Articles from Past MRR about NCE Throttle and Homemade DCC Decoder

[pcgumshoe]

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.  There were two articles that appeared in MRR that I'm looking for.  The first is how to make a homemade DCC Decoder.  The second was how to convert your NCE throttle to a wireless throttle, NCE used to sell the kits but stopped after many customers failed attempts, but I'm a little farther along and thought it would be good reading.

 

Thanks in advance.

[wvg_ca]

i did a bit on a mobile decoder, but it was based on a MERG design. just with updated parts for the pcb ....don't know of any MRR design ??

[maxman]

pcgumshoe

The second was how to convert your NCE throttle to a wireless throttle, NCE used to sell the kits but stopped after many customers failed attempts, but I'm a little farther along and thought it would be good reading.

I'm not sure that I remember this article.  Regardless, it appears that the only way to get a cab (throttle) upgraded to radio is to have it done by NCE.  See following link for info: https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201046139-Wireless-Upgrades

States that any cab can be upgraded, but I don't know if that includes the earlier 04 and 05 cabs.

[pcgumshoe]

I'm aware that NOW it can only be done by NCE or one of two authorized agents, one who worked for them.  I'm wondering if the parts (alleged in the article) are available after market.

 

As for the decoder, I was made aware it was an article that discussed using off the shelf components to manufacturer you own, and this for certain appeared in MRR.

[gregc]

have you tried searching using the Train Magazine Index?

[pcgumshoe]

Yes

[rrinker]

 The build it yourself articles were for more than the throttle - they were for a full DCC system. The CVP Easy-DCC. Still sold, but no longer in kit form.

 Just google DIY DCC decoder, there are any number of sites with instructions for making both motor and accessory decooders. Unless you have access to some decent reflow soldering equipment, you won;t ever get one smaller than a commercial decoder, although for larger scale or large steam loco tenders that may not matter. Even hand soldering with SMD components will be bigger than a commercial decoder. If that's yoour thing, it's possible to build a relfow oven using a decent toaster ooven along with some control circuitry, and most of the PCB houses these days like JLCPCB and PCBWAY can make solder paste stencils to match your board - so the whole thing is dooable. While I enjoy workign with electronics, building a reflow oven and playing around with that stuff goes beyuond my level of 'fun', plus there's pretty much no way to make a sound decoder - at least not with some top notch recording equipment and access to real railroads to make recordings. 

 Where size isn;t critical, like stationary decoders, there are any number of ones out there, using common microcontrollers like the ATMega series in the Arduino or PICs, along with the code libraries to decode NMRA DCC packets tp make it listen and do things on coommand.

Edit: Prior to 2007, there is one article on building a DCC decoder, it's a stationary decoder, another CVP kit, the ADC-4. There was a time when it seemed like every other month, there was yet another MR article that was basically the assembly instructions for a CVP kit. 

 

                          --Randy