Adding DCC to 0 6 0 and 44 tonner

[rich1998]

Here are couple of items related to adding a decoder to my 44 tonner.

Tested the stall current it is .68 amps

The DZ 125 is rated for 1  amp (1.25 peak).

It looks relatively straight forward with wires coming up from the trucks and a circuit card that is easy to remove. My 44 tonner is definitely an older one.  The card does not look anything like the one in the TCS site.

I also ordered the Model Railroader with the article on installation, it may be a while before I get to it but this looks promising. 

the current measurement is good to know. first number I have ever seen for the two motor. it might go lower if the loco has not been broken in yet. some locos do eventually have a lower current measurement as everything wears in, what ever that means.

my single motor 44 ton show 0.68 amps stall current also.

i remember the magazine article shows some tips on the two motor wiring that might help. hopefully you have some #28 or #30 wire with the nmra colors. this will help eliminate errors. i use kapton tape for insulating and sometimes use 1/16 inch shrink tube to insulate were two wire are soldered to each other. no bare wires when testing. Some people have had an uninsulated wire touch something it should not have and smoked the decoder.
i do not know what your pc board looks like.
lex

[Jim Banner]

kamerad47,
Based on NMWTRR's measurements on his 44 tonner, he would just be able to use the micro Tsunami sound decoder rated at 750 milliamps but he would be much better off using the full sized Tsunami rated at a full amp.  That does not mean you could necessarily do the same with your 44 tonner because there were several different versions.  Even if they were the same version, there is no guarantee that their stall currents would be the same.  NMWTRR measured .68 amps on his two motor unit.  The fellow who posted on Digitrax measured over 2 amps.

So, first thing you need to do is measure the stall current of your 44 tonner.  If you have no meter for doing this, I strongly suggest you consider purchasing one.  Digital ones about the size of a hand held calculator are available, many of them for under $10.  Just make sure the one you select includes a 10 amp dc scale.

If you need some help using the meter or making a stall current test, just ask.  One or another of the people who hang out here would be pleased to guide you through it.

I hope this response has been more useful than being flamed for "hijacking" a thread.  This forum, like most, has some rules, but asking a question that fits right in with the title topic is not against any of them.  A serious transgression would properly be dealt with by the official board moderator.  And you needn't be too worried about your question being missed in a still very active thread like this one.  (But I would not want to add to an old thread that had gone stale.)  You may have noticed that this thread has been read about 150 times.  Most of those have looked at it once and moved on, a smaller fraction have been silently following it, hoping to learn something, and a few of us (6 or so including you and the originator of the thread) have posted.  Many of those have posted multiple times, a not unusual occurrence on a technical topic.  You can be quite sure that those that are willing to spend their time doing so will continue monitoring the topic until it fades away.  If the proof of the pudding be in the eating, you may have noticed that the majority of those posting in this thread did in fact notice your question.

Jim

[NMWTRR]

This is probably the last post from me on this item, I completed the 0 6 0.  It was pretty difficult to do the soldering for my old eyes.  It works great though.  I think I am going to wait on the 44 tonner though.