DCC Programming: episode 5 - Working with speed tables

Comments MRR
1

Join the discussion on the following article:

DCC Programming: episode 5 - Working with speed tables

2

Dana, you do an excellent job of explaining what often seems complicated to one who is not experienced with DCC. I am new to DCC and often feel overwhelmed. The first four parts of your series have given me confidence that if I review your videos a number of times that I will be able to master the basics. With each viewing the process makes more sense. Thanks much for your help.

3

These DCC workshops keep getting better. Good to see advanced topics. I’ve learned quite a bit.

4

Dana,great simple explanations in your videos,pls keep it up,

5

Dana does this also work with momentum turned on? Just wondering how does it with with CV 3 and CV 4.

Thanks for they training videos on the subject. Means a lot when we can learn to use the full potential of the decoder.

Arthur

6

Dana, I enjoy watching your videos, look forward to many more. Keep up the good work.

7

Best, most concise and thorough videos that I have seen to-date. Great work Dana.

8

Dana, Great job on explaining DCC programming in your multipart series. I do, however, wonder why, unless I missed it, you never mention the use of JMRI software for programming DCC. JMRI is a wonderful tool, and many folks use it for programming as well as running trains. I use JMRI in conjunction with an NCE USB adapter and older laptop to run trains wirelessly with my iPhone using Withrottle, and JMRI makes programming much easier too. Bob, Danville CA

9

Hi Dana,greenhorn question.What do you use to measure loco speed?

10

Dana’s video is well done and thorough. It is a painful indicator, however, that all DCC decoder manufactures should implement CVs 2,5 and 6 to enable 3-step speed matching. Several locomotives could have been 3-step speed matched in the time it took Dana to explain and perform a 28-step speed table for his two test locomotives. And forward and reverse trim tweaking is nice but unnecessary if decoders respond to CVs 2,5 and 6. I don’t understand why all manufacturers don’t offer this simple, effective feature in their product lines.

11

Hello everyone,
To Mike Zander: I use a Marklin digital speedometer. However, I believe this product is no longer made. However other digital speedometer can be found from Bachrus and Model Railroad Technologies Accutrack among others. If you don’t want to invest in a speedometer, you could also simply time the locomotives with a stopwatch.

To Robert Jasinski: Yes I’ve used JMRI. However, right now in the series we’re really focusing on the basics using an out of the box DCC system. That said, JMRI is a good idea for a future topic. We’ll see as the series progresses.

To Arthur Watkins: The locomotives will remain speedmatched once the momentum is on. The SoundTraxx decoders also support CVs 23 and 24 for programming consist momentum. I’ll be covering momentum effects in a future episode. Stay tuned.

Thanks to everyone for watching,

Dana Kawala
Senior editor

12

Great help. Please do a PR3 video and download and insall sound files. Seeing the videos helps me relate the written information

13

Dana that was truly enlightening. You really have taken some of the mystery out of speed matching for me. What about dissimilar decoders like an ESU and a Quantum BLI would that work the same based on your process?

14

Great video really helps to understand speed matching.
will you be showing the mysteries of MTH speed matching in the future

15

Well, I watched 2/3 of this video, I was not aware the amount of programmable parameters available on DCC. I will definitely be modelling with this operational control on my new layout.

16

Hi Ralph,
Regarding your question, yes you can speed match decoders from different manufacturers. It might take a bit more trial and error but the process is the same.
Thanks for watching,

Dana Kawala
Senior editor
Model Railroader magazine

17

Great info on speed matching!
Seeing examples of the process has inspired me to endeavor to speed match all my locos to more realistic speeds. My decoders are set at 128 speed steps, did you set the decoders to respond to 28 for the purpose of speed matching? I figured 128 would be more precise when running but seems like it would be harder to speed match.

18

I have a Digitrax system and the speed adjustments are from 0 to 100. How do these relate to the speed table values when you are testing to make changes?