thecentralstation.myfreeforum.org

poliss · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject: Atlas DC on DCC

Found this on the Atlas forums. Note the text I have highlighted.

"Dear MPI,

There are two issues involved here.

1. There are headlight circuit components on the Atlas analog circuit board that will short out a DCC signal.
2. Even if these headlight components were not there, one should NEVER, under any circumstances, attempt to operate a locomotive with a DC motor on a DCC-powered track. By the way, this concept is NOT speculation. At Atlas, we often see the results of modelers not following the above advice.

The reason that I make such a strong statement in (2) above is that the output of a DCC system is an AC signal even for locomotive address 0. (Although there is a DC component in the address 0 DCC signal, this DCC signal is nonetheless an AC waveform.) Whenever you apply an AC signal to a DC motor, you will hear a buzzing noise, and the motor will start to heat up. The longer you run the motor on DCC power, the hotter it will get. If the motor gets hot enough, it (and any nearby parts) can be damaged or destroyed.

It should be noted that several of the more progressive DCC system manufacturers have already dropped the “feature” that allows you to run one analog (no decoder) locomotive on a DCC system using address 0.

Jim Miller
DCC and Sound Support
Atlas Model Railroad Co. and Atlas O, LLC"
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