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DCC Ready vs DCC Fitted


geffrail

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hi! please help. i want to buy a loco from hornby, it states dcc ready. does that mean i can put on track & play, after putting it on my controller(assinging a number to it) or will i have to buy a decoder & fit it. sounds stupid but i am new to this & just learning!

                     thanks

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Hi Geff, welcome ot the forum. DCC Ready means it is ready to accept a decoder,  DCC Fitted means it comes with a decoder ( all decoders come with an address of 003, which you have to change to : eg : 001, or 005 or any other ) obviously your next decoder/ loco comes as 003 ) . There is nothing stupid about your question , it would be stupid not to ask., regards, Hugh.

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hi! please help. i want to buy a loco from hornby, it states dcc ready. does that mean i can put on track & play, after putting it on my controller(assinging a number to it) or will i have to buy a decoder & fit it. sounds stupid but i am new to this & just learning!

                     thanks

 

Quick Answer:

No

Yes

 

Detailed step by step answer:

A DCC Ready locomotive (if relatively new) will have a multi-pin socket (typically 8 or 21 pins). In this socket there will be a simple blanking PCB (Printed Circuit Board) plug-in board that provides continuity of the wiring between the wheel pick-ups and the electric motor without any form of DCC control. Thus, a DCC Ready loco is effectively a DC (Direct Current) loco for use with an Analogue DC (non DCC) controller.

 

Although you can in many cases (subject to the DCC controller used) use the DCC address Zero on the DCC Controller to control a SINGLE DCC Ready loco on a DCC layout, it is not recommended. The risk of damaging the DCC Ready loco electric motor is very high.

 

It is always recommended that a DCC Ready loco is equipped with a suitable DCC decoder first before running it on the DCC layout. In very simplistic terms, the blanking PCB plug fitted in the decoder socket is removed and replaced by the DCC decoder PCB board. The decoder now sits in the middle of the electrical circuit between the wheel pick-ups and the motor. The DCC (Digital Command Control) signals carried over the track talk to each loco fitted decoder telling the decoder what to do. For example, stop the motor, start motor, move slowly, forward or reverse, speed up, slow down etc. It can also be told by the DCC signals from the DCC Controller to operate other functions wired to the decoder in the loco such as lights on / off, or in a sound equipped loco to play sounds etc. Because each loco fitted DCC decoder is given a different DCC digital address you can have more than one loco on the same piece of track obeying different digital commands at the same time.

 

Your loco should come with an instruction sheet in the packaging that will tell you how to obtain access to the decoder socket, how many pins it has 8 or 21, and further instructions needed to upgrade the DCC Ready loco into a DCC Fitted version.

 

THIS RESPONSE COPIED OVER FROM THE DUPLICATE GEFFRAIL POST THAT I SAW AND RESPONDED TO FIRST.

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Hi Geff, welcome ot the forum. DCC Ready means it is ready to accept a decoder,  DCC Fitted means it comes with a decoder ( all decoders come with an address of 003, which you have to change to : eg : 001, or 005 or any other ) obviously your next decoder/ loco comes as 003 ) . There is nothing stupid about your question , it would be stupid not to ask., regards, Hugh.

hi! hugh

            thanks for the help, now i understand, & thanks for making me feel welcome. regards geff

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hi! please help. i want to buy a loco from hornby, it states dcc ready. does that mean i can put on track & play, after putting it on my controller(assinging a number to it) or will i have to buy a decoder & fit it. sounds stupid but i am new to this & just learning!

                     thanks

 

Quick Answer:

No

Yes

 

Detailed step by step answer:

A DCC Ready locomotive (if relatively new) will have a multi-pin socket (typically 8 or 21 pins). In this socket there will be a simple blanking PCB (Printed Circuit Board) plug-in board that provides continuity of the wiring between the wheel pick-ups and the electric motor without any form of DCC control. Thus, a DCC Ready loco is effectively a DC (Direct Current) loco for use with an Analogue DC (non DCC) controller.

 

Although you can in many cases (subject to the DCC controller used) use the DCC address Zero on the DCC Controller to control a SINGLE DCC Ready loco on a DCC layout, it is not recommended. The risk of damaging the DCC Ready loco electric motor is very high.

 

It is always recommended that a DCC Ready loco is equipped with a suitable DCC decoder first before running it on the DCC layout. In very simplistic terms, the blanking PCB plug fitted in the decoder socket is removed and replaced by the DCC decoder PCB board. The decoder now sits in the middle of the electrical circuit between the wheel pick-ups and the motor. The DCC (Digital Command Control) signals carried over the track talk to each loco fitted decoder telling the decoder what to do. For example, stop the motor, start motor, move slowly, forward or reverse, speed up, slow down etc. It can also be told by the DCC signals from the DCC Controller to operate other functions wired to the decoder in the loco such as lights on / off, or in a sound equipped loco to play sounds etc. Because each loco fitted DCC decoder is given a different DCC digital address you can have more than one loco on the same piece of track obeying different digital commands at the same time.

 

Your loco should come with an instruction sheet in the packaging that will tell you how to obtain access to the decoder socket, how many pins it has 8 or 21, and further instructions needed to upgrade the DCC Ready loco into a DCC Fitted version.

 

THIS RESPONSE COPIED OVER FROM THE DUPLICATE GEFFRAIL POST THAT I SAW AND RESPONDED TO FIRST.

hi! thanks very much for your detailed help. much valued, regards geff

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DCC ready means the loco has a socket fitted ready for a decoder to be plugged in once the blanking plug has been removed.

DCC fitted or DCC onboard means a decoder has been fitted.

great stuff,thanks a lot, i shall leave you to play trains, lol:)

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