MGR Hooper! Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 (edited) Dapol have announced today via facebook that they're developing a new range of decoders termed as "IMPERIUM". Not much information now, but saw it in a video on their page. From what I was able to gather from the video: - Precise, reliable control over the loco (multiple scales)- 10 year warranty- Initially available as 21-pin 6 function MTC- Next-18 6 function- All factory fitted locos will come with Imperium decoders- It'll make it's debut with the 122 Bubble cars (unsure of which scale)- Will be available as a stand-alone decoder from Q1 2018PS: For those who wanted to know what "IMPERIUM" means, imperium is an ancient Roman word meaning "absolutely power" and/or "absolutely control" Edited October 5, 2017 by MGR Hooper! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Mac Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Dapol have announced today via facebook that they're developing a new range of decoders termed as "IMPERIUM". Not much information now, but saw it in a video on their page. From what I was able to gather from the video: - Precise, reliable control over the loco (multiple scales) - 10 year warranty - Initially available as 21-pin 6 function MTC - Next-18 6 function - All factory fitted locos will come with Imperium decoders - It'll make it's debut with the 122 Bubble cars (unsure of which scale) - Will be available as a stand-alone decoder from Q1 2018 What next.... deathstar 8 pin decoders..... tie fighter 6pins... perhaps a star destroyer accessory decoder? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Millennium Falcon sound decoders. I actually have a class 37 done with Star Wars sounds! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted October 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 8, 2017 Will it be a full 6 function decoder or will AUX3/4 be logic type outputs? If it's the latter - it will be suitable for the first batch of 68s. If it's the former - does this mean that the upcoming run of 68s will have a modified board to account for full power outputs from the decoder? Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) Millennium Falcon sound decoders. I actually have a class 37 done with Star Wars sounds! Come on then, we have to see a video of that! What’s the startup sound, a lightsaber? Edited October 9, 2017 by Hilux5972 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gismorail Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Always good to see new products coming onto the market like this but I do hope that electrically it is well tested and we don't get a mix up between AC & DC like the signals ???? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phatbob Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 9, 2017 What next.... deathstar 8 pin decoders..... tie fighter 6pins... perhaps a star destroyer accessory decoder? I find your lack of faith disturbing......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Always good to see new products coming onto the market like this but I do hope that electrically it is well tested and we don't get a mix up between AC & DC like the signals ???? Or maybe the lighting functions will be permanently on, as per their class 73s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Mac Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I find your lack of faith disturbing......... May the force be with you 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vonzack Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I would suspect the DCC Decoders would be re-badged and probably Lenz given some of the details. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke_stevens Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 My Imperium arrived this afternoon and I was rather surprised to find that beyond a half sheet of paper. The sheet says to look on the website for a full guide. I'm damned if I can find it. Has anyone had more luck than me? The manufacture is marker a 154, version 4.which is unknown with DecoderPro but does fir the NMRA spec. Luke Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 I find your lack of faith disturbing... With DCC well established under an accepted standard, fact will drive out the faith requirement fast enough, one way or the other! I cannot help but observe that Dapol, once promoters of that new standard connector thing, what was it called, oh yes 'Plux', are not catering for it in their bid for absolute power. Truly deader than a deceased thing... ... imperium is an ancient Roman word meaning "absolutely power" and/or "absolutely control" and inevitably connected to the terms 'absolutely corrupt' as the immediate consequence, and 'imperial collapse' for the eventual outcome; and no amount of effort can put Humpty back together again. I suppose 'constitutional mass franchise plural electoral democracy' doesn't have quite the same ring to it, much as many find the idea of a leisure park superior to that of a sewage works. Yet we all know which is more vital.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 My Imperium arrived this afternoon and I was rather surprised to find that beyond a half sheet of paper. The sheet says to look on the website for a full guide. I'm damned if I can find it. Has anyone had more luck than me? The manufacture is marker a 154, version 4.which is unknown with DecoderPro but does fir the NMRA spec. Luke #154 is Dapol registered with NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION, INC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan product fan Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 My Imperium arrived this afternoon and I was rather surprised to find that beyond a half sheet of paper. The sheet says to look on the website for a full guide. I'm damned if I can find it. Has anyone had more luck than me? The manufacture is marker a 154, version 4.which is unknown with DecoderPro but does fir the NMRA spec. Luke Hi luke were did you get yours from ive been tryin to get one and my local model shop rang the wholesaler today who said they only had one delivered to them so have ordered one . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke_stevens Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Hi luke were did you get yours from ive been tryin to get one and my local model shop rang the wholesaler today who said they only had one delivered to them so have ordered one . I got mine from Gaugemaster. I was ordering some plastic sheet for the club platform I'm building and just added one to the order. But everywhere seems to be "out of stock" which seems very strange. Maybe because there are no instructions It seems a nice decoder, small and well formed. I've tried it on a ESU decoder tester and it's fine, the other light functions work fine. I just wish I knew which cv's do what (I want to install in the Kernow 4TC and consist it with a 33) Luke Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulcan product fan Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 I got mine from Gaugemaster. I was ordering some plastic sheet for the club platform I'm building and just added one to the order. But everywhere seems to be "out of stock" which seems very strange. Maybe because there are no instructions It seems a nice decoder, small and well formed. I've tried it on a ESU decoder tester and it's fine, the other light functions work fine. I just wish I knew which cv's do what (I want to install in the Kernow 4TC and consist it with a 33) Luke funny the model shop was talking to Gaugemaster and they said they only had one showing as being delivered to them and it had been sold. Thanks for the info . hopefully someone will be able to help you out with cv's have you tried Dapol's digest on there website for help . