I have two engine that I want to run together. If I match there speed, one is running at 60mph on the throttle and the other is at 80mph.
I am running a MRC Controller. If I use the consist setting on the MRC how are they running at the same speed? I don't want to hirt one of the engines trying to pull the other at the wrong speed.
Harold
I'm not familiar with the MRC controller but if your locos are going at the same speed on the tracks is what is important. The speed on the controller is only a guide. Be sure that they are running at the same speed throughtout the full speed range. To check mine I run the two locos a few inches apart several times around the layout.
Good luck,
Richard
hwolf I have two engine that I want to run together. If I match there speed, one is running at 60mph on the throttle and the other is at 80mph. I am running a MRC Controller. If I use the consist setting on the MRC how are they running at the same speed? I don't want to hirt one of the engines trying to pull the other at the wrong speed. Harold
First, you will need to match the speed of each locomotive. There are CVs in the decoder which allow that, if the decoder supports those features. Back EMF may also introduce some issues. The decoder may (or may not) include a speed table which allows finer adjustements.
Speed Matching
Consisting
The speed is controlled within the decoder, not by the controller. It just sends a command to use this speed step, the actual speed is determined by the decoder, motor, and gearing. Even two identical models can have slight differences.
Hello All,
hwolfI have two engine(s) that I want to run together. If I match there (SIC) speed, one is running at 60mph on the throttle and the other is at 80mph.
What you are describing is not "speed matching."
If they are truly "speed matched" they will both run at the same speed at the same throttle settings, whether consisted or not.
A component of "speed matching" is the setting of the Voltage Start (V Start; CV 02), Voltage Mid (V Mid; CV 06) and Voltage Max (V Max; CV 05).
The decoder(s) need to support these CVs for accurate speed-matching. Some older or inexpensive decoders don't support these CVs.
There are many videos on YouTube describing how to speed match using the above CVs.
hwolfIf I use the consist setting on the MRC how are they running at the same speed?
Do you know what method of consisting MRC uses: Basic, Universal, or Advanced (this has nothing to do with speed matching)?
I suspect the MRC system uses some form of Universal consisting.
An e-mail or phone call to them will clarify this question.
Each method has its pros and cons.
Different manufacturers handle consisting slightly different. I chose NCE because of the way it handles making and breaking consists.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
I have an old Lenz system which still works well. I have identified pairs of engines I run together and speed-matched those, generally using the CVs to get what I want. Generally, these are a pair of Walthers geeps or a pair of Athearn F units. They match up well.
I put the slightly faster engine in front if I can't get them close enough so all the couplers are being stretched, not pushed together.
I have found that the Bachmann "sound value" decoders do not support the momentum CVs, so I play with the Vstart, Vmid and Vhigh CVs to get rid of the jumpy jackrabbit starts of these engines. Since those engines are a Mikado and a GG-1, there's not much danger getting either in a consist.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Basic, Universal and Advanced Consisting are DIGITRAX TERMS. They may not apply to other systems. Basic consisting is also not relevant to the DCC system since it's just setting the decoders to the same address.
MRC prodigy systems support CV19 consisting which they call simply consisting and sometimes advanced consisting. They also support in base station consisting (universal) Which they call "Old consisting."
NCE consisting is basically the combination of CV19 consisting with in station consisting.
To the OP, as others have noted, you need to speed match the engines. Which means you have to adjust the decoders so that they both run at the same speed at the same throttle settings.
Typically the process is to determine which one is the slower of the 2 and then adjust the faster one so that it can only goes as fast as the slower one. Then adjust the settings for it's start and mid speeds.
The most commonly used and most precise way to consist is to use speed tables defined for each of the decoders and track speed meter.
The speed meter will serve your objective link between decoders made by any manufacturer. The numbers published in decoder manuals are for guidance only as a few folks already mentioned.
Enjoy...
YoHo1975 Basic, Universal and Advanced Consisting are DIGITRAX TERMS. They may not apply to other systems. Basic consisting is also not relevant to the DCC system since it's just setting the decoders to the same address.
Basic, Universal and Advanced are NMRA terms, not exclusive to Digitrax. Universal is another term for the command station dealing with consisting, where it keeps track of the addresses in the consist.
Digitrax calls theirs UniVersal, note the capitalisation. Their method is a blend of creating a consist within the command station, with the ability to write a consist address to CV19 if permitted, as per Advanced Consisting.
Basic means all the decoders in a consist have the same primary or extended address, and Advanced Consisting writes a unique address to each decoder in the consist using CV19. Advanced consist addresses live in the same space as the primary address (CV1). If CV19 is a non-zero address the primary and extended addresses are ignored.
There is nowhere in S9.2 where the term advanced consisting is used. Nor is there a reference to universal, command station or basic consisting.
And there shouldn't be, because in station consisting is manufacturer specific. the NMRA doesn't care. Same with Basic consisting.
These are not NMRA terms. References to CV19, 21 and 22 ALL refer to it simply as consisting, because that's what it is, the offical standards compliant consisting system.
know2go The most commonly used and most precise way to consist is to use speed tables defined for each of the decoders and track speed meter. The speed meter will serve your objective link between decoders made by any manufacturer. The numbers published in decoder manuals are for guidance only as a few folks already mentioned. Enjoy...
Speed tables are absolutely the best way to do it, but they are not the most common by any means. They are way to complex for most modellers even with JMRI to help.
Just want to add my $.02. I've found the best thing I ever did was add an old laptop to my layout environment. Then added JMRI. I have a Digitrax system so my investment cost (after a laptop I had"retired ") was under $100 for a PR 3 (now a PR4). It makes it so easy to program decoders. But relative to this discussion, it's so much easier to speed match locomotives. That graphic interface is so intuitive. If you have plans for several more opportunities to create consists and need to speed match the locomotives, without regard to any costs involved of course, I highly recommend JMRI and their speed tables. Hope this helps.
Regards, Chris
First, your controller doesn't know the speed in scale MPH. I think what you mean is one engine is running at a certain speed (like takes so long to go around the layout) at 60% of full power, and the other has to be set at 80% power to go the same speed.
Assuming you haven't changed any CVs yet, each is going as fast as they can go already. So you can't speed up the slow one, but you can slow down the fast one. Easiest way to do that is change CV5 to a different amount.
Setting CV5 to 200 should slow the engine down by about 20%. Then compare it to the other engine and see if they're closer in speed. Then adjust CV5 up or down maybe by 10 at a time to fine tune it.
To run in a consist, they just need to be real close, not perfect. As you get more used to DCC and CV settings, you can fine tune their start up speed, momentum etc. but for now CV5 should get you close enough to work OK.