What decoder should I buy for my blueline j1a?

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A

amadeus

New Member
I just bought this engine and it only runs at full speed in dc and you can't activate the whistle using the mrc tech 6 2.0. So I figured I would give dcc a try.
 
Any modern motor decoder with an 8 pin connector will work. Just be aware the decoder can be installed backwards if you're not careful. Read the instructions for both the decoder and the engine carefully.
 
For the cost of the MRC unit, you could have found the NCE Powercab fully-featured DCC starter system at nearly the same cost and had a much wider range of operational capability.
 


RhB Michael said:
For the cost of the MRC unit, you could have found the NCE Powercab fully-featured DCC starter system at nearly the same cost and had a much wider range of operational capability.
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I actually do have the NCE powercab system. But I prefer to run most trains on the MRC unit because they go much faster. When running on dcc their max speed is usually around 30-40 smh.
 
amadeus said:
Does anyone know why engines run much slower when using dcc?
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Trying to understand. Are you running DC locomotives on DCC channel 0? Or are you talking dual mode decoders? A dual mode decoder will perform better if you turn off the DC option, and make it strictly DCC.

What voltage are you supplying to the NCE powercab, and what output voltage is it set to?
 
The voltage for the Powercab is fixed at 13.8. Both in and out. However, measured RMS AC volts on my layout was barely 12VDC, and often falling below 10VAC.

I switched to ESU Cab Control several years ago that has adjustable voltage and amperage to the track. Now my measured RMS AC voltage is at 17VAC and the trains never ran better.
 
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