I have been offered an Oscilloscope that a national cell phone company is retiring. I read somewhere you can use these to tune up your DCC system. Not being a electronics guru I am wondering if I should take it and learn to use it? Or is it something that is way over my head without being a electronics technician. I don’t want it becoming a piece of equipment taking up space. I hate clutter. It is about the size of a small suitcase with many buttons and dials. Thanks for your input.
Brent
I really can’t think of how you would “tune up” the DCC system. Sure, the scope would let you see the waveforms, and if you are a techie sort, like me, it might be fun to look at. But as far as any real usefulness, I really don’t think so.
If you don’t know what those settings on all those knobs mean, an oscilloscope is going ot be of limited use.
However, if you don’t want it… (not that I really have much use for one either)
–Randy
Being an Electronics Technician, I would take it and use it. However, if you’re not familiar with the operation and don’t have a friend to show you, it would probably end up being a pretty expensive paperweight (even though YOU didn’t pay for it).
About the only use would be to see if there is any ringing on the DCC signal. Clip the test prod and ground lead to each rail. The two volts per centimeter scale should work just fine. The probe might have 1:1 and 10:1 options. Use the 1:1 option. I have done that with a Tek 'Scope. I se a Widow Maker to isolate the 120vac mains from the ground lead.
If there is any ringing, then you can just put a 100 ohm resistor in series with say a 0.1ufd capacitor and put that combination across the end of the buss wires. A few modelers with long buss leads have had to do that. Some decoders do not like excessive ringing in the DCC signal.
Do a Google search for dcc ringing. You will get links that explain this issue.
Rich
If your layout is running OK, you don’t need it. If it’s not running OK, you probably still won’t need it.
Get it and mount it beneath your layout, like under the fascia. Figure out how to look at the DCC waveform, and just leave it set up that way. No one who sees it will ever accuse you of “playing with trains.”
A scope is an instant passport to “geek cred.”
Hi!
Graciously accept the meter, play with it, and then sell it on EBAY !
Mobilman44
Well I guess I 'll take it. I have two friends that can show me how to use it if need be. I have some pretty long buss runs and the best way to make sure they keep working perfectly is to have a piece of equipment ready to help fix it. Besides they are just going to throw it in their recycled electronics dumpster if I don’t. Thanks for your thoughts.
Brent
Just a quick follow-on for anybody who doesn’t want to do all that typing (g…o…oo…DOH…backspace…g…l… oh, I give up!)
“Ringing” is a term used in electrical circuits / electronics to indicate either “resonance” or else a “resonant feedback” condition-- an interaction between two or more circuit components-- which could include inductive coupling through the wiring, i.e. picking up “radio noise” like an antenna. Another way to think of it is to consider the microphone feedback squeal you get when a microphone is too close to its amplified output.
Ringing typically appears as a high-frequency, low-amplitude component superimposed onto the main signal waveform. If it is severe enough it could be interpreted by the circuit as a false signal (data). The trouble with ringing is that it can be hard to detect in a constantly changing (dynamic) circuit with arbitrary and/or complex waveforms of varying amplitude, like a radio signal for instance, but in a pure digital situation, such as DCC, the waveforms should be clean and neat with per