I am new to DCC, and I had two Athearn Quick-Plug enabled engines that I wanted to put DCC decoders in. As I could find virtually no pictures of how to do this online, I tried to put one in the first engine without help. What I ended up doing, was unplugging the DC plug from the DCC socket and plugging the 9-pin to 8-pin decoder into the DC plug. I put the engine on the track, turned on the power and the engine makes this high-pitched scream and all the lights come on. Won't move, but making ungodly noise.
Then I found a Youtube video that showed how to install a DCC decoder in a Athearn QuickPlug engine and realize I wasn't even using the decoder(was using the 9 to 8 pin thingy) and that I plugged it into the wrong socket anyway. So, I took the other engine and the other decoder and everything worked fine.
Went back to the first engine(now that I knew what I was doing) and stuck the decoder in the correct spot and it won't move. No lights, no moving. So, now I'm not sure if I have a faulty decoder, or if I fried the engine somehow by hooking up the wrong things first. Help!!!!
Thanks,
Mike
Well, first mistake is using a 9 pin decoder and trying to plug it into an 8 pin socket. You should have had and 8 pin decoder for an 8 pin socker your life would have been easier. you can try calling then here for help:
http://www.litchfieldstation.com/xcart/product.php?productid=999002780
Litchfield Station is a self-proclaimed DCC guru of sorts.
They even have picture tutorials.
He helped me with my Athearn 8 pin plug DCC ready on which Decoder to buy. Onlyest thing is I have yet to budge the DC jumper out of the dern plug to install the DCC decoder!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Well, I plugged the 9-pin decoder into the 9-pin DC plug(that's supposed to be throw away) and then I plugged the 8-pin end of the decoder into the circuit board itself, where there were 8-pin holes, seemed logical. I didn't realize that the cheap feeling plastic thing with Digitrax written on it was the actual decoder, dummy me thought it was a throw away "cover" for the real decoder(which turned out to the be 9-pin to 8-pin one). Sigh.
mike_brubaker I am new to DCC... So, now I'm not sure if I have a faulty decoder, or if I fried the engine somehow by hooking up the wrong things first. Help!!!! Thanks, Mike
I am new to DCC... So, now I'm not sure if I have a faulty decoder, or if I fried the engine somehow by hooking up the wrong things first. Help!!!!
Mike, this isn't going to me much help to you, but there is such a thing as a decoder tester. I think Digitrax sells one. If you are likely to want to install decoders more often, it might be a good investment. And yes, it is possible you got a dud decoder, but it is also possible the pins are not inserted correctly, maybe bent, poor contact. Are you sure power is getting to the pickups? Have you metered the tracks?
Crandell
mike_brubaker Well, I plugged the 9-pin decoder into the 9-pin DC plug(that's supposed to be throw away) and then I plugged the 8-pin end of the decoder into the circuit board itself, where there were 8-pin holes, seemed logical. I didn't realize that the cheap feeling plastic thing with Digitrax written on it was the actual decoder, dummy me thought it was a throw away "cover" for the real decoder(which turned out to the be 9-pin to 8-pin one). Sigh.
So if I understand correctly, you plugged the 8 pins harness to the DC plug and then the 8 pins plug end of the harness into the circuit board. It is possible the decoder is shot, does it smell burned or did you see some smoke out of it? I am sure the loco is OK though.
NCE sell a decoder tester for $20, this is a neat little gadget to have.
Until you have access to a decoder tester, I would try the decoder in a different loco to see if it works. A factory reset may bring this decoder back to life.
Jack W.
