Very simple to wire up and it worked first time... it may not be the most exciting video to watch (and i turned the loco sound off) but it's evidence of another small step for Chris. It's not had its day as a video star yet, but combine digital remote control points with the digital remote uncoupler/coupler shunter, and the shunting yard become much more fun.
Here's a close up of the 'magic' box, wiring etc.. The wire is far too long but it's so I can play around with it. The power for this is drawn from the track: there is not a seperate wiring circuit.
Results were so successful and so easy that I've just asked for the rest of the stuff that the guy had on sale.
I started off totally gung ho about DCC, but have become increasingly sure it is not as easy as I thought. I really will have to sit down and find out. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteBased on my limited experience then I think DCC exists at several levels and you can add as you go, or work out what you want:
ReplyDeleteBasic Level 1 - plug and play. Connect up the wiring and run multiple trains on the same layout without having to worry about isolation tracks etc. Requires locos to be chipped. Change the loco that you control.
Level 2 - Add sound cards to locos. Press a button, get a sound. The four year olds from next door managed this. Now, this is with simple LGB handsets - aimed at a simple market - where they just have buttons to activate functions, and a turn dial for speed and direction, and the emergency stop button. This is where the sound cards have been installed and programmed by somebody else. It is interesting to note that the sophisticated Dimax Navigator had a child lock function that enables it to only as a basic control as per the simple LGB ones. I've also got a tipping truck that can be activated, and the uncoupling/coupling shunter.
Level 3 - remote control points etc. Again, the number for the decoder - so I know for example which point number 14 is, had already been assigned before i got it, so all I'm doing it wiring it up.
Level 4 - setting your own ID's. I'm going to have to change some loco ID's from the factory default setting of 3. Should be fairly easy. This is only one number, and is not the same as completely programming a decoder. This is my next step.
Level 5 - (long way in front of the previous steps) - altering CV's to alter speed steps, sound volumes, etc. Requires some sort of programmer (although some handsets will do it). OR, using a PC to control the layout - multiple trains, stops and starts etc - automation. OR chipping your own locos - I think the wiring is fairly easy if you have a background in that sort of railway modelling from the smaller scales and analog layouts/trains.