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Adding DIY Keep-Alive to an NCE D13J

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  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Fullerton, California
  • 1,364 posts
Adding DIY Keep-Alive to an NCE D13J
Posted by hornblower on Monday, November 21, 2022 5:04 PM

My former go-to DCC decoder was the NCE D13SRJ.  I have added keep-alive circuits to several of these.  However, the D13SRJ has been replaced by the D13J and the board is quite different.  There are two solder pads marked "+" and "GND" located under the JST connector.  On the older D13SRJ decoders, there is a solder pad marked "+" right under the JST connector pin connecting to the blue wire and another solder pad marked (-) on the other end of the board. As the keep-alive circuits I attached to these two solder pads worked perfectly on the D13SRJ decoders, is it safe to assume that connecting a keep-alive circuit to the (+) and (GND) solder pads on the D13J decoder should work similarly?  I have sent in an inquiry to NCE but have not received any response.  

Hornblower

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Monday, November 21, 2022 8:44 PM

Call NCE. They answer the phone and provide help right then and there.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Fullerton, California
  • 1,364 posts
Posted by hornblower on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 12:47 PM

I went ahead and tried connecting the keep-alive to the (+) and (GND) solder pads and it worked perfectly.  I guess I thought those nicely marked and available solder pads just looked too good to be true!

Hornblower

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 12:50 PM

hornblower

I went ahead and tried connecting the keep-alive to the (+) and (GND) solder pads and it worked perfectly.  I guess I thought those nicely marked and available solder pads just looked too good to be true!

Yes

Rich

Alton Junction

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