Hi im very new to model railroading and starting out with some locos a simple dc power pack and some bachmann ez track with that being said i want to convert into dcc, is there any products you can tell me that would convert into dcc thank you
WELCOME to the forum. Check out this video from Mike Fifer. He is N scale specific, but for this topic scale does not matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVy-UBdwv_Q
and here is a link showing how to convert your loco's to dcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPyZiSFNK8
Hello All,
to the forums.
Your first few posts will be moderated so there will be a delay in seeing them.
The two most popular DCC system manufacturers are DigiTrax and NCE.
Both offer "starter sets" that can be expanded with your needs.
There are other manufacturers of DCC systems.
From experience, I would avoid the Bachmann Dynamis system.
When I converted my DC pike to DCC, and after maxing out the Bachmann Dynamis system, I chose NCE because of the ergonomics of the hand controller- -throttle.
On an operational level; the way NCE makes and breaks consists; multiple locomotives controlled by a single address, which suits my needs better than other systems.
If you can, try to attend train shows.
Talk to the people running the layouts and see what and why they prefer one system over another.
Keep the questions coming and as always...
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Thank you very much!
Hi there. You might have 3 aspects to convert: the power source, the layout and the locos.
I assume the layout is simple, without return loops or a turntable. If that's the case, it's a simple two-wire connection to the DCC system.
But what about your locos? Do they have decoders?
Simon
snjroyBut what about your locos? Do they have decoders?
Good point!
Some locomotives are worth "upgrading" to DCC- -installing decoders.
While others are more of a challenge than they are worth.
Not to mention the cost of tools for the conversions.
My recommendation would be to buy a single DCC locomotive when upgrading to learn the basics of programming DCC locomotives.
Welcome aboard!
I made the conversion from DC to DCC and never looked back. One of the largest challenges was overcoming the steep learning curve. While far from done learning, I have a slightly firmer understanding. Plenty of resources to help. One of them is here: https://wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm.
Don't be shy to ask questions and make mistakes.
Bigfoot21075 WELCOME to the forum. Check out this video from Mike Fifer. He is N scale specific, but for this topic scale does not matter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVy-UBdwv_Qcluster rush and here is a link showing how to convert your loco's to dcc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPyZiSFNK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVy-UBdwv_Qcluster rush
Very helpful video. I understood how to convert loco to dcc and applied it successfully!
If your engines were purchased new in the last few years, they quite likely have a receptacle (8-pin or 21-pin most likely) to plug in a decoder. If you're not interested in sound, that would be all you have to do to make the engine a DCC engine. If you saved the instructions that came with the engines, it would normally explain how to convert the engine to DCC.
Decoders come with factory defaults pre-set so the decoder will work right away. You probably will want to change the decoder ID from 03 to the number of the engine, so you can run each engine separately, but otherwise you don't have to do anything else. You can make changes like to add momentum or change the light features, but as installed the defaults will work just fine.
I was shocked how easy it was to install decoders on locos. They were Atheran and it was literally plug n' play after removing the shell. Programming with the NCE device also was easy.
kasskaboose I was shocked how easy it was to install decoders on locos. They were Atheran and it was literally plug n' play after removing the shell. Programming with the NCE device also was easy.