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Speed matching with the NCE Powercab

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Speed matching with the NCE Powercab
Posted by hustle_muscle on Monday, June 9, 2014 4:19 PM

Speed matching 2 locomotives is one thing that I don't have the best time with. I end up taking an hour or 2 programing CV's for 2 locomotives in a consist and I was wondering, what is a good and easy method for speed matching locomotives? I don't want to have to spend an entire day or 2 (although I may have to) trying to get 2 locomotives running at the same speeds Angry

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Posted by Guy Papillon on Monday, June 9, 2014 4:43 PM

It is easier with JMRI but I did speed match locomotives a few times with the PowerCab with good results.

- First, the locomotives should have separate addresses and not be consisted;

- program CV5 on each one so both locomotives have the same maximum speed;

- program CV2 on each one so both locomotives have the same minimum speed; at that point the fastest minimum speed should be your starting point.

- finally, program CV6 on each one so both locomotives have the same speed for the same setting on the knob.

At that point, both locomotives should run at pretty close speeds all over the range of the control knob.

All you have to do is to consist them.

Good luck

Guy

Modeling CNR in the 50's

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Posted by maxman on Monday, June 9, 2014 4:45 PM

Guy Papillon
- program CV5 on each one so both locomotives have the same maximum speed; - program CV2 on each one so both locomotives have the same minimum speed; at that point the fastest minimum speed should be your starting point.

Unless you are trying to speed match locos with Tsunami decoders.  They do not have CVs 5 and 6.  You'll have to use speed tables.

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Posted by Guy Papillon on Monday, June 9, 2014 5:14 PM

The Loksound Select decoder supports CVs 2, 5 and 6.  I speed matched an Atlas Classic Gold Serie RS3 with an Atlas Classic "no sound" with a NCE decoder and consisted them with success using those mentioned CVs.

Decoders used in the BLI Paragon 2 locomotives also use CVs2, 5 and 6 for speed control.

As those are the only DCC sound decoders I worked with, I should have stayed out of the thread.

Embarrassed

 

 

Guy

Modeling CNR in the 50's

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Posted by maxman on Monday, June 9, 2014 6:34 PM

Guy Papillon
As those are the only DCC sound decoders I worked with, I should have stayed out of the thread.

No, not really.  Your answer was fine.  However, the OP didn't say which decoders he had, so I just mentioned the lack of CVs 5 and 6 on the Tsunami in case he had them.

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Posted by kevinrr on Monday, June 9, 2014 8:52 PM

See IMRROcom's YouTube series on speed matching. Or just skip to the one about JMRI.

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Posted by PennCentral99 on Monday, June 9, 2014 9:41 PM

maxman

the OP didn't say which decoders he had

Hey, let's not cloud the issue with facts. WAIT, that's what we're missing!!

Anyway, once this case is cracked, we'll set the CV's on one of the locos (your choice). This will become your "Golden Loco" and all others will be speed matched to this. The brand of loco can also play a key as some locos may be better set to others than vice-versa.

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Posted by hustle_muscle on Tuesday, June 10, 2014 12:34 AM

Guy Papillon

It is easier with JMRI but I did speed match locomotives a few times with the PowerCab with good results.

- First, the locomotives should have separate addresses and not be consisted;

- program CV5 on each one so both locomotives have the same maximum speed;

- program CV2 on each one so both locomotives have the same minimum speed; at that point the fastest minimum speed should be your starting point.

- finally, program CV6 on each one so both locomotives have the same speed for the same setting on the knob.

At that point, both locomotives should run at pretty close speeds all over the range of the control knob.

All you have to do is to consist them.

Good luck

 

 

Never thought of doing that. I'll have to try that when I get the motivation to run trains. Currently stuck doing scenery on my layout right now...Snail

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Posted by Guy Papillon on Saturday, June 14, 2014 1:24 PM

H-M

You can run trains on unscenicked parts of a layout. I do that all the time. Big Smile

Guy

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Posted by superbe on Sunday, June 15, 2014 10:55 AM

If the above suggestions don't work for you and you are subscribed to Video Plus Dana Kawala has an excellent series on speed matching and DCC programing.

Bob

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Posted by kevinrr on Monday, June 23, 2014 1:21 PM

davidmbedard
Accutrack Speed tunnel.....better to match to something accurate than something dynamic.

That sounds good, but at the end of the day I'll be running two locomotives together, not a locomotive and a speedometer.

I get the max speeds close with the speedometer (well OK, I get them dead even). I get the low ends together by setting both locomotives on the track and running them together, then changing one until it runs very very nearly the same as the other.

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