DCC ENGINE

[flagman]

WILL DCC ENGINE RUN ON REGULAR TRANSFORMERS?

[CNE Runner]

Flagman, it will if it has a dual-mode decoder installed (DC + DCC). You will have to check the documentation that came with the locomotive, or contact the manufacturer to confirm if yours is so equipped.

Ray

[Jim Banner]

Strictly speaking, no.  A DCC locomotive will not run on the ac produced by a transformer.  But most will run on the dc produced by a power pack.  Regular ac contains no direction information so a DCC locomotive would not know which way to go.  Power pack dc gives direction by its polarity.  DCC command station gives its direction by digital data.

Ray gave you good advice - check with the manufacturer.

Jim

[Jim Banner]

I don't think being able to run on dc is a requirement for NMRA conformance.  I was going to check their site and see, but that page isn't loading just now.  So maybe by the time you read this, it will be a requirement.

Now about that duel mode decoder.  Will it be guns or knives?  jester, I don't know if you made a typo, or if you are just living up to your name,  but the mental picture gave me a good laugh.  Hope you don't mind.

Jim   

[renniks]

Jestor,

The fact that the decoder has 2 functions has nothing to do with its dual mode capability. It does give an indication of just how basic that decoder is. These 2 functions are usually used to  give seperate control of Head and Backup lights. A decoder with more functions can control a Cab light and 'flickering'Firebox light on a steamer or such as Ditch lights on a diesel.
A sound decoder has many more functions to individually control the various sounds available on that decoder. Whether your DCC system is capable of controlling all those functions is another matter.

Eric UK

[renniks]

Jestor

Another example of Bachmann's interpretation of standard terms.

Eric UK

[Jim Banner]

Am I being overly sensitive or is there still some confusion between the terms dual mode and two function?  They do not mean the same thing.

Dual modes - DCC and dc are the usual two modes.  Turned on and off by switch 3 in CV29.  Switch three is called bit 3 by Bachmann who also refers to the Least Significant Bit as bit 1.  Most others refer to it as bit 2 because the Least Significant Bit it usually called bit 0 (zero or zeroeth) in mathematics.  Other possible modes include: Hornby Zero-1, TRIX, CTC-16, Fleischmann FMZ and Motorola Trinary.  And yes, there are single mode decoders out there which respond only to DCC.

Two Functions - Front headlight and rear headlight are the usual two functions where there are only two functions.  They are often referred to as f_0f and f_0r or f0f and f0r for function zero forward and function zero reverse.  As implied, one is turned on when the locomotive is moving forward and the other is turned on when the locomotive is moving in reverse.  Many DCC systems call the button to turn these functions on and off f₀ but Bachmann has chosen to call it f₁₀ and to refer to the function outputs as headlight A and headlight B.  I suspect the terminology and numbering used by Bachmann is a direct translation for the German terms used by Lenz.  (Can anyone confirm of deny this please?)  If this is true, then Bachmann's terms are actually more correct as Lenz was producing their DCC system for some time before the NMRA accepted it as their system and started using their own terms.

I wonder if jestor has been reading the same 1 amp decoder instructions as I have.  The instructions at the link below use the term "function" at least 14 times.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/ez_content/1_Amp_Decoder_Instr.pdf

Jim

[renniks]

The BASIC description of a (non sound) Decoder usually includes the number of Functions that it controls.
Whether it is Dual Mode or no is usually found in the "more details" or "specification" sub-sections.

Eric UK