les1960's Blog

Hi, I’m sorry to hear that you have had a bad start to your Dcc adventure but whilst I agree with your comment regarding experience I think you’ve been a bit hasty in your judgement. Many people may have had similar issues and different ones but hundreds, if not, thousands will have seen the benefits and added value that DCC brings to layouts and the hobby. I would stick with it, sounds like you’ve been unlucky - perhaps a faulty decoder/short? There are plenty of people willing to help - it was DCC that attracted me (and perhaps others?) Back into this fine pastime.

Regarding the loco running backwards, changing the wires over wouldn't help - DCC uses alternating current rather than the direct current of normal analogue control, so it's not affected by the polarity of the controller connection. You would have needed to change one of the CVs ("Configuration Variables" - basically the memory of the chip that tells it things like maximum speed, which direction is forward, etc) on the loco chip - remember you're driving the loco, not the track!

Not wanting to suggest that you were wrong in ditching the DCC (I'm a DC user myself) but if I were starting out in DCC, I'd be starting with an already-fitted loco and having a good play around before fitting any chips, and I'm an electronic engineer by trade! It does seem that by adding the complexity of chips and suchlike, there are more things to go wrong, and it's very sensitive to things like momentary short-circuits, but it does seem that you were very unlucky - I've operated several digital layouts and never seen anything like that happen!

I agree with Haymarket47. You can't blame the technology unless you've investigated what actually went wrong and why.

Hi people 

Thanks for your comments but I,m still not convinced with this type of technology at the moment. I will be speaking to the supplier on Monday to see if they can shed any light on this issue, in the meantime I think I will leave it on Ebay, if it sells then great if not put it away and might try again some time in the future. 

Thanks again for your input.

Regards Les. 

Persevere and it will pay with dividends, metaphorically speaking.    What you have experienced is nothing new and something that we have all experienced at some time in our DCC learning curve.   Wait until you experience dumb and dumber retailers and UK importers who are incompitent and you have to do their work for them and deal with the manufacturers!    Please search the RMWeb, the Internet and Youtube, etc.     

A long story but I recently trusted a well known retailer with fitting a sound decoder to a model and it was returned in a terrible condition; all glued up, wires trapped, bare wire, holes where ther should not be holes and an over-sized screw which damaged the plastic body...you will soon learn to trust yourself more, believe me and believe in yourself.   

I fully understand your dismay. It is never nice when confronted with things like this having spent a considerable sum of money.

 

If I am correct I believe the problem may lie with the Heljan diesel loco that you used. I understand that they have a reputation, certainly the early ones, for drawing high levels of current, much more than most RTR and way above the safe limit levels of most/the average DCC decoder, but which can vary between different ones anyway.

 

If you have a spare length of track, and a different loco (perhaps non Heljan?), could I I suggest that you give it another try just using this, to see if you get a different result.

 

Izzy

Hi Izzy

It does sound feasible but I only have Heljan loco,s that are DCC ready, I do have a couple of Bachmann,s but dont think they are DCC ready so it will mean cutting of the plug to the decoder and hard wire it to the the motor, [ I think ] dont want to take that chance. will wait till I have spoken to my supplier tomorrow. They are DCC specialist, apparently, time will tell. Thanks for your input, will let you all know how it goes.

Regards Les.  

Sympathy and moral support from another who doesn't wish to go down the DCC road!

In a world that's now so reliant on electronic gadgets is nice to have a hobby that still has space to get away from all that. Certainly there's a place for DCC but don't ever think it's second best to reject it and stick to analogue. My layout (what there is of it) is wired up to two 'Hammond Flyers' from the late '70s. My locos go backwards and forwards at various speeds.....what more would I want?!

Hurrah for analogue!

Hey great two other members on my wavelength, Thanks Captain Kenrow and 5&9 Models. I have spoken to my supplier today and they are almost certain that there is a fault with the loco, bare in mind it is a new and unused loco so I find this hard to accept, they are going to check the loco out for me and have offered a full refund for the DCC Powercab if I want so I have removed it from Ebay. If the loco is not at fault they have said that there must be a short some where on the layout, if this is the case I think it will be almost impossible to trace on this size of layout so will return the DDC  to the supplier for refund and stick with good old reliable analogue. Think I,m now up to the maximum 10 comments from you all so big thanks for all your comments, will let you all know how it goes with a new blog under the same title if I cant post it on this one.

Regards Les. 

Haymarket is 100% correct - stick with it. DCC is lightyears ahead of DC. I've been attracted back to the hobby after forty plus years - and DCC was also a big factor in that. It opens-up a world of possibilities - and the trains run better. A pal in his mid eighties has just gone DCC. Nearly all of my DCC equipment is secondhand. Expect a learning curve - and persevere. There is lots of help available. After such a long hiatus - I've been on a near vertical learning-curve - so I can sympathise...! :-) 

Haymarket is 100% correct - stick with it. DCC is lightyears ahead of DC. I've been attracted back to the hobby after forty plus years - and DCC was also a big factor in that. It opens-up a world of possibilities - and the trains run better. A pal in his mid eighties has just gone DCC. Nearly all of my DCC equipment is secondhand. Expect a learning curve - and persevere. There is lots of help available. After such a long hiatus - I've been on a near vertical learning-curve - so I can sympathise...! :-)