Getting started with DCC

[Kiran]

I have been reading the manual for the Power cab from https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/200498789/Power_Cab_V_1.65_Manual.pdf.

 

I am trying to figure out which programming menu has the settings to change the current to the track. Trying to see if it is sending too much current to the track for N scale. There doesn't seem to be a setting for selecting N scale or HO scale. And I probably missed the setting that specifies how much current to send. any pointers on where to find this setting?

 

P.S: Otherwise the power cab is working fine. Although I only have 1 loco with decoder at the moment.

 

Thanks,

Kiran

[Gryphr]

According to the manual you linked, the track voltage cannot be controlled by software but is dependent on the input voltage, being roughly 0.5V lower. If you use the factory supplied 13.5VDC power supply, the track voltage should be roughly 13V at the Terminal.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Gryphr

[Kiran]

I am back with a question about #4 turnouts on my layout and getting them to work well with DCC. Below is the video of the layout. I am trying to get power to the tracks on both sides of the island platform. As you see in the video, if I switch the #4 turnouts, the main line has no power.

 

I believe the screws in my #4 turnouts are set to power routing. Should I change them to non-power routing and try? I am not sure what will happen to the polarity when I start throwing switches...

 

 

[katoftw]

Non power routing. And supply the main and loop line with a power feeder.

[Kiran]

4 minutes ago, katoftw said:

Non power routing. And supply the main and loop line with a power feeder.

So in non-power routing, the turnout doesn't provide power to either the main line or the branch line. Correct?

[EdF]

No it sends power down both. Not sure what the frog does, I set mine to unpowered.

[katoftw]

No it sends power down both. But you really need to add a power feed per individual section in case of routing issues or failures.

[Kiran]

Sorry for the basic questions but what is frog power?

[EdF]

There are 2 screws, 1 set power routing.  The other sets the frog.  The frog is the plate that the points hinge from and importantly here could be inner or outer polarity based on route, or just be dead.  I set mine to be dead so that if I run through a closed switch it won't short and kato switches are spring set so you can run through them just fine.

[Kiran]

I added power feeds to both sections of the island platform and it seems to work fine as long as I don't run a train over a switch. I only run the train over a switch accidentally and so I should be more careful. I will borrow a working pair of eyes one of these days to help me with the turnout screws.

[Kiran]

Continuing my progress on this, I have gone wireless! I now have a SB5 smart booster and Procab-R and so I am controlling the trains (only 2 DCC trains so far) from the couch across the room. Next on the agenda:

 

1. USB connection to a computer and JMRI

 

2. Investigating decoders for turnouts so I can be properly lazy and don't have to get off my couch! 😉