Renoir Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 I'm pretty sure this may have already been covered some time ago on the forum, apologies if so, but can anyone recommend a Stay Alive capacitor unit for the Class 08 ? I have Rails of Sheffield 6-pin decoders fitted to my two Class 08 locos and just need something to help them over the insulated frogs. I imagine that a few contributors may well have experience in this area now. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too Tall Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 It depends on where you want to fit it, and how much room you have. I used the LaisDCC one on my class 08's with Zimo 6 pin decoders but they look to be selling out fast. I dare say the DCC concept ones may also work, although I haven't tried them. It would be best to check with Rails or the decoder instructions to see if/what stay alives are recommended. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renoir Posted May 9 Author Share Posted May 9 Thanks, and a good point. I had forgotten but I believe DCC Concepts make these for RoS so their Stay Alive may well be compatible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Lais or Stax ones work well with the Zimo decoders. I think Digitrains are due more stocks of the Stax ones in next week or so. They also (others probably do to) a soldering service for a few pounds which I think is an excellent idea 😁 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuTTchy Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Hi Renoir, Are there on your decoder some tiny solderpads where you can attach an external capacitor to? This is possible on the Doehler & Haass decoders i use. Here you can see an 220µF/25v electrolytic capacitor connected to the decoder. It is just enough to keep things going, don't expect miracles. The capacitor fits snugly in the cabin, i just had to be brave and remove the black bulkhead without causing to much damage. It runs fine now over the Hornby insulfrog. On the Peco unifrog turnout you can even run at super crawl speed André 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moawkwrd Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 ^That’s similar to how I did mine, except I cut out the space in the cab detail for it to fit through so from outside it looked the same as before. Even the capacitor included with the Zimo decoders was enough to help on DCC. Though must be said I get better running now on DC using a track cleaner. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Hi @DuTTchy, how did you manage to cut the bulkhead of the cab away so neatly? Also, I think you are showing Insulfrog points in your video not Unifrog. I can change it for you if you like. R- 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuTTchy Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Hi @RB51, The way i wrote it down is a bit confusing, the first line is about the video. Second line is just a remark that it runs even better on Peco unifrog turnouts. My English is a bit rusty, i don't use it every day🤔. Tried the methode in this Youtube video (2.40-3.10 min) but that didn't go as planned. Couldn't lift the cab up, but i did manage to break off the cabine floor and remove the bulkhead this way. Next time i try it the way @moawkwrd said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renoir Posted May 9 Author Share Posted May 9 A great explanation, Andre, thank you 😊 I will need to cut back the covering on the decoder to expose the pads. Indeed, thanks to all contributors to this thread...exactly what I wanted...👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 The bulkhead is glued in place, if you carefully prise, it will release and reveal the cut out in the cab moulding. The Stax stay alive, it’s controller, Zimo sound decoder and a speaker will all fit without removing the bulkhead, I did trim a little from the decoder tray but that’s hidden. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB51 Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 3 hours ago, DuTTchy said: Hi @RB51, The way i wrote it down is a bit confusing, the first line is about the video. My English is a bit rusty, i don't use it every day🤔. That’s ok, the main points were there perfectly explained. R- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 On 08/05/2024 at 22:06, Renoir said: I'm pretty sure this may have already been covered some time ago on the forum, apologies if so, but can anyone recommend a Stay Alive capacitor unit for the Class 08 ? I have Rails of Sheffield 6-pin decoders fitted to my two Class 08 locos and just need something to help them over the insulated frogs. I imagine that a few contributors may well have experience in this area now. Thanks. I have tried lots. I found other than Hornby ones, the LaisDCC ones and the Train O Matic ones work really well. The old DCC concepts ones I used in the past had issues when I wanted to program on DCC but they might have improved them, I don't know. LaisDCC do run out but generally in a short period of time they are available again. I use them with Zimo decoders and they are wonderful. They also come in different sizes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete82 Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Can anyone explain why these are needed? Im not electrical minded and this seems quite complicated to me. Will I need to do this if I want to shunt my 08 across points in a siding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dBerriff Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 The aim is to keep a DCC decoder powered when there are short breaks in the supply. This can happen most commonly on the insulated frogs fitted to Hornby points. I think that an 08 should bridge the gap but my not fully run-in 08 does not always make it. The situation is most serious with Bluetooth control as it can take quite a few seconds to restore the connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallymatt Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 As most points have a dead spot, the frog (where rails converge in centre) is isolated on most like Hornby, a short loco like a shunter can struggle to collect current, not always. It’s more a problem at very slow speeds. A power bank or stay alive (same thing) can provide an onboard power source to keep things moving seamlessly. With DCC a loss of power pick up causes the decoder to shut down, in BlueTooth that also means it drops out of the network. Modern DCC decoders restart very quickly but the nature of BT means it takes a few seconds and that can be frustrating. A power bank isn’t a must though. It is a DCC feature not a DC item. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete82 Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Thanks for explaining it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now