Not very lucky when it comes to getting an A & B unit that are both powered running good together. It never fails, One either pulls or pushes with the other unit. These are units that come together from the same manufacturer. I make the consist or leave them on the same address. I have a dynamis that can make a consist but can’t adj the speed individually. Are there DCC systems that can do that?
Is it the luck of the draw or can I do something about it?
Thanks
Joe C
If they come DCC or you have installed DCC, first off I would resest the decoder, just in case. Then I would assign them each separate address so you work on the speed matching. Once happy with the matching then you could assign the B unit the same address as the A unit… Changing the address should not change anything else.
Speed adjustments are made by changing the values in CVs in the individual engine decoders. Most systems can do that. If youre can’t, you can get a Digitrax PR3 and do it with Decoder Pro on a personal computer.
Dynamis can program the required CVs to speed match the locos. Depending on the decoders, you cna get plenty close enough with CV2 for start, CV6 for mid, and CV5 for top speed. Not all decoders support this (boo Soundtraxx!) but they do have the 28 step speed tables.
Close is good enough, you don’t have to have them run 100% perfectly in lockstep. Any slight jostling can be evened out when you hook up a train so they have some weight to pull.
–Randy
Hi,
All good advice before me… (hope mine is too).
Before you adjust CVs, I would make sure the loco is “lubed and tuned” so its running as good as it can. Then, separate the two on your mainline by about a foot or two and accelerate them. If they don’t vary much after a loop or two of the layout, leave them alone. If they do vary, work the CVs on the slower one - or the faster one, but not both. Its easier to hit a target if it isn’t moving…
My first question is if they have the same brand/model of decoder in them? Speed matching would be a fuction of the decoder.
I have one friend who has programmed all this locomotives (regardless of brand and decoder) to behave exactly the same so anything can be consisted with anything else. That is at each throttle step 1-28 each loco will be going the exact same scale speed. I tried to argue that was very unprototypical but he doesn’t care.
Joe, it would all so help to know what decoders you are running and how made the engines.
On Athearn RTR engines I like NCE D15SR or if you can hard wire there D13SR’s which are cheaper. On my Proto 1000 and 2000 F units I use Digitrax DH 123’s, they do not have BMF. BMF is something like cruses control and it can cause the engines to fight them self. DH 163’s decoders have BMF, but it can be turned off.
I speed match the faster engine to match the slower engine my self.
All so make sure you run them the way you speed matched them! My hard lesson learned was with a A B B A Monon F3’s. When matched the led and the two B’s where matched with the stacks facing the rear and rear A was with stack facing forwards. Then I split them up to a pair of A B’s. But I did not re speed match the B unit with the X rear A unit. Cooked the decoders after sometime but they still cooked.
Engines can run differently going forward and backwards.
Cuda Ken
I dunno.
I have a Bachmann EZ Command DCC system and a Bachmann FTA unit and an FTB unit. I never did anything but figure out which way teh B unit went forward and programmed both the A and B units to the same address on the EZC. They run in perfect sync with each other without a single problem.
I put a SHarpie marker silver dot on the top back of the A unit and on the “forward” front of the top of the B unit so as long as the dots match up, I am good to go.