New To DCC... "I'm so confused???"

[Connor8674]

 

I'm new to dcc, i have switched from dc to dcc.

I have purchased the Hornby select and i have multiple dcc locos which i seem to have under control but im not sure about "wiring". I have watched multiple youtube videos which say i have to wire all of the track and use extra power suplies, my layout is built in a 10"x6" shed where there are 2 loops and a few spurs off for for shunting.

Do i need to do this or not, and can my single controller power both lines and a small fiddle yard / terminus station ???

[96RAF]

For a start - very importantly - you MUST only have ONE DCC controller connected directly to your track. You can have an additional controller(s) linked by way of a special cable to the master as a slave. Only the master controller is powered. The slave(s) take their power from the master. If you only have one controller then that is all you need.

 

To get the benefits of DCC - i.e. being able to control any loco anywhere on the track the whole track must be made live. If previously wired for DC this can often be simply done by switching ON all of your isolation switches. In your case of a couple of loops and some sidings then the use of Hornby DCC point clips may be enough. For total reliabiltiy you may wish to install a power bus - essentially a pair of heavy wires connected to your controller and each piece of track connected by droppers to those bus wires.

 

If your DC power is supplied to each loop by use of power clips or power track or link cables then these will have a capacitor inside which must be removed when these connections are used for DCC as otherwise the signal will be corrupted and loss of control is likely. See the getting started guide in the sticky post at the top of the General Discussion forum for more details on how to connect your track.

 

If your Select is new it should be at the latest firmware revision (v1.6). If not you can get it updated by Hornby (call HCC for a returns number) at a cost of £15 plus postage one way. V1.6 has many benefits over earlier versions.

[Connor8674]

For a start - very importantly - you MUST only have ONE DCC controller connected directly to your track. You can have an additional controller(s) linked by way of a special cable to the master as a slave. Only the master controller is powered. The slave(s) take their power from the master. If you only have one controller then that is all you need.

 

To get the benefits of DCC - i.e. being able to control any loco anywhere on the track the whole track must be made live. If previously wired for DC this can often be simply done by switching ON all of your isolation switches. In your case of a couple of loops and some sidings then the use of Hornby DCC point clips may be enough. For total reliabiltiy you may wish to install a power bus - essentially a pair of heavy wires connected to your controller and each piece of track connected by droppers to those bus wires.

 

If your DC power is supplied to each loop by use of power clips or power track or link cables then these will have a capacitor inside which must be removed when these connections are used for DCC as otherwise the signal will be corrupted and loss of control is likely. See the getting started guide in the sticky post at the top of the General Discussion forum for more details on how to connect your track.

 

If your Select is new it should be at the latest firmware revision (v1.6). If not you can get it updated by Hornby (call HCC for a returns number) at a cost of £15 plus postage one way. V1.6 has many benefits over earlier versions.

What kind of benefits will the update have?

[Chrissaf]

The key number one benefit of the 1.6 firmware upgrade is that the Select will then be able to write to all the CVs, that firmware versions below 1.6 can not do.

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CVs are 'Configuration Variables' - the ability to write CVs (change their values) means that you have total freedom to access all the configurable options that the DCC decoder you use has. Probably at this moment in time, you may not actually appreciate the significance of having this feature as a benefit, But believe me it is. I will give you one example.

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Let's say that a DCC decoder is playing up and doing odd things, and it is suggested that performing a factory reset of the decoder will resolve the issue. You perform a decoder reset by writing the value 8 to CV number 8. With the Select...you can ONLY do this writing to CV8 function if you have the latest version 1.6 firmware.

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Too late now, but you have fallen into the newbie trap of thinking that the 'blue button' is a 'Reply to this post' button. This forum does not have a 'Reply' button displayed within each individual post.

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TIP: If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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