I've gone DCC [HR][/HR] Well, I wasn't going to do it, but I have. I have been adding decoders to my locos that I run at our club. Then a couple of sound locos, then a couple more - you know how it goes. Then a Zephyr was on offer from a departing club member and I couldn't resist it. I have now bought an Empire Builder DB150, PM42, UR92 Radio Transceiver and my 2 throttles are on their way back from Digitrax after being upgraded to Radio. So, this morning I thought - let's see if it works with the original wiring (spaghetti), by removing one of the DC controllers. OH YES!!! I will, section by section, replace the wiring, and make better control panels without all the rotary switches, but for now, it works. Just got 60 more locos to do, or some may be pensioned off via e-bay. All the drop-ins decoders are done, but I will be very busy with DZ123s! Cheers.
I jumped too and not because I wanted too but because our Ntrak cliub is using the Aristo Craft analog radio throttles which are not being made any more and which are getting old. So eventually we will have to make the switch over to DCC as we like the ability to walk with our trains and not have a single control point. So I got the MRC Prodigy wireless radio throttle and we tried it along with an NCE unit at the last train show. Everthing worked well except the batteries in my handheld did not have a full charge and so run time was limited. That however was not the fault of the unit but rather my battery charger. So I purchased a new battery charger and some additional 1800 mah lithium AAA batteries and everything works great. Amazing that the battery store does not have AAA batteries above 1200mah [and want $34.95 + tax for four (4) of them] but I can get 16, 1800 mah on line for about $8.00. Any way I found that a lot of my locomotives are the type that ony need the light board replaced so they will be first to be converted. The others will either be converted as time and money allow or will be sold off. I got three sets of Lifelike ABBA FA/B1's that will be the first to be retrofitted with new Aztec DCC ready frames.
Bob, If you have any of the older Atlas / Kato the TCS CN decoders work very well for these engines. Also with a little modifications the Walthers / Proto 2000 N scale GP38-2's can be converted to TCS CN decoders. Here is a photo of one of my Walthers / Proto 2000 N scale GP38-2 with slots cut into the front to accept the TCS CN decoder. View attachment 65642 With the Atlas / Kato units with the split light boards, no cutting is required as the TCS CN decoders replace the existing light boards. I also recommend Kapton Tape to insulate the motor brush caps from the frame. I purchased my Kapton tape from TCS, but I'm sure there are other suppliers. Just some FYI and Welcome to the wonderful world of DCC. Yes the initial setup is a big leap, but once you have everything up and running, I don't think you'll miss your old DC block system.
I agree. I started in n-scale in the 1973-74 time frame and have had a home layout since 1975. I continued to hold off going dcc until mid-2012, then I purchased the NCE power cab and began having decoders installed. Recently, I have been having dcc decoders (some with sound) installed in my steam locomotives. I think I have completed that project for all that are worth the investment. (I cannot find a 0-8-0 I have listed on my spread sheet.) By the way, I am still using a power pack to control the "switches/turnouts"; I am using Kato Unitrack. I had a year and a half transition period when I retained the option to run non-dcc locomotives. If and when we get moved and I can start a new layout, it will be strictly dcc except for the turnout power. It works very well for me. I will try to sell the small fleet of Atlas non-dcc diesel locomotives once we relocate.
No wonder you've been keeping quiet these last few months! I might be interested in any combination of Altas and Santa Fe locomotive you still need to convert . . . Regards, Pete Davies
Well David, I am in UK, so shipping would add quite a bit! But I have: Atlas/Kato U25 #1604 $25 Kato Freight F3 #272 $25 Life-like GP20 #1114 $20 All fitted with M/T couplings. Plus shipping. Cheers, Bob.
Not impressed with the sound, at least the sound from units so equipped that I have been able to witness. May be good in the relative quiet confines of a home layout but in a train show atmosphere the sound is too weak to rise above the ambient noise level. Also, at the local Greenberg Show, we usually are assigned a set up location next to the O scale guys and after the first ten minutes the sound emanating from their engines becomes rather annoying. So I can do without sound for now.
I run sound at shows and it's plenty loud. I have to turn my sound-equipped engines down when I run them at home after a show. The trick is to equip your speakers with air-tight speaker enclosures, either integral to the frame, such as in Digitrax sound installs in Kato E's and F's, or make your own speaker enclosure from lead sheet or Styrene sheet...but seal it. If you don't, the sound waves coming out of the back of the speaker will cancel out the sound waves coming out of the front. Secondly, you've got to make sure the sound has a way to get out of your locomotive, or tender body. Lots of ways to do this, such as drilling a lot of little holes in-between fan structures, replacing fans with etched ones, pointing your speaker downward and drilling holes in the the tender floor...etc., etc. See John Colombo's install threads (jdcolombo)...John knows what he's talking about, and posts videos to prove it. Here's a photo of my Digitrax Sound decoder instal in Kato E's...using the weighted chassis as a speaker enclosure. The speaker fires downward and you can barely hear it until you put the body on the chassis. It's tight enough so that the sound coming off the back of the speaker firing upward, doesn't cancel out the sound firing downward any more. LOUD sound...and plenty good for shows. I'm going to experiment with machining a tight fitting brass plug for the top of the hole just to see if that makes it even louder. Cheerio!! Bob Gilmore
Bob, the last install I did would not sound as I wanted. I use a step drill for the hole so it gets smaller as it gets closer to the bottom of the chassis. This one I put a thin sheet of plastic on the bottom side of the speaker. This made the body more of a sound enclosure. It worked very well. The speaker sits just at the chassis top. Bob.
Bob, I went whole-hog with a Digitrax Super Chief Radio (simplex) 5 years ago. Now, I'm upgrading to Duplex, but a step at a time just for the extra functions it offers, as I have no problems whatsoever with the Simplex system either at home or when I take the layout to shows. I'm assuming that you're using your Zephyr for programming, since the Empire Builder won't allow you to read CV's?? Just curious. The lack of CV readback is the main reason I decided to go with the more expensive Super Chief. Cheerio!! Bob Gilmore
You did a good move Bob ! When I did the transition to DCC I kept some toggle switches for the locomotives servicing section so locomotives are not "live" when parked , also for all the tracks around the TT . I kept toggle switches also for sidings where I park passengers train with lights .
I also made my programming track a parking track for my analog DC engines I may be running on address "00". They "sing" when parked on live track, and the motors will overheat after a short while, so it's a good idea to keep a "toggle-able" siding for parking them after you're done running them. Cheerio! Bob Gilmore
As I posted earlier, I am glad I made the move and regret I held off as long as I did. I am without a layout, so I am using my hobby budget to have decoders installed in all the steam locomotives that did not come with dcc.
Sorry for the delay in replying - been on tour. I'm using a sprog and JMRI for programming. I got this when I started adding decoders. Works fine. Yes, I could have bought a Super Chief, but having the Sprog saved me some cash for decoders. Cheers, Bob.
