Question? Decoder for New Release of Proto N GP38-2

[Anonymous]

 

 The New release of the Life-Like Proto 2000 aka Walthers GP38-2 has a printed circuit board very similar in design to the Kato unit in the AC4400's.

 My question is has any other N Scale Digitrax or other DCC system user found a plug and play drop in decoder that works for this engine?

If so which one...and brand...did you use?

[Anonymous]

I emailed digitrax and they said the gp18 uses DN163K2.  It looks really close to it but the pic is so big online it is hard to tell.  So I asked if I could be the test bed and send them a loaner in exchange for the first two production decoders...

 

for some reason they declined...

[retsignalmtr]

i used the dn163k2 decoders in my lifelike proto rs2's. they have the motor contacts that hang down on both sides of the decoder. be sure to use tape to protect the motor contacts from touching the frame and if the decoder feels too loose when in place add some solder to the spots on the decoder where the board power pickups contact the frame. mine was too loose and moved when i replaced the shell and shorted out. digitrax replaced it at no cost.