New to DCC Z gauge your help please

Hello Michael,

I guess what are you trying to do - you try to avoid using step down adapter Please understand that it will not work the way you want to. All modern decoders control motors via pulse width, not by voltage level. Last method is not effective (simply because many motors lose their torque and stability at lower voltages), and it would require different circuitry, with much more powerful components, possibly heatsinks etc.

You will not reduce the voltage that goes to the motor by reducing CV5 value. By setting a higher CV5 value you will only increase a duty cycle, and vice versa. In all cases motor will receive constant voltage level that almost equals to the track voltage (with a little 0.5 to 1 Volt drop on decoder's rectifier).

Best,
Alex