I would suspect the decoder is toast. You cna try it in one of the other known good locos now that you knwo how to install it properly, but I'll go out an a limb and say it's time to take advantage of the Digitrax No Worries warranty (you did say it was a Digitrax decoder). The way the Athearn locos with the quick plug connection are wired, there is normally nothign in the 8 pin socket and a DC 'dummby' board with diodes for directionally lighting plugged in to the 9 pin connector. If you plug a decoder in the 8 pin and do not remove the dummy plug fromt he 9 pin, there's a short. I guess I am having a hard time following all the plugging - if you had a decoder that came with a harness, 9 pin to 8 pin, and plugged the 8 pin end into the loco's 8 pin socket, the 9 pin end can only plug into the decoder or the dummy plug. If you plugged the harness intot he 8 pin plug, and put the decoder itself on the 9 pin connector, leaving the other end of the harness dangling, no harm. If you then put the dummy plug on the 9 pin end of the harness, we're back to a short again.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The Digitrax package came with a 9-pin decoder, AND a 9-pin to 8-pin decoder with a bunch of wires in between. I took the 9-8 pin one(which was wrong) and plugged the 9-pin end into the dummy plug(DC) and the 8-pin end into the circuit board on the engine itself. So, nothing was actually plugged into the DCC 9-pin connection at all, just sitting waving in the wind. :)
Mike, what you call an 9 pin to 8 pin decoder with a bunch of wires in between is what we call an harness.
What you did was connecting the dummy DC plug into the 8 pin circuit board and created a short, exactly what Randy said would happen. If your install was first tested on a programming track, a possibility exist that the decoder in not toasted. A factory reset may bring back it to life. If it is shut as we suspect, return to Digitrax under warranty.
If you moved the dummy plug fromt he 9 pin connection on the AThearn to the 9 pin connector on the harness, and plugged the 8 pin plug into the loco socket - theoretically is actually should have worked on DC just like before, depending on exactly how it's wired. That shouldn;t have fried anything. For installing a decoder, if the decoder is plugged into the 9 pin plug on the loco, then the 8 pin socket must be left empty. It doesn;t sound like you actually had the decoder itself connected or even in the loco when all this happened, so the decoder itself should be just fine.
It makes me wonder too what kind of DCC system you have. Some won't run a DC loco at all. I've heard of NCE systems frying a DC loco.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Mike.
The first step after EVERY decoder installation either plug in or hard wired is to put it on the program track. I even put new decoder equipped locos on the program track first. This program track is the best decoder tester on the market and it comes with just about every DCC system. When the limited current program track detects a short it cuts power to the rails instantly and gives you a trouble code. Too many people go right to the mainline and give the new decoder a full bit of power. If there is a problem then the decoder is usually fried and you still have an unknown problem that will fry another decoder if you try it again.
I just can't stress this enough.
1 Research the decoder install.
2 Buy the proper decoder.
3. Remove the shell.
4. Install the decoder.
5. SET LOCO ON PROGRAM TRACK.
6. Program address and configure the decoder.
7. Re install the shell
8. Place on main line and run.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
If you just let it sit there and cook, ANY of them will destory a DC loco, eventually. There's nothing different about the track signal from system to system that would make one more likely than another to fry a DC loco. Athearn motors are fairly robust, it would have to sit for quite a while to be damaged - it it doesn;t take that long to see that it's not runnign when you attempot to 'select' it. Unless you leave it sit with power on while runnign upstairs to post ont he board askign for help, adn wait for the reply, before ever going back - that would probably fry just about anything.
rrinker If you moved the dummy plug fromt he 9 pin connection on the AThearn to the 9 pin connector on the harness, and plugged the 8 pin plug into the loco socket - theoretically is actually should have worked on DC just like before, depending on exactly how it's wired. That shouldn;t have fried anything. For installing a decoder, if the decoder is plugged into the 9 pin plug on the loco, then the 8 pin socket must be left empty. It doesn;t sound like you actually had the decoder itself connected or even in the loco when all this happened, so the decoder itself should be just fine. --Randy
Yeah you are absolutely wright Randy, the decoder was never connected to anything, it is as good as new.
Could the circuit board be toasted?
If you have the decoder connected to the loco remove it for this test. With the decoder removed from the loco run DC power directly to the motor. If it runs the problem is the circuit board. If not you'll likely need a new motor or send the loco back for replacement if it's new. Check all the connections on the board. Some Athearn locos I have had a bad habit of dropping wires initially until I soldered all the connections.
Alternately, if it proves to be the board, just get a harness for the decoder that ends in wires instead of an 8 pin plug, remove the Athearn board, and solder the wires together. You'll need resistors for the light bulbs though.