# nce power cab



## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

ok so now i got one what do i do with it .. hahahahahahahahahahahah just kidding.......:laugh:
now for the queston ... what is that clock , timer for on the screen there is no reference to that. that i have found.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The clock can be set to local time or can be used as a ratio clock for the railroad.

Mine is set to read actual local time.


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

it dont keep time at all. i set it to my time and in just a few minutes it was an hr ahead . and when i unplug the unit its gone. so i really still do not understand what this clock is for at all. seems like it changes time every 15 seconds.
whats a ratio clock ???


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

i think this quote sums it up . i just found this someplace................................................( QUOTE )as i understand it, a fastclock takes real time and speeds it up so that in operations a run of an hour between stations with a 4:1 fast clock would take 15 min. therefor a 12 hour day woul take 3 hrs. the idea is to move cars realistically within practical time constraints.


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## DavefromMD (Jul 25, 2013)

It's a scale clock. You can set the ratio for the scale you run so that it reflects the scale time. I find it useless. I set that section of the display to show amperage. Much more useful.

Check the manual as to how to set the display to show amps instead of clock.


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

DavefromMD said:


> It's a scale clock. You can set the ratio for the scale you run so that it reflects the scale time. I find it useless. I set that section of the display to show amperage. Much more useful.
> 
> Check the manual as to how to set the display to show amps instead of clock.


this is what i did too i find that amperage is more useful too. so far im really liking the power cab. slowing running that dc but i think thats ok but i might have a problem with it if i were running some high speed rail locos/cars. i dunno this is all new to me too.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

sid said:


> this is what i did too i find that amperage is more useful too. so far im really liking the power cab. slowing running that dc but i think thats ok but i might have a problem with it if i were running some high speed rail locos/cars. i dunno this is all new to me too.


"Slowing running than dc". Do you mean that the loco runs slower in DCC than it does in DC?

You need to program the decoder to give you the speed curve you want. Sure, it's a little work initially. I try to set mine up so they just barely creep in Speed Step 1, and the max is approximately the max (scale) speed for the prototype.

That's one of the great things about DCC -- the ability to make the loco perform how you want instead of being stuck with what comes from the factory.


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## sid (Mar 26, 2018)

(quote )"Slowing running than dc". Do you mean that the loco runs slower in DCC than it does in DC? ==YES
(quote ) You need to program the decoder to give you the speed curve you want. Sure, it's a little work initially. I try to set mine up so they just barely creep in Speed Step 1, and the max is approximately the max (scale) speed for the prototype.====DONE this didnt make any diffence at all. unless im doing it all wrong . this i do know more volts means faster locos . there is only so many volts that come out of the power cab where as in my dc controller i can get 18 volts and 2 amps easy and with the other one i can get 18 volts and 3 amps easy. 
(quote ) That's one of the great things about DCC -- the ability to make the loco perform how you want instead of being stuck with what comes from the factory. ==yes i like the fact that i can run 2 locos on same track at different speeds ect.


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## DavefromMD (Jul 25, 2013)

Yes, they will run slower on DCC than DC. Less voltage. I had a Walters F40PH locomotive that I used for passenger trains. In DC it ran at about 100 MPH top speed. My express train. Usually ran it around 80 MPH scale speed. 

Added a decoder when I converted to DCC. Top scale speed now is 60 MPH.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

sid said:


> (quote )"Slowing running than dc". Do you mean that the loco runs slower in DCC than it does in DC? ==YES
> (quote ) You need to program the decoder to give you the speed curve you want. Sure, it's a little work initially. I try to set mine up so they just barely creep in Speed Step 1, and the max is approximately the max (scale) speed for the prototype.====DONE this didnt make any diffence at all. unless im doing it all wrong . this i do know more volts means faster locos . there is only so many volts that come out of the power cab where as in my dc controller i can get 18 volts and 2 amps easy and with the other one i can get 18 volts and 3 amps easy.
> (quote ) That's one of the great things about DCC -- the ability to make the loco perform how you want instead of being stuck with what comes from the factory. ==yes i like the fact that i can run 2 locos on same track at different speeds ect.


So I guess you mean that the top speed is less, and I would agree, most decent DC power packs are capable of putting out more voltage than a DCC system does, so you can't make it go any faster in the top speed step than the voltage will allow.

That said, I like realistic operating speeds, so I rarely run anything fast enough to notice.


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