Ok I have a couple bachman decoders that got swapped out of other engines as I upgraded to better digitrax decoders. I have an atlas rs2 dummy that I want to wire the lights to work with the decoder.
I would like to run a powered and a dummy engine together and would like the lights to work where the lead(powered)engine to have the light on in forward and have the dummy engine to light up when in reverse. Can this be done? If so how is it done? The engines will be run short hood together so only each of the long hoods will be lit.
Thaks mike
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
Assuming you have a DCC system that supports consisting, just consist the two engines together. Have the lights on both as they go into the consist. When the consist address is selected, it should send the right signals to each engine, which will light the appropriate lights for the direction the consist is going.
And one other thing: Old Alco RS units rock.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I run the bachman dcc right now and i believe it does support the consist. As for the wiring of the unit should I do this:
right rail power to appropriate decoder wire
left rail power to appropriate decoder wire
blue and white/yellow as suggested to the bulb.
Is that all I need to do or do I need more wiring?
Then from that consist it if lead unit long hood forward light on and nothing for trailing unit.
Then for dummy unit lead light on and trailing powered unit light off?
Thanks
mike
The wiring sounds right.
When you have locomotives in the consist, each will respond correctly to the direction the engine is going, and the lights will come on. However, this means that the short-hood lights will come on when the engine is at the back of the consist. You will have to select each engine, and turn the lights ON if the engine is in front, and OFF if it is in the back, unless you don't mind having the short hood lights of the back engine on in the consist.
Assuming you have two RS-2's running back to back (short hood to short hood), you could just install headlights in the long hoods then you wouldn't have to worry about the short hood lights.
If you're always going to run the same two units together, you don't need to put them in a consist, just give each decoder the same ID number.
Of course, if you are always going to run the two units together, you could just run two wires back from the first unit to the dummy and use that to light the rear unit's headlight, and save the decoders to install in a powered engine. That might end up working better, since electrical pickup from a dummy unit can sometimes be intermittent.
BTW in model railroading reversing headlights seem to be the standard now in new engines, maybe so that we can tell in DCC which way the engine will be going?? But keep in mind that on real engines that is very rare. I prefer to set headlights up so say on a diesel road switcher the headlight in the direction of travel is on bright, and the other headlight is on dimmed. Most (not all) decoders allow you to set that up pretty easily using the CV's. That way both headlights are on (per the prototype) but you can tell which way the engine is set to go. It also allows you to stop a train in a siding and reverse the direction switch so the headlight dims when meeting another train - which is required on prototype meets.
wjstix Assuming you have two RS-2's running back to back (short hood to short hood), you could just install headlights in the long hoods then you wouldn't have to worry about the short hood lights. If you're always going to run the same two units together, you don't need to put them in a consist, just give each decoder the same ID number. Of course, if you are always going to run the two units together, you could just run two wires back from the first unit to the dummy and use that to light the rear unit's headlight, and save the decoders to install in a powered engine. That might end up working better, since electrical pickup from a dummy unit can sometimes be intermittent. BTW in model railroading reversing headlights seem to be the standard now in new engines, maybe so that we can tell in DCC which way the engine will be going?? But keep in mind that on real engines that is very rare. I prefer to set headlights up so say on a diesel road switcher the headlight in the direction of travel is on bright, and the other headlight is on dimmed. Most (not all) decoders allow you to set that up pretty easily using the CV's. That way both headlights are on (per the prototype) but you can tell which way the engine is set to go. It also allows you to stop a train in a siding and reverse the direction switch so the headlight dims when meeting another train - which is required on prototype meets.
With some decoders and some DCC systems, you can't program an engine without a motor, at least not on the programming track. The programming track logic checks for a certain amout of resistance on the motor leads. This is to protect you from putting power on an improperly-wired decoder. But, it has the side effect of preventing you from programming a motor decoder without a motor. You can fool the system by putting a resistor across the programming track. Hopefully, somebody will chime in who knows the appropriate resistor to use.
Yes, you could use a sound-and-functions-only decoder for this. These units don't have motor leads. Dummy engines are nice for this, because you've got lots of room inside for a big speaker.
