Sooner or later you will hear that blue transformers can be dangerous to modern decoders. It’s not the colour that makes them dangerous. Continue reading Electricity 101 (Part 4): Blue Transformers and Modern Decoders
Category: Digital
Electricity 101 (Part 3): AC and Rectifiers
Rectifiers can increase the effective voltage of AC. Or decrease it. No magic involved. Continue reading Electricity 101 (Part 3): AC and Rectifiers
MM Protocol (e.g. CU 6021): Using 9 or 16 Functions with mfx Locos
The MM protocol is limited to five functions per address. But mfx decoders that also support the MM protocol are not limited to one MM address only, allowing you to control 9, 13, 16, or even 17 functions. Continue reading MM Protocol (e.g. CU 6021): Using 9 or 16 Functions with mfx Locos
MS2: Loco with MM Decoder Won’t Run with Mobile Station 2
When a loco that uses MM protocol (fx loco or Märklin Digital with 36xx/37xx ref. number) won’t run, there are several potential causes. Continue reading MS2: Loco with MM Decoder Won’t Run with Mobile Station 2
Older Loco with DIP Switch Decoder Won’t Run
When an older loco with DIP switch decoder (“mouse piano”) does not react to commands from the digital controller, there could be a simple explanation: the wires to the feeder track have been swapped. Continue reading Older Loco with DIP Switch Decoder Won’t Run
mfx: Most(ly) Frustrating eXperience
mfx is Märklin’s latest and greatest digital protocol. With mfx, locos register automatically with the digital controller and automatically negotiate a unique address for the loco.
I disabled mfx in my digital controller. Continue reading mfx: Most(ly) Frustrating eXperience
TCP/IP Basics for Digital Model Rail Roaders
Every now and then the question pops up: How do I connect my Central Station (CS) or ECoS to a PC?
I try to explain … Continue reading TCP/IP Basics for Digital Model Rail Roaders