Not mentioned here but a few of us older still use DC and have found that PULSE POWER works better for older models. Still running a TECH II made for HO I think. Small amount of track. Stan
--- In [email protected], "Ed" <Loizeaux@...> wrote: > > > "rcovington92" wrote: > > A. What is the minimum recommended Amps for S-scale DCC? > > This is a little bit like asking "how high is up?" > > One way to work towards an answer is to identify how many motors you will be > operating simultaneously. That sort of depends if you have a large layout or a > small layout. It also depends on if you plan to operate it by yourself or with > several friends. Regardless of how you get there, the first step is to come up > with the number of how many motors will run all at the same time. Keep in mind > that some locos have two motors in them. > > For a guesstimated round number, figure one-half amp per motor. A bit less for > small engines and a bit more for large engines or older engines with less > efficient motors. Add it all up which makes Sub-total #1. > > To Sub-total #1, add any other electrical loads that might be simultaneously > powered by the DCC system. The most common items are probably lighted > passenger > cars and lighted cabooses and loco headlights. Passenger cars with bulbs will > draw many more amps than passenger cars with LEDs. The next most common > electrical load might be switch motors. Add up the current (amperes, amps) for > these types of devices that will be simultaneouly operated and you now have > Sub-total #2. > > For a large layout, I would add on another 15-20% as an allowance for future > growth and miscellaneous electrical loads such as electronic circuit breakers, > etc. This allowance is Sub-total #3. > > Add up all three Sub-totals for a TOTAL. This is the current rating of a DCC > system which will be adequate for your needs. If you choose a system with a > smaller current rating, you might find operation will suffer. > > > B. I have heard the the NCE starter system is a little to weak to handle > S-scale yet I see several of you are using it...what are opinions on this? > > There is no need to rely on opinions. Many opinions are little more than > guesses. Do the arithmetic as explained above and you can proceed with > confidence. It all depends on how much load (amps) your layout will crave from > the DCC system. The NCE web site states their Power Cab system (aka "starter > system") is rated at 2 amps. It also shows add-on boosters of 5 amps each > (SB3a > and DB3a). Thus, you can increment with add-on boosters almost without limit. > Up to four cabs (throttles) as well. > > > C. Lash-ups, taking AM as an example, if I was to grab an A-B-A unit, does > > it > come already synchronized? > > This is a tricky question since AM has used different motors over the years > and > has two different worms (sausage-shaped gear) resulting in different speeds. > If > all three locos were made at the same time, then the motors and gears are > probably all the same. No worries then. They will all run together at the same > speeds without problems. > > > If not how do you go about getting the two A's running the same speed? > > If the A-units have different worms, then call up AM and order one new worm so > that both have the same worm. If the worms are the same, but the motors are > different, do a test run and see if they run at approximately the same speed. > If they do not run at the same speed, then call up AM and see if they still > have > one of the motor types available. If possible, you want to end up with > identical motors in both locos for best results with minimum hassles. All of > the above assumes you want to run with DC. > > With DCC, differing speeds is not much of a problem because you can program > each > loco's decoder so the locos become speed matched. No need to go buy a new > motor > in this instance. > > > Lastly would the AM scenario be the same with other manufacturers of A-B-A > units? > > The concept is the same. If the motors and gear ratios are identical, the > speeds should be matched well enough to run satisfactorily on DC or DCC. You > might have to run them a bit and lubricate them a bit and check for minor > binds > in order to have all of them run at the same speed all the time both forward > and > backward. > > > D. If MTH/Lionel DCC can't be controlled with NCE with system does work with > them? > > Any locomotive that has an NMRA-compliant decoder installed can be operated > with > NCE or any other NMRA-compliant DCC system. Any opinions contrary to that are > simply not true. > > The NCE system is somewhat unique in that it does not encourage the user to > operate a non-decoderized loco with it's system. It can be done, but the user > has to jump through an extra hoop or two to make it work. > > > Since this is all S-scale based questions, I didn't bother joining the DCC > group, because I wanted S-scaler feedback > > There is nothing about DCC that is scale dependent. It works with all scales > and the physical size of the loco has nothing to do with anything. Quite > honestly, you will get much better answers to NCE-related questions from the > NCE > Yahoo Group than from any other Yahoo Group. > > If you are contemplating NCE, I would urge you to join the NCE Yahoo Group and > ask as many questions as you can think of. The only S-related question you > might have is how much current does a specific S loco draw. That would be a > good question for this S-scale Yahoo Group. You could also use an ammeter to > measure the current for yourself and not ask any questions at all. > > Good luck....Ed L. > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! 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