# Do I need a Super Cap?



## Truthman (Dec 13, 2008)

Do i need a QSI super Cap for use with my QSI throttle and G wire? I will be operating on battery power exclusively. Will I still get the sound interruption with battery power?


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

No, you only need the super cap if you are running conventional DC, where the speed is controlled by changes in voltage to the track


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

No, and the super cap needs to be disconnecting when programming. The super cap is only to work with track power when people run it in DC mode and drop the voltage completely to zero, which will reset the decoder. 

It was mainly made to work with the old Aristo TE, which when reversed, ran the voltage all the way to zero, which would reset the decoder (since power was turned off), and also negated the ability to ring the bell and blow the whistle using the reverse switch. 

Regards, Greg


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Greg, with the old Aristo TE, it was my understanding that you needed the super cap whether it was battery power or track power, as the TE is what reduced the power to the engine motors to 0 on direction reversal. Am I mistaken???

Ed


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The super cap was made available for the the situation where you were running DC on the rails, AND you were in a situation where you could not avoid dropping the track voltage to zero, thus resetting the sounds back to startup. 

So, one situation is reversing where the system forces the voltage to zero, like the trackside TE. 

Another is when people cannot just slow down until the loco stops and leave 6 or so volts on the tracks. Some people have a hard time doing this, and slam the throttle to zero. The super cap will help there. 

So Ed is correct in the case of track power from an Aristo Trackside TE, and also in the case where you wanted to run a QSI in DC mode and you put a trackside TE and batteries in the loco or car. 

Since your battery never goes to zero, in your situation you do not need a super cap, you are running DCC over the air, which runs constant voltage to the decoder, whether track or from a battery. 

Super cap for strange DC modes only... 

(By the way, the reason to ever use a super cap on a QSI is completely different from using the Cap board on the new Aristo Revo TE) 

Regards, Greg


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