Hi, I have a Proto 2000 gp38-2 in Ho scale with a Digitrax Dh165L0 decoder. I want the locomotive to be able to run as fast as a Athearn 9-44cw or a Bachmann spectrum gp-30. I have tried the volt start, mid and max CVs, I also turned them up to max and it is still a lot slower. I tried using the speed table using JMRI and it is still slow. So does any one know how to make it faster with what I have or is there a better decoder That can make it faster?
Thanks!!!
Did you test this loco on straight DC before you installed the decoder?I have a loco that is slower than I expected on DC,so there's nothing the decoder can do to improve this.The only solution would be to toy with gear ratios,wich I won't try,the engine can still run "scale speed".
If your engine is faster on DC,then there may be some configuration glitch or a defective decoder.
Thunder Wolf Hi, I have a Proto 2000 gp38-2 in Ho scale with a Digitrax Dh165L0 decoder. I want the locomotive to be able to run as fast as a Athearn 9-44cw or a Bachmann spectrum gp-30.
Hi, I have a Proto 2000 gp38-2 in Ho scale with a Digitrax Dh165L0 decoder. I want the locomotive to be able to run as fast as a Athearn 9-44cw or a Bachmann spectrum gp-30.
You might want to re-think making the 38 run "as fast as" the Athearn. I suggest that you try to figure out how fast that Athearn is actually going, scale speed-wise. I've been doing a lot of speed matching for a friend and find that the Athearns typically run between 100 and 110 scale mph. Maybe you might decide that slowing down the Athearn is a better idea.
On the other hand, if you really want the engines to run at an unprototypical speed, that's a decoder of a different color.
Regards
Are you trying to speed up the Proto just to make it run faster to compete with the Athearn and the Spectrum? Or, are you trying to match speeds in order to consist the locos together?
Even though different manufacturers gear their locomotives to run prototypically, you should be able to match, or at least come close, the speeds of the three different locos.
Unless there is a problem with your particular Proto, that is an excellent loco and a fine decoder.
That said, your Athearn may be running too fast. I have had problems with some Athearns just running too fast.
If you are trying to consist the locos, I would advise you to match the speed of the slowest loco, not the fastest loco.
Rich
Alton Junction
No I don't want to speed match them, but I want to run it at my local train club and it is too slow there compared to the others trains. So I just wanted to know it it is possible to make it faster.
Thunder Wolf No I don't want to speed match them, but I want to run it at my local train club and it is too slow there compared to the others trains. So I just wanted to know it it is possible to make it faster.
Not likely in DCC without regearing.
Well, that's easy. Tell everyone else to slow down. Do you know for sure if your GP38-2 is running prototypical speed? Or, is everyone else at the club operating in "Tyco mode"?
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
If you have access to Decoder Pro, go thru and check all the settings on the decoder. Some decoders have an option (which you might have triggered without realizing it) that switches the decoder into "switcher mode" which basically cuts the maximum speed in half.
Also make sure you didn't mix up CV5 (top speed) and CV6 (midrange), or accidently put the same value in both. (If CV 5 and 6 are both 120, the engine will only run at about half it's potential top speed for example.)
Or, if you haven't tried it, do a reset back to factory specs. If you leave the speed CVs at zero, the engine should run at full throttle as fast as it could in DC at full throttle. You normally only need to program CV 5 and 6 to slow down the engine.
tstage Or, is everyone else at the club operating in "Tyco mode"?
Or, is everyone else at the club operating in "Tyco mode"?
LOL
Tom, that comment is beyond funny. I love it. Tyco Mode.
Kudos to you.
None of my old Tyco trains were really all that fast. In fact the old die-cast 0-6-0 was pretty slow. The trolley was probably faster than my F unit.
Now the AHM Plymouth switcher....
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
What do You mean by Re-Motor?
Thunder Wolf What do You mean by Re-Motor?
Replacing the existing motor with a more powerful motor to provide increased speed.
The Proto 2000 units are great slow(er) speed units. On a typical DC Tech II or Tech IV power pack, you will need to crank the throttle to about the 75% mark to get it going at a typical mainline speed. This is because of the tiny gears and gear ratios inside the engine. They are designed to run at a slower speed.
The Athearn units are decent performers, but they have different gear ratios to make them faster.
As others have mentioned, the only way to make the Proto 2000 unit run faster is to replace the motor with a better one to see if you can speed match other locos. This would be a timely and costly trial-and-error type of deal though.
I have remotored some psgr locos to get to prototype scale speed. NWSL is a good source. DCC will only slow your loco down vs DC(assuming same voltages which may not be the case since a lot of DC output can be around 18V and DCC around 15V--can vary widely from there too)
I have the same loco as you and it seems to run as fast as it should--say around 65 SMPH with a Soundtraxx chip. May I suggest you measure how fast your loco is going in SMPH before you remotor. If you're getting around 65/70 SMPH--I would say that's fast enough. I use a stop watch and a 6 foot section of straight and level track. 5.5 seconds is 64.7 SMPH. 5 seconds is 71.2 SMPH.
BTW, a lot of Bachmann diesel locos run too fast, especially the older ones.
Richard
now just a thought here, cause I just dont know. but the newer P2K is a 14to1 ratio gears ,is that done with just the axel gear or is it a combination of ALL the gears in the pod (truck). Leading to the thought of a change of axel gears say to old stile ,mite speed things up ?....Jerry
Pretty sure they mean the overall ratio of all gears fromt he motor to the axles, not just the axle gears.
And to think, I paid money to get Ernst gear kits to make my Athearn loco run SLOWER because it was way too fast. Now people are annoyed their loco runs too slow. Back in the day nearly every review included a bit about how at full throttle, 12V DC, the loco went way too fast. Manufacturers seem to have listened, now the complaint is, too slow.
rrinker Pretty sure they mean the overall ratio of all gears fromt he motor to the axles, not just the axle gears. And to think, I paid money to get Ernst gear kits to make my Athearn loco run SLOWER because it was way too fast. Now people are annoyed their loco runs too slow. Back in the day nearly every review included a bit about how at full throttle, 12V DC, the loco went way too fast. Manufacturers seem to have listened, now the complaint is, too slow. --Randy
Randy,
For me it's a matter of modeling in a prototypical fashion. I put Ernst gears in one of my Athearn switchers as it was too fast. Now some of these passenger locos are way too slow vs the prototype. For this particular Proto 2000 until we know the SMPH--we don't really know vs the prototype. Just my thoughts.
BTW a big change in going to DCC is that my MRC DC transformers put out between 18 to 21 volts or so--the HO setting on my digitrax DCS200 as been turned up to about 16 volts. With that in mind, we probably do have locos going slower due to actually getting lower overall voltage to the motor(taking into account loss through the decoder, etc)
Do have to measure under load though, DC power packs with rheostats actually need the motor resistence int he circuit to regulate voltage - which is why an HO pack doesn;t work with N scale or many newer HO locos. A transistor pack doesn't have this problem.
Do have to measure under load though, DC power packs with rheostats actually need the motor resistence in the circuit to regulate voltage - which is why an HO pack doesn;t work with N scale or many newer HO locos. A transistor pack doesn't have this problem.