# Keep alive decoders?



## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

I have a little HO switcher i want to chip, but i also have some #8 switches, with plastic frogs. these plastic frogs are LONGER than the wheel base of the loco by a good inch and a half.

So i need a dcc decoder with some sort of "Keep alive" capacitor right?


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

You might also consider installing a brand of #8 switches with a powered frog.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

That will do it. I have a few engines that I might as well get "keep alive"
cause I know I will have trouble with them when I convert them to DCC.
They are rivarossi E8s. They have single truck power pickup. I guess I
could put power pickups on the other truck but "keep alive" might be easier.
Check out TCS decoders. They have "keep alive" on some of their decoders.


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## brownwolf66 (Jul 9, 2013)

Also check out the DCC Concepts decoders,most all have the stay alive and they make Nano decoders which are really small and will fit most small locomotives.Reliable that's for sure as I've used a few.Maybe cheaper than TCS.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

+1 for the DCC Concepts tip. If you're retro fitting caps to decoders the soldering can be tricky as they have to go onto the board in some cases.


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## Peter Herron (Jun 30, 2015)

*@ mopac*

Like money and health, you can never have enough electrical wipers on a locomotive. I'll bet if you added wipers to all wheels of your E8s, you would not need them. The keep alive circuit presents it's own problems like running through misaligned switches, off the end of stub tracks if you lose the DCC signal and require extra long dead spots of track approaching open swing "out of the way" sections. I only use Soundtraxx Current Keepers as they only provide about 3 to 4 seconds of power and at the speed my little switchers run they can't get into too much trouble.

Peter


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Pray tell, what is a keep alive decoder? :dunno:


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Fire21 said:


> Pray tell, what is a keep alive decoder? :dunno:


A small capacitor that will provide enough current to run the decoder / loco for a couple of seconds, to get it over dead spots, dirty track, non-powered frogs, etc.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thank you, sir, I appreciate the new-found knowledge! :smilie_daumenpos:


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## brownwolf66 (Jul 9, 2013)

Peter Herron said:


> Like money and health, you can never have enough electrical wipers on a locomotive. I'll bet if you added wipers to all wheels of your E8s, you would not need them. The keep alive circuit presents it's own problems like running through misaligned switches, off the end of stub tracks if you lose the DCC signal and require extra long dead spots of track approaching open swing "out of the way" sections. I only use Soundtraxx Current Keepers as they only provide about 3 to 4 seconds of power and at the speed my little switchers run they can't get into too much trouble.
> 
> Peter


I disagree with your opinion on the keep alive. Yes,wipers will allay the problem a great deal but not on small wheel base switchers and on locomotives where it's not possible to add extra wipers.Besides,any keep alive being made today will not power a locomotive for more than 3 or 4 seconds which is as much as the Soundtraxx Current Keeper does.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Fire21 said:


> Thank you, sir, I appreciate the new-found knowledge! :smilie_daumenpos:


My pleasure, Sir. After all, that's what this place is about.


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