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke_stevens Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 funny the model shop was talking to Gaugemaster and they said they only had one showing as being delivered to them and it had been sold. Thanks for the info . hopefully someone will be able to help you out with cv's have you tried Dapol's digest on there website for help . It must have been me who bought it! I've checked the Dapol digest but nothing there so I've contacted Dapol directly. I've had a message for Neil that something should be on the website soon, possibly later today. I'll post a link when I find it. Thanks Luke Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Decorum Posted January 13, 2018 Share Posted January 13, 2018 (edited) I fitted an Imperium decoder to a Class 68 but it does not work quite as I expected after reading the DCC instructions with the locomotives. This summary may be helpful. The cab lights cannot be controlled by the decoder. Removing the silencer allows access to switches 1 and 2 without removing the whole body, although it’s possibly easier to remove the whole body. These switches control the cab lights at no. 1 and no. 2 ends respectively. They can be switched to: on when leading, on when trailing or always off. Useful, I suppose, for leaving a loco on shed with a cab light on. Switch 3 enables/disables switches 4 and 5. I disabled switches 4 & 5 by setting switch 3 to position 1. The Imperium decoder is an MTC 6-function decoder so switches 4 & 5 redundant. Using an NCE controller, I found the following. F0 & headlight button = No. 1 end head and tail lights (directional) on/off.F1 = No. 2 end: the three white headlights on/off.F2 = No. 2 end: red lights on/off.F3 = No. 1 end: halo lights on/off.F4 = No. 2 end: halo lights on/off. By operating the controller in various ways, the loco can be parked with red lights on at both ends. It can also operate with only white headlights (no red lights when pulling a train) or only red tail lights (no white lights when pushing). Halo lights can be operated independently with or without headlights but the halo lights cannot be lit with only the top headlight – all three headlights must be on or off. The halo lights can be on at the same time as the red lights but they rather swamp the red lights. All the same, the effect is curious. Finally, note that it’s necessary to remember that the no. 2 end lights aren’t directional; they have to be switched when changing direction. I hope this helps and saves some head scratching! Edited to improve layout & insert missing letter. Edited January 13, 2018 by No Decorum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covkid Posted January 13, 2018 Share Posted January 13, 2018 Thanks for the explanations. Can you please explain what "halo lights" are ? The decoder sounds like many lighting configurations are covered for modern traction, but then the designer missed the final requirement when it came to directional control of No 2 end lights. Whilst I am a DCC user I havn't really got much track laid yet and I am not too bothered about looking at a loco to see if No 1 end or No 2 end is leading. I find it easier (maybe lazier) to see which end the headlights are lit as to which way I want to drive the loco. If the no 2 end is manually controlled that will confuse !!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Roy Langridge Posted January 13, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 13, 2018 Thanks for the explanations. Can you please explain what "halo lights" are ? The decoder sounds like many lighting configurations are covered for modern traction, but then the designer missed the final requirement when it came to directional control of No 2 end lights. Whilst I am a DCC user I havn't really got much track laid yet and I am not too bothered about looking at a loco to see if No 1 end or No 2 end is leading. I find it easier (maybe lazier) to see which end the headlights are lit as to which way I want to drive the loco. If the no 2 end is manually controlled that will confuse !!! The halo lights are an additional outer ring light around the main lights. The problem with directional lights as you describe them is that they would not operate prototypically, especially in push/pull operations. Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tetsudofan Posted January 13, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 13, 2018 My Imperium arrived this afternoon and I was rather surprised to find that beyond a half sheet of paper. The sheet says to look on the website for a full guide. I'm damned if I can find it. Has anyone had more luck than me? The manufacture is marker a 154, version 4.which is unknown with DecoderPro but does fir the NMRA spec. Luke Like you I've tried to find the instructions on the website and have not been able to find anything. What's even more bizarre is that if you go onto the Dapol website and search on "Dapol Imperium 1 Decoder" the website says that there is no product that matches the search criteria. At times I just don't get Dapol. I managed to get some of the Imperium Decoders from Kernow Model Rail Centre when they first appeared on their website but they quickly sold out. They reappeared on the Kernow website last Thursday so I got some more but looking at the website just now they seemed to have sold out again. The Imperium decoders have been used in my fleet of Dapol GWR and Cl.121 & Cl.122 diesel railcars and all of them work perfectly. Fitting the decoders in the railcars was a doddle, a lot easier than trying to fit decoders into some Bachmann and Hornby DMUs. Dapol can get this right so they can do something right. Keith 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Have Dapol actually listed what the power outputs and limits of the Imperium are? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1056WesternSultan Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Think I'll stick with Lenz Silver 21pin MTC. At least it comes with full instructions and control is superb. To be fair most of my locos are models of 70 and 80 diesels so working headlights are not much of a priority for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIK Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Hi, I think from the info and a photo that the 21 pin Imperium is a TCS EU621X or a variant on that. Regards Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 As Andy Forty seems to have been pushing the development has nobody thought of asking DCC Supplies rather than Dapol? Just a thought. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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