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Hi Blair
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You can power your DCC systems with DC. NCE - 18 to 28 volts DC Lenz - 15 to 18 Volts DC Digitrax - 12 to 28 volts DC DCC power at the track is produced from DC that is made from rectifying the normal AC voltage from your transformer by a bridge rectifier in the booster. Supplying the bridge rectifier with DC instead of AC will still provide DC to the booster circuits. It just uses 2 diodes to pass the DC, instead of the 4 that are used for rectifying the AC. The bridge rectifier and the electronics that produce the DCC voltage will require some "extra" volts. For example if you supply the DCC system 12 volts from a car battery you will only at maximum get say 10 volts. All decoder will work on 10 volts DCC but top speed will certainly be affected. Sound decoders will start dropping out at 9 volts. So for a DCC system to provide the recommended HO voltage of 14.25 volts, it will require at least 16 to 18 volts DC. So if you go off the "grid" and have to supply your system with DC then I would check your system requirements. From the above if you were operating either the NCE or Digitrax, you could supply them with two 12 volt batteries connected in series to give you 24 volts. You will have to separate the batteries to charge them with a 14 volt car alternator. Hope this helps Marcus -----Original Message-----
From: WiringForDCC@... [mailto:WiringForDCC@...] On Behalf Of Rasa and Blair Smith Sent: Tuesday, 12 July 2005 11:34 AM To: WiringForDCC@... Subject: [WiringForDCC] DCC HO DC Question Hi For those with a lot more experience. I keep reading comments about 13.8 VDC not being enough to power DCC systems for HO, because you "dont get enough speed out of the locos". Now, when I think about it for not very long, it seems to me that that implys running the units at full throttle and being unsatisfied with performance. So what voltage DC is required to achieve full performance? Yes, I realize that we have to assume a few things, like the voltage drop to the farthest corner of the layout, etc. etc, but ignoring those factors for a moment, what input voltage DC should we strive for to get satisfactory DCC performance? If 13.8 VDC is satisfactory as long as we aren't looking for slotcar performance, then the next question becomes will a DCC system perform satisfactorily from an automobile electrical system? With and without alternator charging system, or only when the car is running? 12 VDC is the minimum input, right? Or is that optimistic? I ask all of this because there is a significant chance I am going to want to go off-grid in my next abode, and I expect 12 Volts will be part of my life at that point. Blair Smith Yahoo! Groups Links -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.11/45 - Release Date: 9/07/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.11/45 - Release Date: 9/07/2005 |
