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track voltage

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  • Member since
    March 2009
  • From: wisconsin rapids, wi
  • 113 posts
track voltage
Posted by ratdogsoo on Friday, February 27, 2015 10:53 AM

being a complete dummy when it comes to this subject--on track voltage:  i'm having a Titan U sound decoder installed w/dual cube speakers, LED's + strobe. QSI states track voltage might need to be increased [DC only w/ Quantum Engineer sound]. how do i go about this? the electric dummy, mike.

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Mount Vernon WA
  • 968 posts
Posted by skagitrailbird on Friday, February 27, 2015 11:02 AM

What DC power pack are you using?

Roger Johnson
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Friday, February 27, 2015 11:07 AM

Turn up the power pack until the loco responds. It will be a little higher setting than a DC only loco.

Make sure the power pack does not have pulse power option.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Friday, February 27, 2015 11:40 AM

Rat dog, chances are very good that you won't need to do anything except to spend a bit more time with your voltage dial turned up a bit further than you would in straight DC/non-sound ops.  However, there will be a consequence if you wish to run other DC locos concurrently using the same 'feed'.  The higher voltages will mean the straight non-sound locos will run quite a bit faster.  Therefore, if you wish to run this DC-capable decoder, but give it that much more voltage to make it move at decent scale speeds, you'll have to run it by itself...probably...almost certainly.

I haven't kept up with recent decoders and their power needs, but used to be, maybe four years ago, that to operate a DCC sound decoder in DC, the first six or so volts were needed just to run the sound and lights.  It was only after you went past the six-volt mark on your dial that the loco would begin to move.  Well, on DC locos, seven or more volts would have most of them already near 20 scale mph, with variance.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Friday, February 27, 2015 4:41 PM

The microprocessor on the decoder requires 5 volts just to wake up. You will get lights and sound. A couple volts more to overcome the gear train, weight of loco to get the loco to move.

The motor gets pulse power from the microprocessor, not DC voltage. The motor sees the pulse power as DC volatge.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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