Pictorial decoder install links?

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any links to pictorial, step by step, decoder installs for G scale?
Any make.
Also links for R/C installs.
Why don't we try to get them all in one place. I'm always searching for them and rarely ever finding them. If you have them, please list them here..

[Rastun]

Capt_turk,

I'd think that any manufacture that you bought an item from should include some form of instruction on how to install thier system.

That being said I wouldn't think that it should be the job of the GR staff to try and compile any instructions they find on thier web site.

Since they would be a third party there is the great chance that anything listed would be out of date compared to a new installation instruction.

The best bet would be to go to the web site of the company you are thinking of purchasing from and see what they list for online instructions and/or online customer service. These could becoming a point on wether or not to buy the product.

Jack

[Anonymous]

The decoders that I've bought have had only the most general of instructions. They rarely ever have specific installation instructions for specific locos. In N, Ho, and On30, I've run into numerous sites that give specifics, with pictures, for different locos. I have not been able to find any for G scale. The decoder included instructions always seem to assume that the person doing the install is intimately familiar with the construction of the loco they are installing it in. My experience is that most people are not. That is what keeps many from trying it themselves.
There are a number of things the general instructions do not include.
1. How you get the #$%&^ thing apart without destroying it, or breaking something getting it apart. I've broken several things getting them apart myself, and I'm very mechanically inclined.
2. Many locos have motors that are not isolated. Making them isolated is often not easy to do. I've spent many hours trying to solve problem.
3. What modifications will you have to do to the loco to get the decoder/RC unit to fit in the loco. I've had to drill holes, grind channels, cut flanges, and a host of other things to get the blasted things to fit. Even then, I haven't always been totally successful at making an installation that I was really satisfied with.
4. Many locos have circuit boards in them that contain filtering circuits, sound circuits, etc. and I've not been able to find schematics for any of them. I've spent hours tracking circuit board tracks, tracing wireing, and such trying to figure out what they are doing, how they are doing it, and where I can tap in to make things work. I pity anyone that doesn't have an electronics background. (I'm an Advanced Class Ham)

These are just a few of the problems I've encountered trying to install decoders, and RC units.
My whole point is, If someone else has already solved the problems, figured out the best, or at least a good way to do it, put in an article with pics. Why reinvent the wheel? We do it with building construction and scenery. Why not with decoders and other electronics?
Show step by step how to do it. Many of us don't have advanced mechanical, or electronic skills. Having a step by step pictorial would allow, and encourage, more people to take on installing decoders and R/C themselves.
They do it with the smaller scales. Why not G scale, too?
Having links to different decoder, and electronic installs, all in one place, would make things so much easier for everyone.

[tangerine-jack]

This is a great link for the Bachmann big haulers:

http://trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips1/big_hauler_tips.html

It seems that you have to do a lot of web searches for each loco you own to come up with information on installing decoders. I found the BH web site because I am doing the same to mine right now. I don't think anybody has ever accused G scale of being too "standardized"[banghead]

This site, if you look around it a little, has a lot of great info that you are asking about, upgrades, DCC and other tech info on several brands of locos. Good luck!



[oX)]

[cacole]

Right now, I'm in the process of gathering up the parts needed to install an AirWire900 Wireless DCC system and sound decoder for a Bachmann 38-ton Shay.

I've done a "temporary" installation using jumper wires and I know it works, so now it's just a matter of performing a permanent install.

There's no way an AirWire900 receiver/decoder, sound decoder, speaker, and batteries can be fit into this locomotive without extensive surgery, so I have elected to put the battery (12 Volt 5Ah Gel-Cell) and AirWire900 receiver/decoder into a trailing boxcar and use an 8-conductor DIN cable and jack between the Shay's tender and the boxcar for the necessary connections.

But I don't have the boxcar yet. I've ordered a 27-foot 1:20.3 scale kit from Hartford Products and will use that.

I intend to take photographs and write up a detailed description as I perform this installation, but it's at least another month off.

Anyone interested can contact me via e-mail at [e-mail] and I'll send the instructions when they're finalized.

When you consider how many different locomotive manufacturers there are, how many different models there are, how many different DCC decoders there are, and how many different ways there are that a decoder can be installed, trying to cover all of these possiblilities in a pictorial guide could quickly become a full-time job for someone to keep it current..

[Anonymous]

T Jack,
That's a very good link. That's the sort of stuff I'm talking about. That link has a number of decoder/RC installs and alot of tips for specific locos. It's one I'll keep in my favorites list.
Let's see more links like that!!!

[Anonymous]

hi,

Try some of these links. Some are in German so use Google's translator language tool. http://www.google.com/language_tools

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/locos.htm
http://www.beathis.ch/lgb/digital/decoder.html#Heller_HE11
http://www.tttrains.com/dcc/lgb.htm
http://www.dcctrain.com/zimo.htm
http://www.gartenbahn-rio-grande.ch/html/zimo___dietz.html
http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?

[:)]Have fun[:)]

Gary

[DCCTRAIN]

It is great idea about keep pictures in one place, I did cople of uniq G gauge installations. We are planing to make pictures arhive as well, at this time we have only basic page of decoder installation but definatly will do arhive.

Gary,We completely remodeled out website, please visit this page to get information about ZIMO system http://www.dcctrain.com/shop/custom.asp?recid=15 

 

 

[Anonymous]

How to get locos apart is a big mystery to me as well. So I bite the bullet and pay to have decoders fitted and it really annoys me, as i know i should be able to do it, but i can't.

Ian

[GearDrivenSteam]

I must admit, when I saw the word "pictorial" I thought of something entirely different.

[folkestonekeith]

Surely such detailed instructions could be offered as downloadable.pdfs by the likes of "Garden Railways"?

 I would be willing to pay for such downloads if they allowed me to have a go at fitting decoders/sound systems myself. Paying for such downloads should also benefit the creator of the instructions.

Keith 

[Anonymous]

Yeah Keith but i am not very computer literate? Where is Folkstone, I did a house swap in England last year and went all over in 5 weeks. I lived at Woodham Ferres near Chelmsford in Essex is it anywhere near there?

Rgds Ian

[folkestonekeith]

Ian, Folkestone is in the far south east part of England....to get here from Chelmsford it would have meant a trip up the A12, left onto the M25 over the Dartford Crossing (crossing the Thames southbound, in tunnel northbound!!), third left onto the M20 and down to the end of the motorway. Miss Folkestone you're in Dover and if you miss Dover you end up in the Channel!!

We are closer to France than most places on a UK. On a clear day you can easily see the French coast - and the Kent Group of the G-Scale Society has members and attends shows in France!! 

Keith