DCC Test Track

[Guest Closed Account 1]

When you have installed the DCC decoder(s), a test track should be used to test the new DCC car.

 

What if you have a 6 piece bullet train with lighting and motor controllers? That's 9 decoders. In a 16 piece bullet, that's 19 decoders.

 

Do you make the test track long enough to hold all the cars at once to 'consist' them or just one at a time? So 18" of track or so.

[CaptOblivious]

No need to consist them....just set them all to the same address :D

[stevenh]

That is the question... all different addresses? Or the same single address?

 

Either way, you can choose to program them individually or you can try and get as many on your programming track as possible (as long as you want to program the same CV in all at the same time.)

 

...I have proven this, as I attached my old home-made booster to my layout and forgot what other decoders/locomotives were on there.... Programmed it and they all responded. I then had to go and re-program them all.

 

So, if that's what you want, just remove all other trains from a block on your layout and direct your programming output to it.

[KenS]

I used to use a programming track on the layout, and a DPDT switch to switch that track between "programming" output and regular DCC.  With the N-scale layout, I decided that all programming of that sort would be done on the bench, with the layout reserved for running trains.  Much less chance of making a mistake and programming the wrong one.

 

And, as others noted, you don't need unique addresses for each decoder in a train.  However, you might want that if, for example, you wanted to be able to turn off the lights in the dining car separately from the others.

 

I don't even bother with DCC decoders for the interior lights, just three decoders in an EMU (motor and each cab), all set to the same address.  The interior lights can stay on (LEDs are low-power and long-lived; I might feel otherwise about a train with bulb lighting). For separable sets (e.g., a 10+5 commuter train with two motor cars) I plan to give each set an address and consist them when operating the two together, but I haven't converted one of those trains to DCC yet.

[Martijn Meerts]

I have a simple oval that I use for programming and test-running. I also have a small rollerbench thingy which is nice for programming and test running single locos/motorcars as well.

 

As for the decoders, there's no need to ever need more decoders than there are cars in a train set, unless you want to do something special with it. A motor decoder usually has at least 2 function outputs which are set to direction dependent light, but can be reprogrammed to be an on/off output for interior lights. Same goes with function decoders, which often have 4 outputs, 2 of which are used for the direction dependent light, and 1 of the other 2 is used as an on/off switch for the lights. The remaining cars just need a simple function decoder. All decoders would use the same address, and you could re-program the function outputs to use different keys, so theoretically you could have a 16-car shinkansen with 16 decoders, all on the same address, but still have lighting control per car.

 

Like others said though, there's no real reason to install function decoders in all cars. LEDs are often said to die only after 50000 hours, the heat they generate won't damage the cars, and the prototype also often leaves the lights on 24/7. In some cases you might want a bit of extra, like a restaurant car with lit table lamps. Add a decoder there to be able to turn on/off table lamps on 1 function output, and turn on/off interior lights on a different function output.

 

In case of a train with 2 motor cars, you're best of consisting them rather than using the same address for both motor cars. There's always going to be a slight speed difference even with the same decoder and same motor. Using a consist allows you to adjust the speed for each motor car separately.

[CaptOblivious]

I misunderstood the OP's question in my response. Oops!

 

There's no need to fit the entire train on the programming track, if you can break it up and do the programming in batches, I suppose. You might even find that you need to program one cab car differently from the others (e.g. if they are wired the same way, you might have to flip the normal direction of travel in one of them), which means that perhaps you'll be doing it in batches anyway. So I wouldn't stress about having a programming track the length of a 16-car shinkansen, unless you just have the room.

[Martijn Meerts]

I misunderstood the OP's question in my response. Oops!

 

There's no need to fit the entire train on the programming track, if you can break it up and do the programming in batches, I suppose. You might even find that you need to program one cab car differently from the others (e.g. if they are wired the same way, you might have to flip the normal direction of travel in one of them), which means that perhaps you'll be doing it in batches anyway. So I wouldn't stress about having a programming track the length of a 16-car shinkansen, unless you just have the room.

 

On a programming track you're usually not using the whole PoM thing, so you really shouldn't have more than 1 car with decoder on the track, unless you're 100% certain all those decoders need to be programmed exactly the same ;)

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Here's my test board.

 

Program only on DCC Program Track and run on Run Track. No mixing possible.  

 

I had to sacrificed some standard Kato feeder wires to fit the Digitrax Zephyr Xtra.  

 

A DC controller can still be used with a couple of alligator clips to power the Run Track.

 

Wood is simple craft wood (24 inches long) found at lumber store. Use the longest pieces of track you can to avoid opens on the DCC Program Track.

 

Kato tracks with built in re-railer used for convenience.

 

I don't recommend programming on any re-railer in case the wheels do not fully contact the rails.

[The_Ghan]

No need to consist them....just set them all to the same address :D

 

Cap'n,

 

I'm running the pros and cons of doing this through my mind ATM.  I want to use Train-Controller.  Is it better to give the cab cars separate addresses and consist them with the motor car?  Does TC report when the final car leaves a block, etc?

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[CaptOblivious]

Can't speak to anything about Train-Controller, as I've never used it. There isn't any harm in using consisting to link the cabs with the motor car, but it just seems to me to add a level of unnecessary complexity, since the three will never run separately. (For loco-hauled passenger trains, on the other hand, I would use separate addresses for the loco and the lighted cars, and consist them together, since the PCs might conceivably be hauled by something else.)

[The_Ghan]

Thanks Cap'n,

 

I'll stick to keeping the same addresses for now as using TrainController is not likely to happen before Christmas.  When I finally get around to that I'll let everyone know if there is any merit in separate addresses.  In the meantime, I'm using 4 digit addresses but always having the 4^th digit as 0.

 

Thus, my shinkansens will be 100(0) to, say, 199(0) - but I doubt I'll ever own 100 shinkansen.  200(0) to 299(0), for express EMU, 300(0) to 399(0) for local EMU, 400(0) to 499(0) for subway EMU, and 500(0) - 599(0) for freight.  That's planning for 100 consists in each category - more than I'll ever need.  I'm not planning any steam, but it would logically be in the 600(0) - 699(0) range.

 

If I later separate the addresses for each decoder in a consist I change the last digit.  For example, if the three decoders in my 0-2000 Kato Shinkansen were set to 100(0), I would change one cab decoder to 100(1), the other to 100(2), and the lighting to 100(3).  Ie, my shinkansen would be known as consist 100 and all decoders in that consist would be set to 100(x).  Steam and freight would always be a little different though as various locos can be consisted together hauling various sets of rolling stock.

 

Potentially complicated, but I'll keep you posted.  I might be making a rod for my own back.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan.