How difficult is it to get the decoders from two different manufacturers to run smoothly together? I hoped to use a Soundtraxx LC and a NCE D13SR together in a consist
Is is just a case of observation and trial and error with the CVs for acceleration and deceleration, V start etc.?
Many decoder instructions mention having the loco just begin crawling at Speed Step 1. I use a Digitrax Zephyr. Is Speed Step 1 the Position 1 throttle setting on any given controller, or is it someting more sophisticated? I suppose if I get the various decoders just starting at the same setting, accelerating and decelerating at the same rate I am getting close to my answer?
Would be grateful for any tips, links to advice etc.
I have a Digitrax DCC system, but use a mix of NEC and Digitrax decoders. Sometimes you need to speed match locomotives with the same decoder if you are going to run them in a consist.
Here is the method I use for ‘golden locomotive’ speed matching.
Remove all acceleration (cv3) and deceleration (cv4) momentem from the golden locomotive.
Set up a consist with the locomotive you want speed matched and the ‘golden’ locomotive (make the loco you are speed matching as the Top unit).
Place them on a test track with about a foot between them.
Set the throttle to 50% and through OPs mode, adjust CV 5 until the golden loco and the new loco are running at the same speed.
Re-apply CV 3 and 4 to the golden locomotive, then adjust CV 3 and 4 to the new locomotive so that they accelerate and decelerate at the same rate (conversly, if you wish to use the momentum of the DCC system, such as NCE, then set CV 3 and 4 to 0).
Un-consist.
Here is a different meothod, the Scale Speed meothod.
Purchase an electronic system that measure the scale speed of the locomotive. There are a few available.
Use a throttle that allows you to read specific speed steps or %age of throttle.
Set the throttle to 50% or speed step 64.
Let the locomotive run the speed sensor.
Adjust the speed table of the loco OR CV 5 until the speed sensor reads “50”.
This meothod allows any loco to run with any other loco and is a much, much quicker way of speed matching.
How expensive are these electronic systems in Point 1 above?
I take it that a Digitrax Zephyr is not sophisticated enough to complete Point 2 above as there is no way of reckoning percentage of speed with the simple throttle pointer?
(anyway, my Zephyr just packed it in/went haywire. I’ll see how they do fixing it under warranty. I may have to switch to another throttle if I am not satisfied.)