Hi Guys
I have been planning on converting to DCC sometime this year ( hopefully ) but I have noticed on digitrax site that they no longer offer the wiring harness used to convert older blue box models to accept dcc decoders. Has there been anything as a substitute? I see on there site they show a substitute but the picture they show is juts a decoder and not the harness itself.
Is there another option out there to convert older blue box models? I have alot of blue box models that run better and smother then alot of newer loco's
Motor control or sound?
Are you looking for this type:
http://www.digitrax.com/products/mobile-decoders/dhwh/
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Check e bay and some of the stores on there just type in wiring harness for decoders. Yankee Dabbler usually has them. Jim.
Thanks guys,
Actually Penncentral this is what I was looking for.
http://www.digitrax.com/products/retired/mobile-decoders/dh163at/
They can no longer get the parts from Athearn to make up the harnesses. Do the AT harnesses and the two -AT decoders will be discontinued.
Fear not - the extra expense is absolutely unecessary anyway! If you have one, you can easily see which whire fromt he decoder connects to which clip. Just buy the plain decoders with wires, no 8 pin plugs or other extra cost items, and solder the wires to the approriate clip. Cut off the tabs fromt he bottom motor clip that contact the frame, and put a layer or two of Kapton tap in the motor well to prevent contact.
And if you have ONE - you don;t even have to worry about soldering on the loco, use the plain clips you removed fromt he one you already converted to make up the next one - you'll always have at least one extra set of motor clips to work with to prepare the next loco. And you can use any decoder.
Plus, for superior operation, drill and tap a hole in the loco frame and insert a brass screw to solder the track power wire to, instead of using the clip to connect it to the front light post - the light posts are usually loosely riveted and make poor contact, a screw in the frame will be solid and more reliable.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I've converted my Athearns with a plain DH123D decoder and soldered wires directly to the motor brush clips, lights and pick-ups, pretty easy to do.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
rrinker Cut off the tabs fromt he bottom motor clip that contact the frame, and put a layer or two of Kapton tap in the motor well to prevent contact.
Randy's advice is spot on, as usual, especially the part about using Kapton tape in the motor well. That's something lots of folks tend to forget, and since it's out of sight it can cause a "mysterious" short.
I'd like to add another option, which is to just use a pair of pliers to squeeze the tabs on the lower motor clip down so they're flush with the "body" of the clip, and/or switch the top and bottom clips.
That way you don't have to worry about a tab, or the cut end of one, eventually wearing through the tape. I usually do both, squeeze the tabs down, and then use that clip on the top.
But either way, remember the tape!
Oh yeah, foirgot to mention switching the clips, since the top one doesn't have the extra tabs sticking down to contact the frame, which could wear through the tape eventually. If you aren't careful when cutting them off, or using a less than sharp pair of cutters, you could deform the entire clip, so swapping them avoids the issue completely.