Our club just bought our firsr DCS controller. We already have conventional, and Lional TMCC. Looking for a good link or site for basic and intermediate DCS info. Also we have some Proto 1 and Proto 2 engines. Are all Proto 2 engines DCS commcand control or is Proto 2 just a sound designation ? Also looking for info on possible running DCS and TMCC on the same layout. The layout is multi line / loop with passing sidings and approximately 24’ x 55’ multi-level, mostly gargraves track with a little tinplate thrown in where not visible. We do intend to replace all the tinplate with gargraves. Thanks, Dave, North Schuylkill Hi-Railers Frackville PA
Yes, all Proto 2 engines are DCS controlable. It is fairly easy to add DCS to the existing TMCC layout. In some cases it may require some rewiring but try if first before you make any changes. For six mainlines you will need 2 TIUs if you want to control all of the loops. I would suggest doing one at a time and work the bugs out of that one before moving on to the next loop.
Good luck.
DCS and TMCC work fine at the same time on a layout.
DCS and TMCC use different methods (and frequencies) of injecting the control signal on the track and they do not interfere with each other.
DCS works best on a large layout if you run the common and hot leads as an equal length pair to each track drop. Think of feeding your layout with the old style twin lead TV antenna wire. The OGR website shows (as well as sells - http://www.ogaugerr.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=16W) a jacketed paired conductor wire. You can buy the same wire in a 500 ft roll at Home Depot for less.
A “star” or “hub and spoke” pattern work well. Hub and spoke very simple representation shown below. Imagine the track as a dogbone with a yard above the xfmr. Place the light bulb at the "O"s. You center the hub and spoke at each major operating section of your layout. Thus the “O” (hub) is at the center of each section and you run your feeders with the jacketed twin lead wire to each track drop (ie #18 wire short drops from rails to just below the table). Our former club layout was shaped like a capital E and had 6 of these hubs for each track from the same xfmr output.
trk drop trk drop trk drop
ll ll ll
ll ll &n
bump
If you need some help with the TMCC & DCS hookup try asking Chief Eagles or Laz57(from PA) here on this forum as they have both systems incorporated into their layouts.
You may want to check out the MTH DVD on DCS to see how to hookup the TMCC unit or check out Lionels info(don’t know what Lionel has) on using TMCC with DCS. Also with TMCC and DCS you can add switch control units to the command control devices, DCS uses an AIU-accesory interface unit, TMCC also has a switch control unit but I don’t know the name of it.
PS-2 is more than just a sound system, it is a speed control as well and other features.
Lee F.