and some no connector. Connectors can be bought though. Other companies that sell decoder locos have their own designs. Again, don't make assumptions. Go to the below link and store it in Favorites. Just ignore the stuff about sound for now if all you want is non sound decoders. Mr. DCC's University Rich
As people have said just about any DCC board made in recent years is DC compatible. If you are concerned you can look for "Dual mode" or "Analog mode" in the feature list, though a lot of decoders don't bother mention it. As for actually running all DCC equiped locomotives will need a little more juice to start on DC because the little computer needs enough voltage to power on before it can start feeding the motor. Even with a DCC programmer it would be a serious challenge to speed match a DCC locomotive to a DC locomotive. Older/cheaper decoders may to a greater or lesser degree have a momentary delay when power is turned on before moving - the dumber decoders take longer to realize that there is no DCC signal and switch to DC mode. Finally I think the biggest obstacle is your power pack. If you have a smooth/semi-smooth power pack like the Kato blue controller or that 50 year old HO fire starter you shouldn't have any issues. However controllers that go heavy on the pulse power can cause all kinds of wackyness unrelated to the cost or age of the decoder. As an example Bachmann's cheapo 'dual mode' in house decoder seems to get by just fine on heavy pulse power (with a bit of a delay in starting), but the more high tech Digitrax N decoder just sits in place convulsing as the little chip gets caught in a loop of 'it looks like DC power, I better move' and 'power went off, I better stop and check if I'm on DC or DCC'.
What are we talking about? This thing called "Pulse Power"? I've read here where some of you keep referring to "Pulse Power". I'm not sure what you are referring to as the "Pulse Power" I used, the transformers that operated the older HO, high amp., electric motors. They did so nicely but would be anything but kind to todays HO or N scale locomotives. Pulse power is DC and AC combined in a rather rudimentary system to start the older locomotives from a crawl as compared to waiting for them to turn over at a high speed or fast RPM's and then crank them back down to attempt a realistic start. Today's "Momentum" is a refined version of the former "Pulse Power" but doesn't began to resemble it with regards to the electronic's involved. In other words, it's a different animal. To use the term "Pulse Power" in refrence to today's "Momentum" doesn't appropriately fit into todays applications for DCC or todays Analog DC. Disclaimer: Unless there is something new out there I'm not aware of. Seems to me there is a European manufacturer producing "Pulse Power" transformers but seeing that I know little about them I will refrain from a judgement call. I just hope these haven't been misnamed. MRC did put out a "Pulse Power" transformer. The downside is, they perform poorly with today's equipment. Choppy, is the best description. Just saying it would be better to use recognized terminology as opposed to mis-leading...well...I'm sure you get my meaning. Disclosure: I've done my share of mis-leading so I ought to know what I'm talking about...right? So, what are you new boys in the train hood, talking about when you refer to "Pulse Power"? At this point in time this should be a way and means of operating older style, high amp., motored, former HO locomotives. Having no application to todays world of toy train power supplies. A thing from the past that should remain in the past. Do you think? Grin!
I have an older Tech II power pack and it had issues running DCC decoderized engines. It would cause them to act like they had very dirty wheels. I was told it was because it injected pulses in the lower section of the throttle to get older DC motors to run better at slow speeds. I had much better luck using simple DC power packs if I needed to run a DCC engine on DC.
Pulse power Pulse power is a term used back around the 1980's for some DC power packs. I use to make my own DC power packs with pulse power modification using the LM555 IC to develop the pulses. Some companies used some AC taken from the low voltage secondary brought to the DC portion of the pack using a couple resistors and a capacitor. I tried that but preferred the LM555 timer IC. The pulses helped starting, over coming the cogging and tended to disappear as the DC voltage increased. Todays decoder put out a type of pulse power to the motor, actually called PWM, constant voltage with increasing or decreasing pulse width as the speed is varied. A dual mode decoder puts out PWM even when run by a DC power pack. Rich
As mentioned some 'modern' power packs still use the harsher pulse power that can confuse more sensitive DCC decoders - these are principly power packs that are doing something fancy. The Tech II is one example. Another is the Tomix (Japan) 'Tetsudou' cab simulation controller on which it is almost impossible to run a Digitrax equipped locomotive at anything below full throttle (it was built with Tomix/TomyTec railway collection powered chasis' in mind, which are equipped with more primitive motors).
