Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
mlrr wrote:Find a decoder with BEMF. It essentially acts as a cruise control for locomotives. The drawback is that the performance of the locomotive when consisting might get a little hairy when BEMF is on. You have the option to turn it off though.
You may also need a wire bus on the layout (less likely). Atlas' wiring manual explains how speeds can drop and pick up if there is a drop in current and a bus wire helps to mitigate this phenomenon.
NO! With a bachmann loco and a BEMF decoder you will create more problems!!! The only way to truly get a bachmann to run better is to gut the thing from its factory wiring board, and remove any capacitors diodes and resistors that bachmann installs over the positive and negative leads of the motor. To do this requires a full dissassembly of the locomotive. I know this well, I have done a lot of experiments with a SD45 spectrum that we tested the first Tsunami diesel in. It hated going uphill, it would always slow down. And a load? Forget it. With all the junk removed and a decoder BEMF or not direct wired to the motor it runs like any other loco!
Not true! I have three HHP-8s that can attest to what I suggested earlier! I hard-wiried the motor directly to the decoder (essentially bypassing the motor leads around the factory PCB). This allowed me to still use the PCB for lighting without having to wire after-market resistors and/or diodes to the factory bulbs.
I'd link to a thread on two other forums but it would be against forum policy. Others have tried this and have reported success.
Well yea, as long as you eliminate bachmanns board for the lights from the motor, and the decoder goes directly to the motor you can retain the board for the lighting. But if you get a decoder that has 1.5 volt outputs and your wiring the motor and track up might as well wire the lights in too and get that extra pile of stuff out of there you dont need any longer.
ApproachMedium wrote:Well yea, as long as you eliminate bachmanns board for the lights from the motor, and the decoder goes directly to the motor you can retain the board for the lighting. But if you get a decoder that has 1.5 volt outputs and your wiring the motor and track up might as well wire the lights in too and get that extra pile of stuff out of there you dont need any longer.
Agreed. I just haven't found a decoder that has 1.5 V outputs yet and I'm not sure what the bulb rating is on the HHP's LEDs. I'd call/email Bachmann for the technical specs but I often get "someone with a job" a.k.a customer service rep who tells me to send in the locomotive for repair :/.
What? You havent found a decoder??? You havent been looking hard enough! TCS makes plenty. The LL8-LED is an 8 function decoder for LED operation, the A series has taps on them for low voltage outputs, and for a while the T series had a 1.5v add on. If you browse around the TCS website I am sure there is more now. Also the LEDs are either 1.5v, or 3v. If they are 3v they will still light just fine with the 1.5v outputs. You also could get out a digital multimeter, an essential item for doing decoder installs, turn on the HHP headlights and measure the voltage coming thru the LED. If it shows 12V you are doing it wrong.
ApproachMedium wrote:What? You havent found a decoder??? You havent been looking hard enough! TCS makes plenty. The LL8-LED is an 8 function decoder for LED operation, the A series has taps on them for low voltage outputs, and for a while the T series had a 1.5v add on. If you browse around the TCS website I am sure there is more now. Also the LEDs are either 1.5v, or 3v. If they are 3v they will still light just fine with the 1.5v outputs. You also could get out a digital multimeter, an essential item for doing decoder installs, turn on the HHP headlights and measure the voltage coming thru the LED. If it shows 12V you are doing it wrong.
I use the VR1.5 add-on for cab cars where only lighting is needed. As far as finding a full-blown decoder for my AEM7s, the T6X has been my only option. It would be nice if something like that had a version with 1.5v outputs for all functions or at least have a programmable CV that allows you to adjust the voltage output.
I'll look into the ones you suggest but I'm skeptical about whether or not I'll have the room in the AEM7 for it.
I'm expecting to go in DCC soon,I got already 6 engines with Quick plug DCC and many of my engines are Athearn nlue box serie
for that,I can get the DH123AT with narness,just have to plug in and it run,only my SOO LINE Altals gp38 will need some works and 3 walthers F40,envent a Proto 1000 RDC and a Spectrum F40
but my biggest challenge is to convert Athearn Blue box RDC and that's the only thing I did'nt found anything about..
On the "super" ALP44 we used a T6X and an FL4 to get all 10 functions in the thing. Its easier to just do that and hard wire resistors in line with the LED chains. We used surface mount LEDs placed behind each lense to produce the lighting effects while the resistors were glued down to the metal frame to absorb heat. All of the wiring from the LEDs was magnet wire attached to normal decoder wire at a plug harness so the shell could be removed. Its very delicate work that i dont recommend anyone to do unless you feel you are quite advanced with doing soldiering and wiring. Magnet wire is not easy to work with, and with that is also why that job costs $200 to do as long as you provide us with the ALP/AEM-7.
