Dcc or dc?

[meadows3282]

I am currently thinking of going with dcc but all ive ever used was dc. I want to know will my dc engines work still. and is there a alteritive to not going dcc and still get sound for my locos. also what are the pros and cons of dcc what will
i have to go through to switch because i found a total system for like 126.00 at ebay is this a good price? i know nothing about this any word would help thanks

 

[tankist]

your engines will not work unless you install decoders in them. (although in some cases you will be able to run one). 126$ can be good price, depending what system you looking at.

http://www.dccwiki.com/Introduction_to_DCC
this should answer most of your questions.
good idea to understand what DCC really is before dipping into it.

 

[Selector]

DC engines most often make noises like their guts are being burned alive when operated using the power that pulses on the DCC rails. You can run DC engines on Address 00 on many systems (not all of them!), but it is likely to be a less than sanguine experience.

However, you can operate DCC engines with decoders manufactured after, say, 2006, because they are sure to be 'dual mode', meaning they come to you capable of distinguishing between the two types of power, and you can still operate them.

DC current is variable...controlled by you. DCC current is constant, and your paddle inputs tell the decoder what you want the engine to do. The decoder then rectifies the AC current and meters it out to the various appliances and the motor as you direct the decoder to do. So, the brains of the engine figures out how to divvy up the current it receives. It knows how to do this because the digital signal with instructions is part of the AC square wave digital current that it gets.

If you were to convert to DCC, and have no toggles and blocks, then just swap wires between the power pack and the new DC base station. That's it! If you have blocks and toggles, close them all and swap the wires. That 'should' be all you have to do.

-Crandell

 

[Western Star]

I want to know will my dc engines work still.

Some systems have a channel zero that will run a DC locomotive. However, it is not good to do so. The bi polar power on the track will eventually fry the motor either by ruining the coils or demagnetizing it.

and is there a alteritive to not going dcc and still get sound for my locos.

On-board DC sound has existed since the mid 1970s. There are many DC sound options including and QSI "dual mode decoder" equipped locomotives (e.g. Atlas, Proto 2000, and others) and BLI Blue Line. The older Athearn Genesis with MRC decoders were able to run (in fact they ran better on DC). DC. The issue isn't the sound it is controlling it. Special controllers are made that get hooked in line with the normal DC power supply. Some Athearn Genesis had radio controlled sound.

also what are the pros and cons of dcc

There have been volumes of threads written on that. Do a search and look through the responses from other people asking the same question over the past 10 years.

what will i have to go through to switch

1. Install a decoder in the locomotive.
2. Disconnect the two wires from your DC power pack.
3. Look at the two wires from the layout.
3a. Are they heavier than telephone bell wire?
3b. If so replace them with at least 16 gauge wire.
4. Connect the two wires to the DCC unit.
5. Put the locomotiven on the track.
6. Dial up channel 3 on the DCC throttle.
7. Run the train.
-------
8. Later you will want to program the locomotive to another channel - something like it's locomotive number. See DCC system instructions.
8a. To do this you might want to set up a programming track.
Personally I do not have a permanent programming track. I just connect two wires to any old 9" straight I've got laying around when I need to program things.
9. Repeat decoder install and step #8 for other locomotives.

Simple.

 

[Trussrod]

Hi Meadows,
To me the determining factor between DC & DCC is how many will be operating on your layout? If your the engineer you can only run one train at a time anyway realistically, which is my case, so I see no real need for anything but straight DC.

If your going to have as club layout then maybe DCC might be good but I heard of clubs that won't have anything to do with DCC.

As far as sound and controll for DC a friend told me Broadway Limited has some modules
that put out most all the sounds and are very realistic for the different locomotives. He's pretty precise so I trust his input.

I'm going to look into it more myself as onboard sound sure make things a lot more realistic and you only loose a couple of the features compared to DCC.

 

[Southwest Chief]

If you really want to get the full potential of sound, then DCC is your obvious choice. Many sound features are not workable without DCC.

Our fairly small HO layout had been DC for years. But when the new DCC sound locos started to arrive in the HO market we decided it would be best to convert the layout to DCC. Pretty easy to do (basically change out the power packs) since we didn't have any blocks. We use Digitrax Zephyr, but there are multiple brands out there to choose from.

 

[UP2CSX]

I switched from DC to DCC three years ago and never looked back. You can still run your DC trains on most systems, the Bachmann E-z Command and Digitrax Zepyhr being tow of the common systems that run both. DCC equipped engines tend to run better and you have the option of running one train while switching with another with no special wiring. Sound does exist for DC only engines but it's fairly limited and you have a much wider choice of sound engines using DCC. For me, it's like asking if you should buy a new car with power steering. One without power steering will still work, but it's a heck of a lot more work and less fun to drive.