Looking for information on DCC system functions

[mlachap925]

I could use some help in better understanding the DCC environment and what functions and sounds can be reproduced. Can I get the following functions by using DCC; actual locomotive sounds (bells, horns, engine sounds, air brake sounds, crossing signals, street lights, building lighting? What is the difference between DCC Equiped and DCC Ready? I aplogize for asking so many questions, but I am coming from "O" scale trains to HO scale trains (due to size restrictions) and I am not familiar with DCC. Any feedback or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Michael

 

[lmackattack]

In simple terms think of DCC as remote control

You can control anything you want. Lights sounds, movement etc... all that you need is a DCC unit and Decoders that will take commands from the DCC unit.

On a loco you have what is called a Mobile decoder. you give this decoder an address (normaly the locos road number).. enter the address into the DCC system and it control the locos speed,direction,lights and sounds. Common sounds for the loco are engine revs,bell,horn,coupler clank, air brake etc...some will have crew talk,rail clack,and other odd ball sounds. you can control the locos lights however they have been hooked up and dependant on the functions that the decoder allows. You can have the head and tail light,dim,turn off,mars light,flash, rood top becon, etc. each decoder will have a manual that will show what can be done with it.

Street lights and switch machines can also be controlled by DCC.
its whats called a stationary decoder. the decoder lives near the item you want to control. Simply place the decoder near your light or switch. Give it an address and you can turn on or off lights or operate a switch machine.

you can have thousands of decoders. does not matter if its a mobile or stationary. all you need to do is give a decoder an address, set up what you want it to do. then simply pull it up on the dcc system and your good to opeate it.

Hope this helps

Trent

 

[diburning]

Instead of having the switches hooked up to decoders (it will eat away at the number of addresses you can use for mobile decoders) you can hook up the switch machines to a toggle switch which is also hooked up to LEDs. Then, you can have a console on the layout where you can throw switches by throwing the toggle switches, and not have the DCC system control it.

 

[flyboy2610]

DCC equipped means it has a decoder installed. DCC ready means it has provisions for a decoder, such aa a plug, but the decoder is not installed. You need to supply and install the decoder.

 

[CSX Robert]

Instead of having the switches hooked up to decoders (it will eat away at the number of addresses you can use for mobile decoders) you can hook up the switch machines to a toggle switch...

Stationary(accessory) decoder addresses are separate from mobile decoder addresses, so having the switches hooked up to decoders will not affect the number of addresses you have for mobile decoders.

...Then, you can have a console on the layout where you can throw switches by throwing the toggle switches, and not have the DCC system control it.

Many stationary decoders have auxillary inputs, and some DCC systems have input modules, that you can use for control panel inputs so that you can control stationary decoders from a control panel or the DCC system.

 

[Selector]

I could use some help in better understanding the DCC environment and what functions and sounds can be reproduced.

In the older DC rail system, you hooked up two wires to the rails and then raised the voltage from "0" to a defined maximum set by the manufacturers involved in all devices in the system. As you raised the voltage on the dial, things get brighter and move faster or pull heavier loads.

In DCC, the system provides a steady defined maximum to the rails all the time. In order to enjoy moving trains, you must pick an engine with a listening microchip (decoder) and give that decoder a name...or an address as we call it. When you order the system to make Engine #1234 move forward at such and such a speed, the resident decoder will detect those instructions with a bit of information saying, "Hey, 1234, these are your instructions...get on with it!" And the engine soon behaves as you command it to. Only that engine. You can then leave that engine doing what it is doing, acquire a new address for a second engine on your throttle, and tell its decoder to reverse at such and such a speed...and it will, while the first engine, having received no further instructions, continues apace.

That's it!

...what functions and sounds can be reproduced. Can I get the following functions by using DCC; actual locomotive sounds (bells, horns, engine sounds, air brake sounds, crossing signals, street lights, building lighting? ...

On some decoders, you get the sounds they brung. They come pre-loaded, some with a selection, such as for whistles and horns. On many of the latest versions from several manufacturers, you can order them custom-loaded, or buy devices that will load the decoders as you like based on a library accessed at the manufacturer's website..or you can find sound files and load those the same way...bird chirps if you like.

Yes, you can control the better decoders' lighting outputs to get multiple effects, Rule 17, and such. One or more Configuration Variables (CV's) would need programming, unless the factory defaults include them already.

This would be a good time to state an often avoided or overlooked dictum about things digital...get and read the darned manual!!!! They're downloadable at the "support" or "reference" link on the website for the manufacturers.

Crandell