Duette Transformer/Controller

I have just acquired one of these via eBay, model N/474. It is fairly old, and there are no instructions with it. Connecting up is intuitive, but what about the switches? Half Wave/ Full Wave - I assume this refers to the DC rectification. Which setting should I use? Resistance - Low/High - I intend to use long trains, loco + 20 wagons or 7 coaches. Again, which setting should I use.
Thanks for your help, Vernon in Middlewich.

"Vernon" wrote
  Quoted Text Here  
Always use full wave - half wave can generate heat and cause motor failure. I can't remember the resitance setting but the resistance switch on each controller should be in the opposite position to the wave switch.
John.

Vernon wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Half-wave = chops the wave form in half, so makes your motors buzz. Good way of frying small modern motors. Full-wave = kinder to motors, but they tend to race away too fast as the control gives you "off - fast - faster still".
  Quoted Text Here  
Probably high. Experiment to find which is least bad.
  Quoted Text Here  
Serious suggestion time: The Duette was a design of the 1950's which lasted in production to around 1980. It was meant to run big open-framed Hornby Double-O motors of the period. Its not too bad with those. Its really crappy on modern motors. So, treat it as a 16V transformer. Plug in a decent modern controller and look after your locos motors properly. Gaugemaster are one supplier of decent controllers, though there are others.
Or, bite the bullet and go to DCC.
I have a Duette, had it from new. Its a good transformer, but not a lot more use. I use a Pentroller for control.
- Nigel

wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Are Pentrollers still available?
  Quoted Text Here  

Christopher A. Lee wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Officially yes.
Unofficially, I know of people who've been waiting two years for delivery and I would now advise looking elsewhere.
Alternative; Ulhenbrock "Daisy system"; does excellent analogue control of small coreless motors (if you use the correct settings), and plug it into its base unit another way and its an excellent DCC unit (probably add a "Sprog" to program locos from a computer for the complete DCC setup). I'm not aware of other controllers which do conventional analogue and DCC (not the same as the "guest analogue loco" mode of DCC).
- Nigel

wrote:
  Quoted Text Here  
Oh, well...
  Quoted Text Here  
That's a new one on me.
Thanks.
  Quoted Text Here  

Snip
  Quoted Text Here  
The ZTC 511 can be configured by pressing a few buttons for pure DC, pulse width modulated DC, Hornby Zero 1, and of course standard NMRA spec. DCC.
No doubt these features are required by a mere handful of users and account for the high price tag!
Dave W.