What does DCC mean? What exactly is DCC, i have looked it up on the internet, it looks interesting but i am not sure if i should try it. Do any of you out there have any advice.
Digital Command Control, which places digital signals on fixed-voltage complex AC track power. The signals are decoded by an electronic package aboard the locomotive to control speed, direction, brake rate, bells, whistles, coupler clash…(and other non-random noise and lighting effects.)
Just south of this forum is a complete forum where the electronic geeks hang out. That’s where all things DCC are discussed in detail.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
DCC or digital command control is a system for controlling multiple locomotives in one electrical block. The track has a constant current, each locomotive has a decoder that controls how much electricity is passed to the motor thus controlling speed. Each decoder has an address. A command unit sends commands over the line, the command contains the address of the decoder that is to act on the information - only that decoder implements the command. The command unit can send different commands to many addresses (up to 9999). In addition to speed commands, commands to turn on and off lights, sounds, etc. can also be sent.
The chief advantage for the user is that the track can be wired as one large block (it gets a little more complicated with large layouts running lots of locomotives or with signalling, but the principle is the same.) The operator enters the address of the decoder he wishes to control into his throttle unit, performs whatever control function (speed change, lights on, etc.) that he wishes. This information goes to the command unit which packages it as command and address over the wiring, rails, etc. to the locomotive. The decoder continues to perform the last commands it received until they are changed by the user with his throttle.
There is no need to have the layout wired in blocks and one locomotive/one power pack at time in an electrical block with toggle/rotary switches controlling which power pack the block is connected to.
That’s a brief overview. Elsewhere on this site there is more information and Kalmbach has some books on the subject.
Enjoy
Paul
With DC you control the track power, whereas DCC puts you in the engineer´s seat, as you control the loco.
That´s basically the main difference between those two systems.
On a small layout, where you´d have only one loco running at a time, you don´t need DCC, unless you´d want to go for the added features, like momentum control, adjustable sound features etc.
Finally, it is a matter of taste and liking, which system you choose.
Funny, I was just thinking about converting to DCC and what I would need…since I’m also switching scales, can anyone tell me roughly what amperage I’d need to factor in per operating engine on an N scale layout? I don’t want my first booster to light fire to a brand new fleet of locomotives.
AFT,
Here’s a nice primer on the topic from Tony’s Train Exchange that may be of help:
You can either read it online or download it onto your computer as a .pdf file.
Tom
With DCC it’s easy to have sound and light.
And it’s a new dimension to run your engines with your ears.
Wolfgang
The Tony’s Trains link in Tom’s post is good reading for the beginner. If you can find a copy of Lionel Strang’s “DCC Made Easy” (2003) that’s also a good reference. It’s getting a bit dated now, but the basics are still the same, and it goes into geeky details about the DCC signal waveforms that you won’t find in other references.
DCC eliminates the need for traditional “block” wiring for running multiple trains. For this reason, it is of particular value on smaller layouts, where blocks sometimes become impractical.
When I got my DCC system, I was a late 50-something guy. Once I turned it on and ran my first DCC train, I was a smiing 8-year-old kid. Yeah, it can be that much fun.
Digital Command Control {DCC} lets you control the locomotive instead of electrically controlling the track the loco is sitting on. With DCC you can control more than one loco on the same track electrical block.
Basically there is an onboard Computer Decoder in the loco that takes commands from the control center {similar to a DC power pack}. SOme control systems have battery operated hand-held walk around controlers that let you move about your layout while you run the trains. You can also control more than one loco with the same controller…in fact if the amperage is allowable, you can control all your locos with one controller.{as opposed to having a power pack for each loco}.
On a small layout, effectively, one can have just 2 wires connected to the trackwork to control the whole layout as long as there are no shorts anywhere, such as reverse loops. I have a small {3.5 foot x 5.1 foot} HO layout with 2 interconnected loops and a spur yard, and I can run 2-3 locos on it with just 2 wires connected to the trackwork! One WILL need “feeder wires” every 3-6 feet on larger layouts than that and indeed, I added a few feeder wires fed from an electrical “bus line” run off the one controller to be sure teh electronic signals to the “onboard computer” of the loco gets a constant stream of instructions. I can run one loco foward and one loco backwards using the same controller. I can consitst several locos together running wiht short hood forward or long hood forward or both {if I assign them that way} and run a consist of diesels {or steamers}. FOr those reasons and more, I choose DCC for my layout.
With DCC One can control speed, even to accurate crawling speed, lighting, direction and in the sound equiped locos a whole host of sounds from bells and whistles and horns to verbal commands to steam hissing or diesel start-up, etc. controlled all from the ONE controller.
Here on the forums is a section t
Voltage is pushed by the booster, amperage is pulled by the device (loco in this case). With that, you can not have too much amperage, only too little. In Ho I always figure on 1 amp per engine to be safe as far as capacity. I run an 8 amp booster on my layout which allows me 8-10 engines at one time running. Since I don’t run my engines at stall speed I am not drawing the full amperage rating of the engine. Yes, you can have too large of a booster but, the only damage is to the wallet if you oversize more than you need.
Dan
If you have “this month’s” May 2011 Model Railroader – There’s a new review on Digitrax Zephyr Extra on pages 72-73 – As a good possibility for a DCC starter system.