Using a Lok Pilot to control lights and improve drivability on a DC layout

[Sean]

The main reasons i took the plunge with DCC was the inability to control lights and the way they dimmed in and out so obnoxiously as the locomotive changed speed.

 

So i was happy to see a DC mode tab within the JMRI decoder programmer interface for LP5. It allows the user to control lighting and a few other parameters in this DC mode. but as i had a dcc system now I never really bothered to explore it until today as the layout is currently set up with a dc controller as i dont have any chips for some new locos i got this week.

I want to run some DCC locos today and think to myself that i "cant" aka too lazy to plug in the other controller.

So I remember this DC mode and grab a loco from the siding.

Took me a minute to figure out just what was happening but when I did the results left me pleasently surprised.

132 would light up and not move, so im guessing its programmed like this. 143 is where things started to happen

setting the controller to 45% would make the lights come on 50% and the loco begins to crawl.

slap it up to 100% and instead of taking off the loco gradually starts to accelerate up to speed as programmed. back to 45 and again the loco slows as programmed down to a halt.

This is brilliant and i can see it working really well on a shelf layout where one would want to restrict speed or have a loco sit static lit up in a siding but there is one drawback.

Theres a very audible PWM hum that can be heard as the motor  works at low speeds, I think its from the motor itself but im not 100% sure. Is this harmful to the motor and can it be improved upon by any sort of programming?

Is anybody else using this feature and do you find it useful? are there any drawbacks?

 

Sean

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Sean