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Programing Decoders with Keep Alive-type capacitors

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  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Programing Decoders with Keep Alive-type capacitors
Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, February 9, 2018 5:34 PM

I confess I haven't been paying attention, since I don't have any.  Are there hoops to jump through, like disconnecting the capacitor, to program a loco with this feature?

Is there a difference between NCE and Digitrax or Wow Sound and Loksound?

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, February 9, 2018 5:41 PM

 If you use the 3 wire type of keep alive, like Loksound supports on their decoders, and Lenz as well, then there should be no program track problems - that extra wire is used to switch the keep alive on and off. While you can use a 2 wire keep alive like the TCS ones on an ESU decoder, you then may have to remove or disconnect it to program. The 3 wire ones like the ESU PowerPack cost significantly more than the TCS ones, but they are more involved electrically.

                                             --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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