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TwinStar:
--- Quote from: billb67 on November 15, 2018, 03:27:08 PM ---Hi,
My name is Bill and I'm getting back into the hobby, HO scale, after a long absense. Railpro for me was an easy decision, however, I'm having a difficult time finding "DCC Ready" locos. Any help would be appreciated. Many are advertised with sound and Dcc......is this the same as dcc ready? I ask this because none specify which decoder is installed. Not knowing anything about DCC, will the installed dcc decoder work with any dcc system.....digitrax...NCE etc?
thanks in advance
--- End quote ---
Hi Bill and welcome.
A DCC sound equipped locomotive is NOT DCC ready. It already has a DCC decoder and speaker installed. This will be the most expensive loco to convert to RailRro as you'll need to remove most of this to install a RailPro Locomotive Module
A DCC ready locomotive does not have a DCC decoder installed. It typically has an NMRA 8/9 pin harness that you can plug in a DCC decoder. Note that a RailPro Locomotive module will plug directly into the NMRA 9 pin. There is an adapter available between the 8 and 9 pin.
Most everything made in the last 10-15 years (my guess) can easily have an NMRA 9 pin harness installed if it isn't already equipped (Bill sells them) and a RailPro LM installed. I think you have to get into some really old Athearn/Atlas/Roco locos that aren't frame isolated. Someone else will have to elaborate on that.
Most manufacturers offer either DCC ready or DCC sound equipped locos. Broadway Limited only offers DC/DCC Sound locos and they're expensive. I've ripped the guts out of two and really wish they'd offer a DC version. Of course I wish they'd fix about two dozen other things on their E units as well but that's a different topic.
Alan:
--- Quote from: billb67 on November 15, 2018, 03:27:08 PM ---Hi,
My name is Bill and I'm getting back into the hobby, HO scale, after a long absense. Railpro for me was an easy decision, however, I'm having a difficult time finding "DCC Ready" locos. Any help would be appreciated. Many are advertised with sound and Dcc......is this the same as dcc ready? I ask this because none specify which decoder is installed. Not knowing anything about DCC, will the installed dcc decoder work with any dcc system.....digitrax...NCE etc?
thanks in advance
--- End quote ---
DCC Ready means the locomotive is equipped with a decoder plug and wiring but no decoder. It also has the power pickups are isolated from the frame.
DCC and Sound means the locomotive comes supplied with a decoder installed. Sometimes this is a decoder plugged into a socket, sometimes the supplied decoder is on a circuit board pre-wired inside the locomotive. Sound means a speaker and speaker wiring is pre-installed.
Brand of pre-installed decoder varies with brand of locomotive.
Yes, any DCC decoder will work with any DCC system.
RailPro has a DCC emulation mode but you lose some critical functionality that makes RailPro superior to DCC. If you have a RailPro system it is best to fit your locomotives with RailPro LM modules and forget about DCC completely. DCC ready locos are an easy plug in installation. Even without being DCC ready (no plug) it is a simple task to hard wire in an LM module.
alarcher:
hello im alan archer and i am a new Ring user.
TwinStar:
--- Quote from: alarcher on November 18, 2018, 08:15:47 PM ---hello im alan archer and i am a new Ring user.
--- End quote ---
Welcome Alan! Where are you located?
krleddy:
Bill,
My name is Kevin Leddy and I've just joined. My primary modeling interest is the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway. Currently under construction are two Free-mo modules that hopefully will be operational soon. Also just recently acquired my first RailPro throttle. I have much to learn but am looking forward to it.
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