[Gary]

In a meeting in Europe of the NMRA in the minutes of a meeting the NMRA have agreed that members will not instruct modellers to remove capacitors from locomotives.

Hornby "DCC Fitted" locomotives have seperate motor capacitors fitted. This could be an obligation on the part of Hornby as a train set manufacturer to satisfy CE EMU legislation.

Therefore Hornby Digital has been designed to operate with seperate motor capacitors fitted to locomotives. Capacitors act as signal dampers as well as supressing emmisions from the motor.

It could be that after market suppliers of decoders in Europe have to offer a product that will function with a seperate motor capacitor. If a decoder is removed from a loco that has also had its capacitor removed and this loco is subsequently operated with DC it will generate interference.

Implications?

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[alastairq]

cross reference to http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...ic=2731&hl=

 

[Gary]

Just checking the service sheets the Hornby Pendolino has a capacitor fitted by the motor. This could explain a few things.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Gary]

Just checked a couple of American locos that I have. Neither has a visible capacitor fitted. Consoles have to be able to accept interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Electric products with toy motors sold in Europe have to have capacitors fitted on the evidence. In the USA this is not a requirement on the evidence. Marklin and Fleischmann install capacitors.

The following email is from Digitrax:-

QUOTE If you are installing a DCC decoder there should be nothing else in the
circuit or the decoder cannot perform correctly. Happy Railroading
Digitrax

This is from Lenz (Mackay Models):-

QUOTE It all depends on whose product you are using, I have yet to have a
capacitor problem with Hornby Locomotives. However if it is a Fleischmann
loco you must remove the capacitors or you will constantly get motor
overload on a quality overload protected decoder. Remember this is a global
problem, capacitors are only fitted for the product to receive a European CE
mark.

The correct amount of capacitance is normally built into most quality DCC
decoders. No damage will occur with either choice.

However from the experience of many it is perceived wisdom to remove all
capacitors at the initial fitting rather than having to strip loco down
again at a later date.

As you will gather, the problem is a hit & miss situation depending on all
sorts of equations of equipment therefore is unpredictable.

As a guide we at Mackay Models have fitted over 4000 locomotives and have
removed capacitors."

This seems to counter the NMRA decision and resolve on this in their meeting minuted in the link above.

Why are NMRA members inviting customers in Europe to remove capacitors?

Maybe there is an issue that the NMRA need to investigate and Mr Kohler in his Model Rail interview has made a fair point. How can a product claim to comply with NMRA standards and yet will only function if a CE EMC suppression device is removed?

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[ebaykal]

Question : Even if the loco is DCC ready, i.e, has a socket acc. to NEM 651 or NEM 652 and once fitted with a decoder, do we still have to remove ?!

Baykal

 

[Gary]

You should not be removing CE EMC supression devices from locomotives. The NMRA do not endorse this.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

QUOTE (Gary @ 24 Jul 2007, 13:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>How can a product claim to comply with NMRA standards and yet will only function if a CE EMC suppression device is removed?

Sorry, but that is not quite accurate Gary as all my Hornby locos with capacitors fitted and with DCC decoders operate just fine - ie they do not have to be removed to function.

One of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenarios for NMRA I guess!

 

[Doug]

Issues are getting confused. We have talked about capacitors before and if you do a little search, you will find all posts about it. There is nothing new on the table. The only thing that is new is that some people are reading the NMRA guidelines for the first time.

I think that some people are looking at ways to prove that the NMRA is not always right on some issues. If the NMRA is wrong or not helping here then what about the DCC standards issues? I think that to try and weaken the image of the NMRA by looking at other issues that are contentious is wrong.

What is next? The NMRA views and standards on model rail gauge and what they have (or have not) to say about OO scale?