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DCC to DC

3956 Views 13 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  redrgb
Can anyone advise me on converting backwards from DCC to DC please?

I have a standard DC layout with no plans to convert to DCC, however i have bought a DCC pendolino set at a reasonable price from ebay and wish to run it on my layout. It's a nice model, however pressure from my 8 year old led me to this position, my simple electrical knowledge leads me to believe it can be done, however ripping all the wiring back to just the motor and pickups, re-soldering with the possible addition of an interference suppressor, seems a bit drastic should there be a simpler way that you might know to........

Thanks guys

Graham
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Hi Graham,

most DCC trains can run on "standard" DC also. If this is not possible with your train, there may just be one setting ("CV") in need for reprogramming.

I´m not sure which type of decoder ("DCC chip") is installed in your train, but I´m certain somebody else here can help you out. This is imho a far better way to go than ripping the thing apart and rewiring it.
My DCC fitted Bachmann 66 works fine on DC power but it takes a smidgen more time to react to the power supply
QUOTE (graham162 @ 13 May 2008, 02:01) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Can anyone advise me on converting backwards from DCC to DC please?

I have a standard DC layout with no plans to convert to DCC, however i have bought a DCC pendolino set at a reasonable price from ebay and wish to run it on my layout. It's a nice model, however pressure from my 8 year old led me to this position, my simple electrical knowledge leads me to believe it can be done, however ripping all the wiring back to just the motor and pickups, re-soldering with the possible addition of an interference suppressor, seems a bit drastic should there be a simpler way that you might know to........

Thanks guys

Graham

If it has an 8 pin socket, remove the decoder and simply bridge the two outer pairs of the socket with a bit of wire as below - ie, bridge X1 and X5 with one bit of wire, then with a separate bit bridge X4 and X8.

X1 X2 X3 X4
X5 X6 X7 X8

Regards

Richard
DCCconcepts
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QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 13 May 2008, 13:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If it has an 8 pin socket, remove the decoder and simply bridge the two outer pairs of the socket with a bit of wire as below - ie, bridge X1 and X5 with one bit of wire, then with a separate bit bridge X4 and X8.

X1 X2 X3 X4
X5 X6 X7 X8

Regards

Richard
DCCconcepts

Thanks guys.

Yes indeed it does work from plain ol' DC just takes a couple of seconds to start! my lad's well chuffed, though the lights don't work so i'll have to get the soldering iron out and do Richard's fix (thanks Richard), presume they will work once the chip is out! also there is a chip in the dummy i assume i'll have to treat that one the same to enable the lights on that car too.

Happy Modelling

Graham
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QUOTE (graham162 @ 13 May 2008, 19:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks guys.

Yes indeed it does work from plain ol' DC just takes a couple of seconds to start! my lad's well chuffed, though the lights don't work so i'll have to get the soldering iron out and do Richard's fix (thanks Richard), presume they will work once the chip is out! also there is a chip in the dummy i assume i'll have to treat that one the same to enable the lights on that car too.

Happy Modelling

Graham

I´d refrain from soldering/hardwiring the sockets - there are 8-pin plugs available, and your local hobby store might even have a few spare ones from folks who had dcc decoders installed.

If your lhs has none, just say so. I guess I may have a couple of blind plugs left over that I could send you.
Why don't you want to go DCC Graham?
QUOTE (graham162 @ 14 May 2008, 02:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks guys.

Yes indeed it does work from plain ol' DC just takes a couple of seconds to start! my lad's well chuffed, though the lights don't work so i'll have to get the soldering iron out and do Richard's fix (thanks Richard), presume they will work once the chip is out! also there is a chip in the dummy i assume i'll have to treat that one the same to enable the lights on that car too.

Happy Modelling

Graham

***No need to solder if there's a socket there Graham - just push in place a U shaped bit of solid copper wire or brass or anything that conducts and will also fit in the holes in the socket!

Alternately cut the plug off the decoder and solder a bit of wire across the appropriate pins then push it into place.

Richard
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At least if you solder it up then it helps you stick with your plans to never go DCC
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Thanks again, i'll have a look the weekend (can't see how the pendolino body comes off at present though!) when i have some time between chores to focus! Cutting the plug off the chip and just soldering the appropriate wires seems the best option though, could always solder back on if do go DCC!
Not really anti DCC, just i have built up a collection of motive power from old (i.e. triang E3001, Hymek, APT, etc) inc some Bachmann split's (Couple of Nelson's, etc), so as well as the cost of chips/contollers, it would be a time consuming and challenging task to actually fit them all with chips, i'd rather spend my allowance on essentials, stock/track/buildings/scenery etc, at present. Maybe if Gaffer's numbers come in on the ol' lottery, she might indulge me in a few quid to go digital.
Suprised that it actually runs on plain DC? or is it a cleaver built in function that senses and changes its internal configuration automatically, hence the slight time delay, and off it goes!

Cheers again guys.

Happy Modelling

Graham
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Your last sentance hit the nail exactly on the head. Perfect description of how it works. :)
QUOTE (graham162 @ 15 May 2008, 21:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks again, i'll have a look the weekend (can't see how the pendolino body comes off at present though!) when i have some time between chores to focus!

Cheers again guys.

Happy Modelling

Graham

The Hornby service sheet for the Pendolino is here:-

http://static.hornby.com/files/hss-302b-pendolino-380.pdf

Must admit it doesn't make body removal much clearer though. :-/
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QUOTE (spamcan61 @ 16 May 2008, 12:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The Hornby service sheet for the Pendolino is here:-

http://static.hornby.com/files/hss-302b-pendolino-380.pdf

Must admit it doesn't make body removal much clearer though. :-/

Yup, good ol' Hornby, 'clear as mud' as they say! i've puzzled over the body removal, though not attempted it through fear of kicking up a lovely burr on the moulding or worse! Guess its too costly to translate from Mandarin to English ;-)
just so you know in the dcc fitted one
( the one which comes factory fitted with a decoder) there is a diffrent plug
http://static.hornby.com/files/ss-300c-pendolino-384.pdf i dont know whice one you have
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