MisterBeasley With some decoders and some DCC systems, you can't program an engine without a motor, at least not on the programming track. The programming track logic checks for a certain amout of resistance on the motor leads. This is to protect you from putting power on an improperly-wired decoder. But, it has the side effect of preventing you from programming a motor decoder without a motor. You can fool the system by putting a resistor across the programming track. Hopefully, somebody will chime in who knows the appropriate resistor to use. Yes, you could use a sound-and-functions-only decoder for this. These units don't have motor leads. Dummy engines are nice for this, because you've got lots of room inside for a big speaker.
rs2mikeI run the bachman dcc right now and i believe it does support the consist
The EZ command does support consisting. If you have your manual, look at the top of page 5 and you'll see that it mentions the consisting feature. That step on page 5 tells you how to set up a consist and refers you to another step in the manual to chage the direction of travel for the trailing loco. This is also shown in better detail in the DVD that came with the DCC system.
Here is a link to the manual if you don't have yours available: EZ command manual
If you need the DVD, let me know.
TONY
"If we never take the time, how can we ever have the time." - Merovingian (Matrix Reloaded)
Well as a matter of advanced consisting for a dummy engine the direction of travel way of doing it should be ok right?
Something that was touched on but not elaborated on was the fact the decoder needs to have a load on it in order to any programming. I've used older decoders in mch the same way - the difference being I used them in cabooses to control the marker lights. Place a 100 ohm resistor across the motor leads to do your programming. Thr resistor can be removed after programming, but you will need to re-install it to read / change any CV's. You "could" leave the resistor in place, just make certain the throttle setting for that address remains at zero .... otherwise the resistor may get dangerously hot (unless you use one of those 10 watt ceramic resistors, which is quite large to have to keep installed).
Personally, I don't care for the directional lighting, it's kind of gimmicky and not necessarily proto-typical. The headlights on real engines are controlled by the engineer, not the direction of travel .... I prefer to have that kind of manual control as well.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I know with the MRC Sounder ( a sound only decoder...although I guess it does have some lighting options?) you can program it but you can't read back the CV's, so you need to keep track of what amt you enterred in each CV.
If you have good electrical pickup in the dummy unit, you should have no trouble installing a sound decoder if you want. It's nice to have room for a good-sized speaker.
Have you used the MRC Sounder, or heard one in action?
I've got a couple of engines I'd like to add sound to. They already have motor decoders. I've tried the Digitrax sound-only decoders, but find the maximum volume really disappointing - far quieter than most decoders at half-volume. So, I'm looking for other sound-other decoders that won't break the bank.
MisterBeasley Have you used the MRC Sounder, or heard one in action? I've got a couple of engines I'd like to add sound to. They already have motor decoders. I've tried the Digitrax sound-only decoders, but find the maximum volume really disappointing - far quieter than most decoders at half-volume. So, I'm looking for other sound-other decoders that won't break the bank.
Mr.B:
I have some motor controlled engines that I was considering upgrading to sound as well. I was going to try the Digitrax sound only decoders, but you have given me pause. I am interested in what system finally satisfies you.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
The ones I've heard at trains hows were plenty loud. I don't want to hear my sound loco at ever point in the room - it ruins the illusion that a few hundred feet of track is really several miles.
The Tsunami demo when they first came out - at the National Train SHow in Philly a few years back - in a relatively large On30 loco that should ahve been able to fit a rather large speaker - now THAT was quiet, I could hardly here it. In the same hall, a Digitax/Kato loco was plenty loud.
Every QSI and Loksound decoder I've used, I've had to turn them down ebcause they were WAY too loud.
The 1 watt amp in the Digitrax decoders is MORE than adequate. Proper speaker enclosure construction and mounting is a far bigger factor in teh actual volume you get. Don't mix and match - the new Digitrax sound decoder uses an 8 ohm speaker, no more 32 ohm. Be sure to sue the correct speaker for the decoder you are using. A 32 ohm speaker on a system designed for 8 is goign to be quiet. Reverse that and you can blow the speaker and/or the amplifier circuit.
ANd don;t be afraid to mess with volume settings. Out of the box, most Loksound decoders have the engine sounds set to 100% and the whistle set to liek 50% - promptng a lot of posts abou how poor the whistle is on Loksound decoders. It's NOT - just adjust the colume properly and there's a HUGE difference.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.