Dapol Imperium Chip In Non DCC Ready Engine

[Richard08]

I've looked all over, but cannot find any info from Dapol or anywhere else. I have an Imperium chip and a long-stalled engine kit. Before proceeding I figure it would be best to get DCC organised as it's a white metal body so some sort of mounting is needed. Does anyone know, or have a link to, non-plugin connection information for the Imperium, with stay-alive?

[Mike Parkes]

You would be best using a wired decoder like one with a 8 pin plug (and if such remove the plug) and solder the wires direct to the pick-ups (red and black) and motor (orange and grey). If you are ultra careful the loco will go in the correct direction but if not either swop one sets of wires around or adjust the direction by tweaking CV29.

[Peterm]

If the loco goes the wrong way, you swap the motor wires round. Swapping the pick up wires does nothing.

[Richard08]

Thanks guys, I was really after a wiring diagram so I can make a header to plug in to it, which pin does what etc. I guess some may be 'standard' but I'd like to be sure before I fry it. Also Dapol give to info about where a stay-alive capacitor should be connected (if it can?). I'm wanting to use the Imperium as I'd bought it for a failed s/h engine eBay purchase (returned) and couldn't even get a tenner for it on eBay. In these times buying another decoder is not going to be on the horizon for a very long time.

[Bigmet]

Step 1, the DCC connector pin out diagrams currently used.
https://www.dccconcepts.com/wp-content/ ... Alives.pdf

Step 2, Tell us what connector the 'Imperium' decoder you own is fitted with.
(I am a regular butcher of RTR OO locos, and it is possible I will have a suitable socket available, if that turns out to be what you want.)

...Before proceeding I figure it would be best to get DCC organised as it's a white metal body so some sort of mounting is needed....

Attachment / mounting of a decoder inside any all metal construction is often simplest by use of a double sided adhesive foam pad on a piece of flat structure. Insulates from the metal and holds the decoder where it is supposed to be, but easy enough to remove or reposition if required.

... Does anyone know, or have a link to, non-plugin connection information for the Imperium, with stay-alive?

No information that I could find.

BUT!
1. Whatever connections the decoder has, the pin out diagram should resolve.
2. 'Stay alive' is non-essential for the large majority of 4mm models in my experience: a white metal kit supplies plenty of weight for good wheel to rail contact, so if the pick up technique and wiring is good, you will have a loco that doesn't lose track supply.

I have a large number of decoder fitted locos, (though nothing smaller than a 250g 0-6-0T, and all point crossings are live on the layout) and have yet to see any need for stay alive. The locos all start and stop reliably without hesitation and run smoothly at dead slow, so no need. (This 'stay alive' concept was a real attraction of DCC for someone long experienced with DC, and I purchased a Lenz 'UPS' as part of the original package of system and decoders near 20 years ago. It worked spectacularly well, the loco was controllable even while isolated from track power by paper on the rails. But in normal operation, on the rails and picking up track supply, it made no difference whatsoever, the locos ran equally well whether it was connected or not, and I sold it on.)

The 'killer' advantage of DCC over DC, is that the track supply is permanently at full power; this 'gets through' at all times if the loco has a good pick up arrangement, so the decoder is permanently receiving power, and will always start and keep running per command.

After that, it's down to the decoder, and how it is set up to manage the motor and driveline control requirements. There's better and worse out there in both decoders and motor and driveline design. The baseline is that a good motor and driveline will typically work well with any decoder; while a poor motor and driveline needs a really good decoder to compensate as far as possible for its deficiencies, and some patience in setting up the CV's to deliver the best performance available. Hopefully you are going to have a modern can motor on a two or more stage drive train with a reduction ratio of at least 25:1 in this loco, that will do the job with practically any decoder.

[Richard08]

Step 1, the DCC connector pin out diagrams currently used.
https://www.dccconcepts.com/wp-content/ ... Alives.pdf

Thanks for that, the "Pin configuration for the "21 pin MTC" Direct-plug Connector:" bit is what I was after. Now I can make a 21 pin socket to 'interface' the engine with the decoder. I'm amazed that it's so hard to find the info until you get the right search phrase, which you find by finding it I'm putting in stay-alive mostly for preventing lights flickering, or rather 'fixing' the problem even if there isn't one just so I don't have revisit it later if required. The Western (all 4kg of it) I suspect doesn't have an issue with contacts, but then it has five seconds of stay-alive anyway. The 08 has (very sort) stay-alive, but it has zero up or down play in the axles so contact is not always ideal, occasional light flicker does happen, but not enough to affect the motor (prob due to a flywheel). The 14xx has no lights except the flickering fire box, so it''s tricky to see if any flickering happens. Brief interruptions in contact are only apparent if the controller is set high when moving off, revealed by it suddenly setting off at near light speed into the sunset. And thus the wall. First contact has not been made - yet. I can feel a CV session coming on there, not least to restrict the top speed somewhat.

The decoder will fitted inside a bit of plastic pipe in the engine body mounted on a kind of cradle that also supports the side skirts, one of which, after about 10 tears, just fell off all by itself one day despite being attached with copious amounts of solder (handling I guess) - there's quite a lot of room it being a Warship. That weighs in at 3.25kg, hence the stay-alive being belt & braces.