DIGITAL SOUNDS
The capacitor is a useful electronic component and the latest generation of sound decoders allow these to be connected to maintain uninterrupted sound. MIKE WILD explains how they work and which brands support their use.
Above: Stay alive energy storage packs make a huge difference to the performance of sound fitted models by providing uninterrupted power to the decoder to keep the locomotive moving and making sound. This Class 59 has a ZIMO MX645R sound decoder with a Lais 860009 stay alive pack connected. Its power distribution is managed by the ZIMO decoder when the chip detects a loss of track power.
IF YOU HAVE READ OUR digital sound installation features before, you have probably heard the term ‘stay alive’ used on a regular basis. A ‘stay alive’ is an energy storage circuit which can be connected to a DCC decoder, either sound or non-sound, which will keep a locomotive moving or the lights on when it crosses a small dead section of track due to dirt or other interruptions.
The concept of the stay alive isn’t new. All are based around the use of capacitors – a small electronic component which charges up through a support circuit and then discharges when required. The good thing abo…
