Q: What is the differnce between DCC & DC?
DC is direct current and DCC is Digital Command Control.
At the risk of being a little more specific, without going techno on you.[:D]
DC is what comes out of a standard transformer to power a model train. All the trains on that track will move in the same direction, and if the motors and gearing are the same, at the same speed. In order to get independent control of engines, one has to break up the sections of track electronicly, turning each section on or off to get the desired movement.
DCC uses a digital decoder inside each locomotive to recieve and react to messages sent through the rails. Each engine has a separate “address” and will only react to it, unless it is consisted or paired with another engine. In which case, they act as one. Track wiring is thereby much simpler, and engines actually are less limited in thier movements.[:D]
Simple enough[?][:D]
But can you control 2 or 3 or more locomotives with only one DCC comand controler?..No?
My Kato’s have them.
Thanks.
With my NCE Powerhouse Procab, I can control 6 at 1 time. Hooked to the club system and 5 other Procabs,plus 5 cab 04’s, we (theoreticly) can control 41 trains at 1 time. [:D]
Thanks for a full explanation. I was just pointing out what the acronyms stood for.[:)]
[At the risk of being a little more specific, without going techno on you.[:D]
DC is what comes out of a standard transformer to power a model train.
Simple enough[?][:D]
[/quote]
Not to be a too techno either, a transformer transforms AC (alternating current) from one voltage to another. DC for our trains is produced from a combination of a transformer to drop the voltage from that at the wall outlet (usually 110-120 volts AC in North America) down to about 15 volts AC, followed by a rectifier to convert the AC to about 12 volts DC. The all-in-one unit to do this used to be called a power pack. Haven’t seen this terminolgy recently, unless I’ve missed it.
[:)]
Yes, but depending exactly how many locomotives you can control depends on the COMMAND STATION of your system. Under DCC, you send commands to each locomotive. A locomotive will continue doing what it last did until you send it a command to do something different. Thus, you can set on loco moving at speed X, “dial up” another loco and set it to moving backwards at speed Y, dial a third loco and turn off the lights, then dial back to the first locomotive and slow it down before it crashes into something. 
Some controllers actually have two throttle knobs on the unit. There’s a slew of sites on the web that discuss all the neat things you can do with DCC. It is the wave of the future.
So, get thee to a hobby shop and buy a DCC starter system. That’s a COMMAND STATION (translates what YOU want the loco to do into commands for the locos, while keeping track of all the locos), a BOOSTER (embeds the signal from the command station into the power and then sends the power forth ito the track), a THROTTLE/CONTROLLER (how YOU tell it what to do), and finally, a power supply to give it all juice. Bachmann has a new entry level DCC system that’s got a street/'Net price at under $100.
Good luck!
Why is this dicussion posted under Protype Information for the Modeler? DC & DCC are not prototype topics. Shouldn’t this be on the layout building or the general forum?