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What is meant by start voltage?
The term 'Start Voltage' is used in model railways to describe how much voltage is needed to get a locomotive moving from a standing start.
When starting a train using an analogue controller, its start voltage isn't very important as we simply keep turning the throttle until movement is achieved. But when using DCC, we don't control the train, its decoder does, and that makes a difference.
We have all experienced the gratification of a model locomotive starting smoothly and quietly from a station platform, conscientious of its passengers' comfort and the expectation of realism from the layout's operator and viewers. The flip-side of that situation is that stubborn loco (we all have one) that refuses to budge until virtually at full power, at which time it lurches into life like an Alton Tower's rollercoaster!
Although there isn't much we can do to help with your stubborn loco's attitude problem, the decoder in your DCC-operated model does need a rough indication of what kind of locomotive it's dealing with. As such, decoders can be programmed to deliver a specific amount of voltage to the model's motor to get the wheels moving and is known as the start voltage.
Posted in: Power and control
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