Author Topic: removing metal - best methods?  (Read 2627 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Burlington Bob

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 182
  • Gender: Male
  • Respect: +20
Re: removing metal - best methods?
« Reply #15 on: May 17, 2014, 11:27:24 AM »
0
By Reinhardt;

Quote
They don't do sound and they don't have extended functions for things like ditch lights, beacons, etc.  Other decoder brands also may have better motor control qualities.  YMMV

I have the manual for one of my TCS CN-GP decoders and according to it the CN-GP will support various lighting effects such as Mars light, various strobe effects, rotary beacon, Gyra light, Rule 17 lighting, ditch lights, as well as others.  Also, I have found the motor control to be very good with TCS decoders.  Alas, it is true that they do not support any sound functions, though for N scale I think I would probably go with a SurroundTraxx system. http://www.soundtraxx.com/surround/
Everywhere West

peteski

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 31679
  • Gender: Male
  • Honorary Resident Curmudgeon
  • Respect: +4522
    • Coming (not so) soon...
Re: removing metal - best methods?
« Reply #16 on: May 17, 2014, 01:55:34 PM »
0
By Reinhardt;

I have the manual for one of my TCS CN-GP decoders and according to it the CN-GP will support various lighting effects such as Mars light, various strobe effects, rotary beacon, Gyra light, Rule 17 lighting, ditch lights, as well as others.

Sure they do, but they only have 2 function outputs. If you want to sacrifice one (or both) of the headlight functions, you can have a strobe or a pair of ditch lights.
. . . 42 . . .

reinhardtjh

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 2928
  • Respect: +327
Re: removing metal - best methods?
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2014, 04:08:26 AM »
0
By Reinhardt;

I have the manual for one of my TCS CN-GP decoders and according to it the CN-GP will support various lighting effects such as Mars light, various strobe effects, rotary beacon, Gyra light, Rule 17 lighting, ditch lights, as well as others.  Also, I have found the motor control to be very good with TCS decoders.  Alas, it is true that they do not support any sound functions, though for N scale I think I would probably go with a SurroundTraxx system. http://www.soundtraxx.com/surround/

Yeah, the manual says it.  TCS uses a common code base for most of it's decoders, so theoretically the functions are there.  In practice... If you look at the CN-GP manual it's got front and rear headlights and one other light so they count that as 3 functions.  You can run a beacon or steady ditch lights but you can't do flashing ditch lights (which is what I was more commenting on although I didn't specify - my bad) for which you need 4 functions, not 3.  The CN just has the front and back lights, nothing else.

Alas, it is true that they do not support any sound functions, though for N scale I think I would probably go with a SurroundTraxx system. http://www.soundtraxx.com/surround/

And that only works if you have Digitrax Transponding decoders in your engines - either as the main decoder or as an add on.  Plus a whole slew of other components hooked into the wiring.
John H. Reinhardt
PRRT&HS #8909
C&O HS #11530
N-Trak #7566

djconway

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 473
  • Respect: +64
Re: removing metal - best methods?
« Reply #18 on: June 16, 2014, 12:02:15 PM »
0
I've done over 200 N scale conversions - the first 2 were Aztec frames, to learn.
The Dremel tool with a 1/8" ball, a razor saw, and a 1/2" wide flat mill file will go a long way toward giving you the tools you need to convert just about any loco.
Some are easy, some will have you scratching your head for a few days trying to figure things out.

Good Luck -- Let us know how it works out.