I have 3 Bachmann HO engines with DCC on board. While I’am fine with the looks and the motor them self, the decoder seems to be lacking. My layout has some grade from imperfections in the wood and a slope in my garage floor. My engines that use Digitax decoders pull freight just fine on the imperfection and slop. Seem to keep there speed just fine and the BMF (hope that is the right term) is not turn on.
Bachmann will lose half there speed in the same area. So I am thinking it is the decoder it self. What do you folks think?
So, if I am right about the decoder being the problem is there engines with sound decoders any better?
Think about buying a pair of Shark Nose engines with sound.
Looking forward to your answers!
Cuda Ken
Well a couple things. We need to make sure we are doing an apples to apples comparison.
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The make and model of the train is the same between the two decoders
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The gearing is the same between the two models. P2K switched gearing ratios between each iteration is seemed.
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Both are properly lubed.
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There is no top speed limit programmed
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Motors are the same and the wires feeding them are of adequate size
All and all, when you go full throttle you are putting full voltage to the motor minus about 1.4V. So 14.4 on the rails will give you 13V to the motor at full throttle…no matter which decoder you use.
I had two exactly the same genesis F-7’s with the same MRC decoders with the same settings and they would acclerate and top speed out differently.