# Battery R/C DCC for novice



## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

I have played around with R/C track and battery with sound and now I would like to throw DCC into the mix for what I may consider the ultimate system. I know nothing about DCC and I'm looking for help to develop a bill of materials so i can start purchaseing componets to pre-assemble and test. The task is to have a battery powerd loco controled by R/C DCC with sound, sound is very important. Looking for recommendations on componets that are compatible with each other and work well. It seams there are only two sound choices, Phoenix or QSI. I really like Phoenix and presently operate several 2K2 amd P5's. I recently read in one of these threads that each has there own pros & cons but examples of the differences were not listed. Are three any DCC functions or capabilities lost when operating on battery? My goal here is to have a great loco that I can take anywhere and run on any type of track and have all the bells & whistles. The last and probably the most difficult thing is a good syncronized smoke unit much like MTH's. I have read about a new Li-on battery with an increased capacity of 10 times. Not on the market yet, 20 to 30 hour runs. I know, dream on.................Jim


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

If you use DCC over the air you have a couple easy choices for both decoders and--airwire decoders, with phoenix sound, or QSI decoders, with QSI's "G wire" receiver. It is theoretically possible, I think, to use the G-wire" receiver with any decoder, but I've never done it.

You would have two choices for throttles as well--the Airwire throttle, or the NCE "Gwire" throttle." 



With Airwire or with the NCE/QSI setup you get the full DCC comand set. It works very well although sometiems there's a bit of a lag in reaction with the horn/whistle button. 


In my opinion QSI makes the best sound decoders out there--the individual sounds are not alwasy the best, but the way the thing functions when you run it is, in my opinion, really distinct. The way the sound changes under load is what I really like. It's also really easy to install, because it combines motor and sound in one card--no need to wire a seperate card or triggers, no need for a chuff sensor. I haven't tried any of the other sound decoders, such as Zimo.


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## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

Lownote, does the QSI sound decoder determine chuff rate by voltage and if I wanted to trigger the chuff (optically or electrically) can this be done with the QSI? Like to know all my options. Also like the variable sound with motor load on the QSI. Do all these radio systems operate on 900mhz? This is another concern since I also operate MTH DCS whiich I think is on 900 also. The airwire 900 and Phoenix P5 looks like something I can handle. I see Phoenix is coming out with a new model, the P8. No info to date. Thanks for your help. Sure I will have more questions............Jim


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## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

Did some snooping around and may have answered some of my questions. QSI seems tho have a chuff trigger. The NCE GWire ProCab is probably the best throttle to be compatable with both Gwire and Airwire. Still need to see what is up with the new Phoenix P8................Jim


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Jim, considering the "ultimate sytem" phrase, would go QSI unless you really perfer the particular sound from Phoenix. 

There is way more capability with the QSI, in terms of operational modes (DCC, DC, Battery), and control (DCC track, DC track, Airwire). 

The QSI does not do anything as pedestrian as chuff by voltage, you either tell it to use a chuff input (ground the wire for chuff), or BEMF synchronized chuff, which is set as a "gear ratio" to the EXACT motor rpm, which works great by the way. 

If you want synchronized smoke puffing, then you will want an actual "chuff switch", and then use that for BOTH the input to the QSI and to the smoke unit. Get the Massoth one. 

Regards, Greg


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## jmill24 (Jan 11, 2008)

Greg, I assume Massoth is a smoke unit as at the link below..............Jim

http://www.massoth.com/index.usa.html


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, exactly. I have had a couple of friends fit them and they were pleased. 

It's the last smoke unit on the market that has the "puff input" built in. The TAS guys are gone. (MTH unit needs MTH DCS board to do). 

Regards, Greg


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