Hi JWard; "The ONLY thing DCC ready means is that motor leads are isolated from the track pickup leads."
I agree... but have trouble with it too.

"DCC Ready" should mean it's designed to be "easily upgraded" to DCC. When you must solder install, snip wires, etc then it was not truly DCC ready. Any DC loco can be converted to DCC, depending on how much re-designing you have the skills to perform. Ho-hum...

I use Bachmann over-shank and under-shank couplers with great success, to get proper coupler alignment. Only once did I need to slightly 'bend' the trip pin.

So, if I understood your reply...
When AZ-App loco is set at and running in "DC" mode... it will not function safely as a "DC" loco on EZ-Command (#10) analog "DC" setting?
Is that understanding correct? 

 

Q1: Can I control EZ App loco using EZ Command DCC #10, "as if" the EZ App loco was running on straight DC...?
Q2: Will EZ App loco be damaged?
Q3: Will EZ App loco respond to the EZ Command DC (#10) control? 

Hi Terry; Good point, but I'm coupler crazy and HO gauge all couplers for proper tuning. I even have a 'light' colored spot on my layout that allows for perfect "visual" coupler checking as they slowly roll past it. Any coupler too high or low really is noticeable. Then I remove the "out of spec" rail-car and deal with it.

Hi Trainman; After Len's note I decided to check some frogs... and realized too low is a nasty problem, as is too high.
Light-bulb in my head went ON... Doesn't happen often, as my 2-3 functioning brain cells sit in the corner buried in sawdust and peanuts shells.
Long wheel base isn't a problem with my switchers and Geeps, running 18R curves on my inner oval, and 22R curves on outer oval. I'll check frog sharpness with magnify glass and LED headlamp. I only have #4s as spur turnouts. One turnout is a problem child and might be a frog alignment issue... Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi Len; So your answer is #1 plastic frogs should be "exact same height" as the rail tops.
I do like your solution with emery cloth over wood. Thanks.

Hi Trainman; I only have Bachmann plastic frogs...
I understand "too high" frogs need to be reduced.
Q:What is proper frog height???
A:[1] Same exact height as the adjacent rails.
A:[2] Slightly lower than adjacent rails.
Hmmmmm... same or lower...Your thoughts please...
Have a great day, and keep smiling... 

Hi Trainman... How do you "gauge plastic frogs" to ensure they don't interfere with Loco and car wheels? You have just confirmed what I was thinking. I have had rail-car derailment occur on "one" of my turnout switches. First I thought it was a truck or coupler issue... but they function OK on other identical turnouts. I need to inspect all my frogs for this problem. 

I avoid most things Google... haven't used Google search for 10+yrs. Read the fine print, anything you upload through Google they have 'ownership' and can sell it to others. You are not a Google customer, you are their  product, to be data-mined and sold for profit. Many others do this too, especially free cloud apps, anything uploaded is theirs to sell. I noticed Roku is now offering photo sharing to 'upload' personal and family photos so family members can also view them. Might they also harvest and sell them to others... yep... High-Tech has hazards and risk.   

I saw that change-over steam to diesel... and remember it well. As a little kid I was in ahhhhhh... of those new diesels. Sitting in the backyard sandbox and watching them slowly go past 300yds behind the house. Every evening at 8pm a slow train went past... I'd lay in bed (window open) and listen to "clicky-clack" of gravel hopper cars over rail joints. My layout is early era diesel switchers and Geeps. Best part is on my EZ-Track at yard speed, gives the same "clicky-clack" sounds of my youth.
Good memories... keep smiling and enjoying our hobby.   

Hi Peter, This is the joy of having "smart" everything. The reality of conflicts are endless. Your Roomba conflicts with your smart washing machine. My daughters security doorbell triggers her room Hepa air-cleaner. Building and maintaining secure connections with multiple devices, including smart technology locos, is our Achilles heel. One neighbors house security system screws up his Roku... The day of AI inter-operablity is upon us. Bluetooth has avoided many conflict issues so may not be your problem here.
Just be aware... lots of "wireless signals" are in the air today and increasing daily. Even frequency "tone protected" devices and encrypted radio systems have bleed over... Technological singularity is quickly approaching. May we live in interesting times, is a blessing and a curse.
Keep smiling and remember the basics of all electrical devices... to include our Locos...   

Hi Gramps... I use a 30 degree crossing on my HORR set-up. I've found the same issue and it's a 2 prong reality. [1] Track cleaning, very important for any crossing, switches (turnouts), etc. I use Labelle 105 track cleaner and white pads to clean the rails. I also have a track cleaning boxcar and put a touch of 105 on its pad and run it at medium-low speed for an hour on the entire rail system. [2] The locomotives themselves... watch each loco go over the crossing at slow "yard" speed and watch their headlight. If it blinks or dims (and the rails are clean) it means that loco either has dirty wheels or the electrical connection on one or more wheels is failing or intermittent.

On my system I just ran 3 switchers and a Geep... and checked the crossing. Geep and two switchers ran slowly forward and reverse (both directions) without any hesitation or any headlight flicker. One switcher had a slight headlight flicker as lead truck crossed the frog, meaning the rear truck has an electrical connection problem or dirty wheels.
Keep smiling...

I have S2 and S4. I use Digitrax DH165IP in both just fine. Remember to ensure #1Pin goes into #1Socket. I have two VO-1000s and DH165IP decoder was too tall for shell to properly seat. I'm getting DN136PS to sit lower on the 8pin socket. Going from DH (HO scale) to DN (N scale) often works just fine.

Hi Ralph; According to NMRA stnd that 9th violet (sometimes brown) wire is for a fourth function. Many folks just snip it off and only use 3 functions in no-sound DCC use. 

Could be photo size... sending 3.4-6.5 mb pics will overdrive the cache size. Reduce the photo to 30-75 kb and you can download 100s of pics...
Might work, might not... my email account is the same way. Photos today are often needlessly huge, and often way-beyond the pixel limits on my pc monitor or cell phone.