Can anyone tell me if a decoder equipped and programed engine can also run on regular DC?
I beleive the ones labled DUAL MODE DECODERS are the ones that will run on DC also.
How good they run on DC I wouldn’t know, I have never done it.
Truck.
Most anything recent can. However it is possible to program it not to run on DC, so if someone has done that, it won;t work even if the decoder is capable.
One notable exception are the Soundtraxx decoders from before they came out with the Tsunami. That will be damaged on DC. Tsunamis work fine on DC.
–Randy
Most new decoders (non-sound) are the dual mode variety, with a CV (configuration variable) that can be set to make them non-dual mode on a DCC layout.
In my experience, the control of a DCC loco in DC is a little clunky, and there always seems to be a little electrical hum that many people find objectionable. But they should work.
Presumably, you are asking this because you are considering acquiring a new loco that is DCC equipped. If so, it should work on a DC layout.
Most of the time the answer is yes, expecially with the current crop of engines. Bachman sets their engines up so that the DCC part of the decoder can be removed and that works fine. But it really isn’t necessary with most throttles (MRC, GML, ITTC, etc.). Some more esoteric throttles (Infracab) will cause the engine to lose it’s slow speed, removing the DCC does not help in this case if the engine has a can motor. Hope this helps .
Ernie C
I have locos equipped with decoders from Bachmann, Digitrax, Lenz, NCE and one or two others I don’t remember. They all run on DCC and DC. The standard DC models that I converted to DCC run well but they run a bit slower on DC than they did before they were converted.
For non-sound DCC decoders, that should eb the only effect - a slightly slower speed than without the deocder, because the track power has to go through a couple of didoe drops to get to the motor with the decoder installed. You’ll lose about 1.5 volts, which is noticeable but shouldn’t be a problem unles you are trying to run two of the same loco together, one with a decoder and one without.
Sound is a different story, and until an alternative is found for powering them in smaller scales, I don’t think it’s all that practical on DC power. The sound circuit needs power to make sounds - so unless you want your loco rolling along at half speed or more before it starts making noise, it has to be done the way it is now. The first 6-8 volts applied to the track do not go to the motor, just the sound system. So you have have you loco sitting there idling, blow the horn, then start moving. This leaves only a limited range on the throttle for all speeds from slow to full speed. It also means that a non-sound loco ont he same track will be moving along a a pretty good clip before the sound one even starts to creep. It’s the anture of the beast, there’s no way around it. If sound is important to you, consider going to DCC, it works much better. For non-sound, you cna install decoders to run your locos on a club DCC layout and then bring them home and run them on a home DC layout without much trouble - certain advanced DC control systems put out signals that can look like DCC and confuse the decoder, but your typical MRC power pack is not one of them.
–Randy
I would like to thank you all for this valuable input and answering my question. I hope I can return the favor sometime. Thanks again