dcc

[DennisR]

I have just aquired 2.6.6.2 dcc equipped. Bare with me, I know nothing about dcc or how to tell if it is fitted. I onlyuse a standard dc controller. It runs fine on my test track, I set all the switches as per the handbook, haven't got the lights working yet. I would like to fit a soundcard, I have been using "my locosound soundcards" but I believe they don't work with dcc. If I have dcc do I remove it or do I give it a go?

[Kevin Strong]

Lift off the steam dome between the two water tanks. You can see the plug-in PC board. That will give you an idea if there's a DCC decoder installed or not. If what's plugged into the socket is a rather plain-looking board about 1.25" x 2" with just one or two electronic components, then that's the "dummy plug," and your loco is not DCC equipped. If there's a board plugged into the socket with a bunch of green, blue, and purple wires on it, and some of those wires are attached to another circuit board, then chances are good that the circuit board attached to those wires is a DCC decoder. If there's a board plugged into that socket with a ton and a half of electronic components on it, then that's your DCC decoder.

If you're not running DCC, then you don't need the DCC decoder, presuming the loco is fitted with one. If it's just plugged into the main PC board directly or via the porcupine plug-in board, then you would only need to pull that and replace it with a "dummy plug" and you should be off and running just fine on analog DC with all the lights and whatnot. With that, you can simply connect the MyLocoSound board per the instructions, tapping into the motor output terminals on the main PC board.

If the person who did the DCC installation gutted the internal electronics, you may be in for a more difficult ride. The good news is that you can very likely program your DCC decoder to run on analog DC. The catch is that many DCC decoders don't like Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) voltage signals, so you may need a PWM-Linear converter. (Crest Electronics sells them.) You can connect your MyLocoSound decoder to the motor outputs of this DCC decoder as well.

Hope that helps.

Later,

K

[DennisR]

Thanks Kevin. The board is as you said, no wires but lots of components, it has GX83-V2 on it. There is also a bag with another board that has a whole bunch of wires on it, but I don`t have the "dummy" plug, I guess I need to find one.