I started out on DCC in around 2007. It was the detailed stock that did it for me. 17 years on and thousands spent was it worth it? Yes and id never go back to DC. Its the control it gives you. Love the lights/ sound too. Out of those thousands spent is a lot of wasted money too. I have a box of blown decoders and some DCC locos that are simply crap. I hard wired quire a few DC locos ( stayed clear of split chassis ones) and use Lais cheapest decoders(£12) each now roughly altho they were £8. Suppressors and resistors fitted to locos can interfere with DCC signals. I hard wire up first and see how it performs. Any irattic running and then I remove these( simple cuts and no reconnection of any wires usually). I use gaugemaster and love it. The burnt out decoders were caused by shorts in my wiring so as a fail safe and they dont tell you this once you have hard wired a loco make sure the number you gave it reads back correctly on the PROGRAMME track only. If it comes up a different number or err it cannot go on the main track or it will blow the decoder(higher amp draw on there). Fault could be wires touching/bad decoder etc. Now you have the manufacturers making it hard to fit any decoder with next 18, plux 22, 6,8 & 21 pin all coming along. Also with can motors coming in this also has an effect on certain decoders. Im still learning and need to understand hoe to solder properly and the wiring side of dcc (amp draw etc) as im planning my 28ft x 10ft layout. If I had a DC layout & locos now id sell that all off and start from scratch with DCC. Good presentation and love the Irish locos👍
Yes I wouldn't go back to DC now. I started with the Lais decoders still have some running. Have hard wired a few. If it doesn't run well on DC it won't run well on DCC. Thanks for watching.
Hi Mark. Thanks very much for creating this video and answering my questions. It's certainly been a great help as I slowly make up my mind 😉. I've recently been looking into the NCE Powercab starter sets as they have just become available again and aren't too badly priced atm. I do really still like the idea of what DCC can give to you but I'm weighing up the Pro's v the Cons. Thank you for the link to my channel! It's slowly growing nicely as is my build. So close to being able to start on the track! I tend to lay and wire my track to future proof it so it has the ability to be easily converted to DCC if I go down that route so I may just start as normal with DC and then get all the parts in that I need in order to leap into DCC quickly and easily. Thank you again for your help and advice!
With DCC you control the train not the track so you can control each engine separately. With DC you control the track so you have to wire isolation sections.
Hello Mark
Hope you're well
Great explanation of DCC 👍
Thank you Deano
Good video and explination of how DCC works Mark.
Thanks Mark
I hope Finnerton Central takes notes as he loves DCC! 😂 In all seriousness that is a great guide to DCC and well explained, great video
Lol thanks Simon
Very good informational video Mark. Many thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
I started out on DCC in around 2007. It was the detailed stock that did it for me. 17 years on and thousands spent was it worth it? Yes and id never go back to DC. Its the control it gives you. Love the lights/ sound too. Out of those thousands spent is a lot of wasted money too. I have a box of blown decoders and some DCC locos that are simply crap. I hard wired quire a few DC locos ( stayed clear of split chassis ones) and use Lais cheapest decoders(£12) each now roughly altho they were £8. Suppressors and resistors fitted to locos can interfere with DCC signals. I hard wire up first and see how it performs. Any irattic running and then I remove these( simple cuts and no reconnection of any wires usually). I use gaugemaster and love it. The burnt out decoders were caused by shorts in my wiring so as a fail safe and they dont tell you this once you have hard wired a loco make sure the number you gave it reads back correctly on the PROGRAMME track only. If it comes up a different number or err it cannot go on the main track or it will blow the decoder(higher amp draw on there). Fault could be wires touching/bad decoder etc. Now you have the manufacturers making it hard to fit any decoder with next 18, plux 22, 6,8 & 21 pin all coming along. Also with can motors coming in this also has an effect on certain decoders. Im still learning and need to understand hoe to solder properly and the wiring side of dcc (amp draw etc) as im planning my 28ft x 10ft layout. If I had a DC layout & locos now id sell that all off and start from scratch with DCC. Good presentation and love the Irish locos👍
Yes I wouldn't go back to DC now. I started with the Lais decoders still have some running. Have hard wired a few. If it doesn't run well on DC it won't run well on DCC. Thanks for watching.
Fabulous video, really well explained and easy to follow. Great work my friend :)
Thank you
Hi Mark. Thanks very much for creating this video and answering my questions. It's certainly been a great help as I slowly make up my mind 😉. I've recently been looking into the NCE Powercab starter sets as they have just become available again and aren't too badly priced atm. I do really still like the idea of what DCC can give to you but I'm weighing up the Pro's v the Cons. Thank you for the link to my channel! It's slowly growing nicely as is my build. So close to being able to start on the track! I tend to lay and wire my track to future proof it so it has the ability to be easily converted to DCC if I go down that route so I may just start as normal with DC and then get all the parts in that I need in order to leap into DCC quickly and easily. Thank you again for your help and advice!
No problem Mav, you could build the layout with one circuit DC and another DCC, just keep them isolated.
What a brilliant video Mark, DCC brilliantly explained
Thank you Maura
Great questions, great answers! Well done, explained, and demonstrated! Cheers, Mark!
Thank you Anthony
Good work 👍
Thanks Alan
Good vid, some important info regarding the changing over and precautions with chips. I subscribed too!
Thanks for the sub!
oh i wish i could understand it, maybe on the next turn we could do it
It is fun and makes running trains easier.
@@DonegalDadRail i will be picking on EVERYONES brain when i get to it
Was this the video you wanted me to watch mark ?
Yes @simontrainsmodelrailway though you would enjoy it 😂😂😂
How do you stop trains crashing into each other when using Dcc (without adding extra wiring.)
With DCC you control the train not the track so you can control each engine separately. With DC you control the track so you have to wire isolation sections.