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dc/dcc

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  • Member since
    November 2013
  • From: lake placid,n.y.
  • 47 posts
dc/dcc
Posted by STANLEY O MONTGOMERY on Monday, December 29, 2014 4:32 AM

just got into dcc few months back,it's fantastic even on a small layout, my question is I have some loco dc and some dcc igot loco's programed[finely] now do i have to go into system so i can run on dc without deleteing dcc program or will it run without changing it [ i have NCE powercab,

  • Member since
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  • From: SE Minnesota
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Posted by jrbernier on Monday, December 29, 2014 9:20 AM

Stan, Your post is a little confusing. Do you still have some DC engines? Those engines without DCC decoders will not work on your NCE Powercab system. If you have engines with DCC decoders installed, and they have DC enabled - They will operate on DCC or DC.

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Monday, December 29, 2014 10:33 AM

The Power Cab does not run DC only locos. check the manual. I have one also.

what scale? which locos still DC?

Try to provide more details in a message.

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 Monday, December 29, 2014 3:08 PM

Your DCC system will only run a DC locomotive if it can run that locomotive using what is called 'zero stretching' that a DC motor can use, and only if your system allows that.  Otherwise, all your DC loco will do is sit on the powered rails and emit zings and groans as the motor reacts to weird voltage it wasn't engineered to handle.  You won't like it, and neither will your motors.  They'll likely get quite hot, maybe enough to fry them and to melt any plastic near them.

Most of us here who have tried it also try to discourage people from doing it.  It's noisy and potentially damaging to the locomotive.

  • Member since
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  • From: Eastern Shore Virginia
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Posted by gandydancer19 on Monday, December 29, 2014 3:24 PM

NCE does not use or have zero stretching.  Only Digitrax has that.

Elmer.

The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.

(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.

  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Monday, December 29, 2014 4:03 PM

The Bachmann EZ Command can run a DC loco but that DCC sysstem will not do much more.

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
    November 2013
  • From: lake placid,n.y.
  • 47 posts
Posted by STANLEY O MONTGOMERY on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 5:56 AM

sorry about the wording, what I mean is i have dcc n scale loco's.so do i have to go into program so i can run it on dc power, they are duel mode, but a couple loco's won't run on a dc layout while other's run on a dcc or dc layout, thank's for the help

  • Member since
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  • From: Heart of Georgia
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Posted by Doughless on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 4:23 PM

STANLEY O MONTGOMERY

sorry about the wording, what I mean is i have dcc n scale loco's.so do i have to go into program so i can run it on dc power, they are duel mode, but a couple loco's won't run on a dc layout while other's run on a dcc or dc layout, thank's for the help

I am not nearly a decoder knowitall but IMO...

If the locos do not run on a dc layout, then they either do not have a dual mode decoder (generally an older decoder), or if they do, somebody has "disabled dc" mode with their CV fiddling.  In which case, you need to read the decoders' manual and see how to enable dc, as someone has mentioned.

For the dual mode decoder locos that you programmed using dcc, you should not have to do any programming to have them run on dc (unless you somehow "disabled dc" accidentally when you programmed them).

However, the NCE powercab dcc system (not the decoder in the loco) cannot run dc locos, it will run only decoder equipped locos and run them in dcc mode only. (but that doesn't sound like your problem)

- Douglas

  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, January 7, 2015 5:47 PM

This is model railroading. Open up the loco and see what is inside.

Any PC board with tiny components?

A picture of the loco with no shell would have solve this issue much sooner.

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
    November 2013
  • From: lake placid,n.y.
  • 47 posts
Posted by STANLEY O MONTGOMERY on Thursday, January 8, 2015 3:15 AM

thanks for the info, went into settings and found dc was disabled, run on both now.

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