05-22-2010, 04:28 AM
he doesnt want to run dcc outside, just dc
I did buy a cheap (20buck) decoder 2ndhand and used it to find the upper limit before the smoke escaped- I was surprised to find it worked with my `custom pulsed dc' controller up to over 70 volts peak before it went bang....
I am picking up a couple more to try out a couple of new ideas re peak voltage limiting for a dcc board with even higher track peak voltages
the inside layout is currently dc as well but he wants to go dcc, with the outside loop remaining as dc and the dcc locos running in dc mode (I'm not up on dcc controllers, I am assuming this would be ok- from reading a dcc equiped loco should run on a dc track as well, which is what the outside track would basically be- just a `special dc'
I have several meters of `specially prepared track' for testing- dumped it in the ocean and left it uncleaned or washed for a couple of weeks- even with `visible' corrosion happening on the the fishplates the train is still reliable running (and its only a 0-4-0 tank from hornby)
I did buy a cheap (20buck) decoder 2ndhand and used it to find the upper limit before the smoke escaped- I was surprised to find it worked with my `custom pulsed dc' controller up to over 70 volts peak before it went bang....
I am picking up a couple more to try out a couple of new ideas re peak voltage limiting for a dcc board with even higher track peak voltages
the inside layout is currently dc as well but he wants to go dcc, with the outside loop remaining as dc and the dcc locos running in dc mode (I'm not up on dcc controllers, I am assuming this would be ok- from reading a dcc equiped loco should run on a dc track as well, which is what the outside track would basically be- just a `special dc'
I have several meters of `specially prepared track' for testing- dumped it in the ocean and left it uncleaned or washed for a couple of weeks- even with `visible' corrosion happening on the the fishplates the train is still reliable running (and its only a 0-4-0 tank from hornby)
poopsie chicken tush