Problems With BEMF? Don't Know What BEMF Is Or Does?

BEMF, huh? Back ElectroMotive Force, what? 

Let's ask those questions in a slightly different way. Do any of your locomotives slow down or stall when climbing a slight grade (with no load)? Do any of them stall at low speed under load? How about lunging back and forth when moving in a consist? Having these issues is a pointer to problems with BEMF settings and if you don't understand them you'll have a lot of fun (read as #$%^@&) trying to fix the issues.

A great explanation of BEMF, its settings and making them work in consists is contained in a series of papers by Mark Granville, a frequent contributor to the forums of groups.io, particularly ESU LokSound. This author recommends that you download and read these papers. They will allow you to understand that mysterious thing called BEMF and how to adjust it if necessary. Along with these BEMF topics there are many more that cover a wide variety of topics. You will learn a lot there. 

To access these papers you will have to join the groups.io forums. This is really easy! Do the following: click here. Enter a user name and password or better yet if you have a Facebook or Google account register with it. Once registered and logged in click on Find or Create a Group, type DCC4EVERYONE in the search box on the right side. Click on the name of the found group and when the DCC4EVERYONE page appears click on the Join This Group button near the bottom of the page. You're in!! See Fig 1.

Fig 1 The Join This Group Button

The papers are located in the files section here. You can immediately see the variety of topics presented but if you are interested only in the BEMF topics each individual one is located below:

• Understanding Back-EMF
• BEMF Adjustment - ESU
• Understanding BEMF Consisting

The adjustments are specific to LokSound decoders but the differences between them and other decoder types are CV numbers. For example, Soundtraxx technical manuals, available on their website, have the same adjustments with the CVs they use.

Hopefully these explanations will make you feel more confident with BEMF (no more - what? or huh?). Thanks to Mark Granville for putting in the time to make these papers for model railroaders.

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