I am replacing the old DC board on my Bachmann F40PH by installing a Digitrax DH165AO on it. I read the directions in the DH165AO manual. Will lthe L/IN (red) R/IN (black) wire "as it says in the DC board in the locomotive" go into the LH TRK (black) RH (red) TRK "as it says in the Digitrax decoder manual" adjacently or will I have to switch the wires. The motor wires in the Bachmann F40PH locomotive are black and red. There are also 2 black and 2 red LED wires in that board. It pretty much looks like im not quite sure where each and any wires from the old board will go into the DH165AO, please help. I included these pictures for reference.
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It sounds like B-mann color coded everything backwards, so I'd switch everything to be consistent, and give the best chance of accidentally running the right way on a DC layout. So, hook the black pickups to the red input, and the reds to the black input. This steop won't make any difference unless you try to run on a DC layout.
Then, hook the red wire from the motor to the grey output, and the black wire of the motor to the orange output. Then test. If the loco runs the opposite of the direction you expect, swap the motor wires.
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
davidmbedard wrote: The RED lead to the decoder is for the RIGHT rail. The BLACK lead to the decoder is for the LEFT rail. That is NMRA standard.David B
The RED lead to the decoder is for the RIGHT rail. The BLACK lead to the decoder is for the LEFT rail. That is NMRA standard.
David B
Exactly. The red input should be connected to the right rail, whatever color of wire B-mann chose to use. But the only time it will make any different is if you run on a DC layout.
alloboard wrote:
I'm curios as to why you would use a DCC replacement board that is designed for an Atlas or Athearn Genesis locomotive (maybe KATO?). The small brown square on the Bachmann board is an 8-pin dummy plug. I would imagine that just taking out the dummy plug and replacing it with a decoder equipped with an 8-pin plug would be easier. You can use one that has the pins soldered directly to the DCC board, like this one, or one that has a 8-pin plug wired to the DCC decoder like this one. Mind you that the ones I showed are "back oredered", besides, almost all manufacturers make these types of decoders; you get the idea.
TONY
"If we never take the time, how can we ever have the time." - Merovingian (Matrix Reloaded)
Vail and Southwestern RR wrote: davidmbedard wrote: The RED lead to the decoder is for the RIGHT rail. The BLACK lead to the decoder is for the LEFT rail. That is NMRA standard.David B Exactly. The red input should be connected to the right rail, whatever color of wire B-mann chose to use. But the only time it will make any different is if you run on a DC layout.
Maybe he has the loco turned around backwards?
Rotor
Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...
On Atlas engine's lightboards, the two tabs for engine power would be on what would normally be the "left" side of the engine. So in your picture, the lower decoder would be oriented correctly if the front of your engine is to the right of the picture and the rear towards the left.
But ya, I would just pull the dummy plug and slap in an eight pin 'plug and play' decoder.