How would you make DCC easier?

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

The 'weakness of DCC is the track carrying the comparatively weak coded pulses, and transmitting them through the wheels to the motor.

What i'd like to see is:

The track is used just to steer and supply basic DC voltage to the motor, with RF (radio frequecy), or I.R., providing the instructions to the motor. We do this similarly with model airplane's.

2. Manufacturer's offering SOUND 'DUMMY UNIT'S that use the whole body for a baffle.
Better, more reaistic sound, and one only need's 1 per train.
Dummy Pusher's with sound can be employed mid-train without derailment problems

Guess I'm confused, because with DCC the entire pulse amplitude of the carrier IS the signal. It's not like older system like CTC16 where a small amplitude control signal was superimposed on flat DC carrier. That's one of the main advantages of DCC over the older systems, the signal is much much stronger.
A lot of people bring up a pure RF control system - but other than outdoor Large Scale, I don't see much point. You'd still need a multiplexed digital signal, as there aren't enough radio frequency to handle the potential number of operating units. And the loco still needs to draw power from somewhere, so why not send the signal at the same time? Maybe when we have some future ability (perhaps with super capacitors) to run without constant power on the rails, an RF control system would make sense. That would be kind of neat - bring your loco to the service area to refuel - and it really is 'refuelling'. If one of the recharge contacts was done as a slider in the center of the frame ala Marklin, the two rails would not have to be insulated and you could make simple occupancy detectors as well.
But that's getting well away from DCC.

--Randy

[DigitalGriffin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker
to run without constant power on the rails, an RF control system would make sense. That would be kind of neat - bring your loco to the service area to refuel - and it really is 'refuelling'
--Randy

That future may not be too far away. Lenz's gold series supported uninterrupted power supply. Basically the decoder connects to a ?battery? and uses it as a backup when the power drops. And when the power is good on the track it recharges the ?battery?. (It could be a very large cap and not a battery, but I doubt that, as the cap would have to be enormous and that would create all kinds of problems with current pull on startup.)

http://www.lenz.com/products/decoders/currentdecoders/gold.htm

I think putting sound and a 14V battery in the tender is really pushing things for space. man you thought things were cramped now.

I guess time will tell when they actually release the product..

[rrinker]

I'm pretty sure it's a cap. Just limit charging current with a resistor. A simple fix that would resolve that problem in the QSI sound decoders, as well.
What I don;t get is how those decoders can actually respond to command when isolated fromthe track. The track power IS the command signal, yet the demo they run shows a loco responding to commands after being run on tot he isulating section. Short of some sort of proximity coils to 'read' the DCC signal (as long as the insulating material wasn't THAT insulating), I do not understand how this could be done. Somehow that track signal has to get to the decoder, either directly or through induced current, for it to be able to respond. Just keeping running, at the last known command, is not that big of a deal.

--Randy

[DigitalGriffin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker

What I don;t get is how those decoders can actually respond to command when isolated fromthe track. The track power IS the command signal, yet the demo they run shows a loco responding to commands after being run on to the isulating section.

They have been working on two way communication. Maybe the command station just keeps transmitting teh command until it gets an acknolegement from the train? But then again I'm just guessing.

[rrinker]

That works, but from what I gather from the demonstration, the decoder actually respondes to command changes while it's ont he supposedly insulated section (paper towel or something laid across the rails). Not just waits until it gets back in communication before responding,. but actually stopping ont he 'dead' section and reversing on command.