I just took the plunge (not much of one mind you as the price has plumetted to $130 or so) for a 6021 mainly to use on my 1 gauge but also with my HO.. Main reason being that I am not sure when the CS will be out and my MS is just not powerful enough (at 1.2Amp) to power the 1 gauge stuff..


So my question is this... Is there anything I need to know to play with this thing right out of the box? Any odd info or little known tidbit so as to avoid pulling my hair out of my head when this thing comes in the mail in two days?

I just know how sparse Marklin manuals and literature is, so this is why I am posting this thread. The MS as you know is simply.. TRAFO into uglybox and MS into uglybox... then uglybox to track.. and bang! You're digital.

So is it going to be as easy with the 6021? And will I need to "program" that box before I can begin to run my locs?

thanks as always to all who reply.

Sam

PS And no, I didn't cancel my CS order, just wanted something to hold me over.

Sam, the only "difficult" thing you need to do is to hook up yellow wire to the yellow terminals from the trafo to the yellow terminals on the CU - the same thing for braun. Next connect braun and red to the CU and track and BAM!... your are digital

Thanks all for that good info. I expect to get a manual for it, but if it's anything like all of the other marklin manuals I have, it will be quite useless.

Guus, the info on the dip switches is exactly the kind of info I was looking for thanks.

BTW.. rather than start a new thread to ask this, I will just ask it here.. but does anyone know the voltage of the curcuitry on the Marlin Digital mode for the locs? Both HO and 1 Gauge.. is it 12V or 16V

thanks again

Sam

Yes the 6021 price have going down due to new system.

I fully agree with that John .It's the kind of information you expect with these once high priced items.



Thanks Manfred .I learn every day from this forum.

Guus

I use my CU6021 with the default settings off-on-off-off - and the voltage is around 21 volts (that's what you get if you pass 16 volts AC thru a (bridge) rectifier).

My test bench 6021 is set the same way for HO and 1 - it makes absolutely no difference - whatever way it is setup out of the box is (generally) the correct setting.

In other words it is connected to both the 1 gauge SMT test unit and the HO gaguge unit - and I run them at the same time - go figure.

About voltage.
16 V is the rating of the transformer feeding the 6021 when you run H0. This means that the 6021 will deliver 21 V to track; all digital systems do like this more or less, as h-zero says.

Somewhat longer explanation is this. The transformer produces a sinus shaped voltage, which peak is about 21 V. But most of the time the voltage is less, also 0. Therefore, when speaking about voltage, one always speak about about the "efficient value" as nominal value, (or explicititly say 'peak value'). This nominal value is calculated, so that x V AC and x V DC will give exactly the same amount of power! If memory serves, this gives that the nominal value for sinus AC is square root of 3 less than the peak value, which gives - 16V.

The digital signal is square AC; the voltage is eihter + 21 V or - 21 V -> peak value = efficient value. Nothing in between. It's produced inside by a rectifier, where the peak value of the sinus is significant; principle is that a capacitator is loaded with current as long as the input voltage is higher than the current load; when not a diode prevents unloading. This gives the capacitator the peak value of the input voltage, unless very much current is drawn on the output.

Regards,
Lars

Lars,
some amendments on your explanation:

You speak of efficient value, but the right term is effective value.
Sounds much the same, but is a little different.

You say the difference between effective value and peak value is a factor square root 3, but this should be square root 2.

I have my 6021 set up with a blue 32 VA trafo - which I can also plug into the SMT test stands - I also have the 6001's for the actual layout(s) - and I use the boosters on the layout(s) as well (although boosters do nothing for track current) - I believe they simply ensure the integrity of the signal over long distances.

I think I might get another 6021 as well - they seem so much more robust than this touchscreen stuff - I think a cool device would be a PDA that has software that controls trains through it's infrared link tied to Maerklin's digital system - and it would have a backlit colour screen to boot, plus you wouldn't be cabled into anything...

I wonder then if that's the main cause of the sputtering on my rather small 1 gauge layout.. As under analogue AC the loc moves around the entire circuit and only slows a little towards the far end of the feeder clips, but in digital operations the loc sputters all over the layout as though it's not getting a clean digital signal..

This will become more clear when the 6021 gets here and I can see if it's indeed the anemic Mobil Station which is the cause of this crappy behavior.

BTW.. Lars, and Nico... Impressive stuff, brings back my college engineering classes.
since you guys seems so knowledgeable in electrics.. tell me then.. I have a 12v DC fan (the type used in a computer), and I attached it to the AC coming from a Marklin Trafo and while I thought it was going to vibrate back and forth (due to the AC signal), it in fact spun up just fine and only made a minor hum noise.. How do you explain that? is there in internal Rectifier?

No bad idea, 7 ... When M tried to get rid of their surplus 6021s in 2004 they assembled that #29857 Starter Set, then. Which BTW was never catalogued - I only became aware of this deal HERE IN THIS GREAT FORUM, if I remember correctly it was Manfred (thank you, again): CU6021, 60VA Transformer #6005, 18.4 Steamer (quite the same as #37184), 3 Museum Car styled Coaches, plus some track)

For €299.- only I HAD to get two of those sets. Well, that 2nd Steamer went to my nephew - but the other 6021 is my spare unit [^][^][^]

John