I have recently installed a Digitrax Zephyr system and have a couple of older steam locos with smoke units. I've been hesitant to convert these to DCC because of the high current draw of the smoke units. Does anyone have experience with this - does the smoke unit draw too much current? If it's OK, should I hook up the smoke unit through the decoder, or connect it separately to track power? Thanks, Dan
You really don't want to hook up the smoke units to the decoder. That is a sure way to burn the decoder up. David
Fish Train: The smoke units require too much current and will "fry" your decoder. Just set up the loco to run without the smoke units.
I'm no expert, but is there no way to wire in a relay so that a trickle of current from the decoder would allow the relay to run track current to the smoke generator (through resistors if necessary to bring down voltage)? It shouldn't be necessary to run all that current directly through the decoder.
I don't have any problems, not in H0 or LGB locos. I even installed a analog version of the generator, digital version didn't smoke enough. I'm using Lenz stuff in my H0 equipment and DCC voltage about 14.5 V
