# DCC IN GORY DETAIL.



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Can some one post a link so I can learn about DCC.

Is there a place where I can get a experimental Kit so I can learn about DCC 

How do I make the bell ring?

How do I make the Horn blow?

What about codes? 

JJ


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Email me your phone number... I'll give you a private tutorial. RJ knows it all now, so he does not need me anymore. 

Greg


----------



## N1CW (Jan 3, 2008)




----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ray, does that mean you are speechless? haha! 

Greg


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I really don't want to call anyone. I would like a website that explains DCC and how it works. I would even settle for a book to buy.

Sorta like a desk referance.


----------



## Dennis Cherry (Feb 16, 2008)

Here is one on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Dcc-Projects-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279545872&sr=8-1


----------



## Mike O (Jan 2, 2008)

John J, 

Here are a couple of sources you might find useful. The first one is a series of presentations given by Mark Gurries, an electronics guru, and the moderator of one of the Yahoo DCC lists. The second is from Tony's Train Exchange, a major provider of things DCC. 

http://www.siliconvalleylines.com/dcc/presentations.html 

http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm 

You also might want to check out George Schreyer's web site. He has a lot of useful info on DCC, particularly as it relates to large scale. He posts on MLS. 

http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips.html 

Kalmbach has a couple of DCC books out that you might find useful. I have the DCC Guide and found it to be a good intro. 

http://www.kalmbachstore.com/modeltrains-railroading-model-railroading-books-wiring-electronics.html 

Hope this is useful. 

Mike


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Those are good recommendations, although many books tend to focus on the specific features in one system or another, and that was my concern, getting a biased, or one-sided view. 

Also, of all the books I have read, my comment in general is that they get technical too soon, and they start explaining CVs and binary numbers right away, when 90% of large scalers may NEVER need to know these things. 

Why? Because most of the books were written some time ago, when the systems were not as helpful and decoders were more primitive. 

Anyway, have fun JJ. 

Regards, Greg 

p.s. Why are you interested? Surely it's not for you!


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By N1CW on 18 Jul 2010 04:36 PM 




Ray, What happened to that nice long responce you had ? you chicken sh-t............... you deleted it............ he he he


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Dcc is not that hard---although I was never able to find a web site that explained it all that well. Basically you have a computer--the base station--that sends digital commands to a booster, which ramps them up to the proper voltage/current for running trains. The signals typically travel through the rails, but they can also go wirelessly through the air. Each loco needs a decoder that translates the digital info into analogue actions, like an increase in speed. 

DCC works by the use of CVs, which you might think of as "slots" where info can be stored. For example, CV. 1 is the address of the loco. I select CV1 and then enter the number I want to assign to the loco. Choose CV1, enter, say, 644, and now that loco is set to that address, and when I want to run it, I just enter 644 in the remote. 

There are CVs for just about anything--CV 3 and 4 control acceleration and inertia. Some CVs control the start voltage, some control the max voltage. Some control sound. 

DCC is not hard--most decoders come preset to do all the things you want them to do--the horn is set to blow when you press the number 2, the bell is on 1, etc. I use QSI decoders a lot, and they come ready to run, with momentum settings and sound cues preset. You can tweak each one to your heart's content. 

The NCE rig I use--on Greg's recommendation--is really user friendly. And the nice thing is once you have the DCC setup, it's really cheap to add new locos.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep now days it's a snap to use. Later RJD


----------



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

JJ, their are at least two DCC systems aimed at battery operation. Air Wire, and NCE G Wire. The NCE Cab will even run an Air Wire Decoder.


----------



## tazzytazzy (Dec 27, 2007)

John,

Try these site sites too:

http://dccwiki.com/tutorial
You also asked about sound. This article is ok, but there is lots of room for improvement: http://dccwiki.com/Sound If you, or anyone, wants to tackle that sound article, i'm sure it would be much appreciated.


We can't also forget one of the ultimate references for DCC:
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/

Happy DCC'n


----------



## rwbrashear (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi John, 

The attached MLS thread lists a number of useful DCC sites, books, etc. 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/34/aft/48287/afv/topic/Default.aspx 

Happy reading. 

Best regards, 
Bob


----------

