Track and electrical/DCC
Super Elevation Questions
I've never built a layout with super-elevated curves, but after seeing some really cool pictures taken on layouts that have them, I'd like to give it a try.
Some questions:
1) How much do you super-elevate the curves? I'm planning on using 1/32" thick basswood for the super-elevation at the outside end of the ties. That would amount to about 3 scale inches in HO. Is that too much? Or is that too little to make it worth the work?
How is speed controlled by the decoder?
Hello. I've got a question that arose from a presentation on speed matching done by a couple of our freemo club members for the rest of the group. My dad had asked them how the decoder regulates speed, in which he asked if it used variable DC or pulse width modulation. One of the presenters said that the decoder uses the former instead of the latter. My dad and myself included were skeptical of this answer since variable DC produces quite a lot of heat in comparison to pulse width modulation.
Walthers 90' turntable runs ok from control box but not with DCC commands -- solved !!
Have been MRH subscriber from the very beginning, but this is my first post to MRH forum.
First some background.
Because I live in Finland, I bought Walthers (Heljan) 90' DCC Turntable (933-2849) last year in February via German agent Sammler-Service because it is much more easy to pay in Euros than Dollars. Have not used/tested the TT until last Thursday.
Now the problem...
Tsunami capacitors and wheel/track cleaning
I've been wondering about the length of time a Tsunami holds its charge. I have 5 locos running them, although two are Sound Value 2-6-0's. Now I thought there was an issue in their charge until I realized 1- I needed to clean my track, and 2- I needed to SERIOUSLY clean my wheels. And I mean SERIOUSLY..! So that problem was solved and things run great (until I need to re-clean of course).
But how long does that stay-alive cap last for? 1/2 second? 2 seconds? 5 seconds? Anyone ever truly test it?
MRC Prodigy and power districts?
Hello... anyone with experience with MRC DCC systems and power districts? I am using Prodigy Express, N scale, and would like to get my yard on a separate breaker. I am told PSX breakers are incompatible with the MRC systems. I have recently found out myself that MRC power district breakers seem to be incompatible with their own auto-reverse module -- the power district breaker trips every time the auto-reverse module does its thing. Will a Digitrax PM42 for sure do the job? Any help is appreciated!
Jeff
ESU 51900 DCC Decoder Tester
ESU 51900 DCC Decoder Tester
Kato automatic signals
while shopping for some Kato track on Amazon I noticed that Kato has some kind of signal system. Does anyone know anything about it. I would not like to spend the money just to find out that it's just some kind of useless toy.
I also noticed that someone on Amazon was selling a #4 right hand Kato turnout for $100.00 + !
installing a fuse
On our club layout I will be using an old computer power supply at 5v for most building lights. The power supply is a 300W unit with 3.3v, 5v and 12v output. I want to protect against a chance of a short and thus a fire. Where do I install a circuit breaker or fuse in case of an overload. Is it between the wall plug and the power supply or between the power supply and the lights? The power supply label states there is a 6.3A fuse installed but I want to be double safe.
computer connection
I want to connect my laptop to my MRC Prodigy Advanced 2. Can I use my RR-CirKits Loco Buffer-USB interface or do I have to use the MRC 1516 interface hardware. I don't want to go the added expense unless I have to. If bad goes to worse, I could always move the MRC system to my HO layout and move the Digitrak system to my N scale layout.
I bought the MRC because 1: it's to run an N scale layout; and, 2: I do not like the style of buttons that the Digitrak system uses. Much to my horror they both use the same style of buttons !
Turnout point throw bar snapped in half, now what?
I started mounting blue points under all my On30 Micro Engineering turnouts this weekend. Man, what a nightmare.
I found these turnouts have some kind of clock spring built into them that pretty much resists the vertical op rod on a blue point (and one turnout was sticking badly to one side, which is how I found out the springs were there, of course long after they were all mounted and soldered to the rest of the track).
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