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Finding the right decader

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  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Manitou, Okla
  • 1,630 posts
Posted by mikesmowers on Saturday, December 27, 2008 9:32 AM

   Thanks for the help. I will get these on order.    Mike

Modeling Trains Is Not A Matter Of Life Or Death, It Is Much More Important Than That!!
  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Manitou, Okla
  • 1,630 posts
Posted by mikesmowers on Friday, December 26, 2008 8:07 PM

    I am sorry.. I shouldn't have mentioned I am in N scale.    Sorry.     Mike

Modeling Trains Is Not A Matter Of Life Or Death, It Is Much More Important Than That!!
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  • From: Gahanna, Ohio
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Posted by jbinkley60 on Friday, December 26, 2008 6:08 PM

mikesmowers

   David, did you mean "DN" by any chanch? All the N scale decoders at tony's Trains start with "DN. Also there are some other letters and/or numbers at the end of the decoder number, there are several decodersd that are listed as DN163 with different  numbers/letters at mthe end. The one I bought at the train show in OKC is a "DN163K1B." The man at the Digitrax booth said it was the right one but it has contacts going down in about the center of the decoder (like a KATO) but do not connect to anything. What about these?  Thanks for the help, I want to order the right ones the first time.   

  Engineer jeff. I looked at the page you posted and my decoders don't look anything like what I seen in the pics. Mine are a circuit board with the lights already wired in, seems to simply slide in place. I am very green at this DCC stuff. Maybe this is what are called "Plug & Play"?   Mike

Mike,  I assumed we were talking about HO, not N scale.  All Digitrax HO decoders started with "DH" and all N scale decoders start with "DN".  Are we talking N scale here ?  The decoder you listed, DN163K1B is the only decoder that Digitrax lists for N scale Athearns, for the SD70M.  Does this look like what is in your unit ?    The link Rich posted looks pretty thorough for a HO scale replacement using a TCS decoder but that would be similar to a DH163A0 Digitrax decoder.

 

Engineer Jeff NS Nut
Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/

  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Friday, December 26, 2008 5:54 PM

Here is one suggestion. Bruce of Litchfield Station is very helpful.

http://litchfieldstation.com/DCC-University/install/HOD/AthearnGenesis-SD75M-A6X.htm

Found through a Google search.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ned=us&q=Athearn+SD75M&btnmeta%3Dsearch%3Dsearch=Search+the+Web

Make sure when you search to use correct spelling.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Manitou, Okla
  • 1,630 posts
Posted by mikesmowers on Friday, December 26, 2008 5:43 PM

   David, did you mean "DN" by any chanch? All the N scale decoders at tony's Trains start with "DN. Also there are some other letters and/or numbers at the end of the decoder number, there are several decodersd that are listed as DN163 with different  numbers/letters at mthe end. The one I bought at the train show in OKC is a "DN163K1B." The man at the Digitrax booth said it was the right one but it has contacts going down in about the center of the decoder (like a KATO) but do not connect to anything. What about these?  Thanks for the help, I want to order the right ones the first time.   

  Engineer jeff. I looked at the page you posted and my decoders don't look anything like what I seen in the pics. Mine are a circuit board with the lights already wired in, seems to simply slide in place. I am very green at this DCC stuff. Maybe this is what are called "Plug & Play"?   Mike

Modeling Trains Is Not A Matter Of Life Or Death, It Is Much More Important Than That!!
  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Gahanna, Ohio
  • 1,987 posts
Posted by jbinkley60 on Friday, December 26, 2008 5:37 PM

mikesmowers

    I have two Athrens SD75M locos and am wanting to install Digitrax decoders in them. What are the correct decoders to fit them, or where can I find a place that I can look them up myself? I will probley order them from Tony's Trains.   Thanks,     Mike

Here's the decoder matrix at Digitrax's website.  They list these units:

http://www.digitrax.com/decsel.php#HO

If they are newer and have the DCC socket then the DH123D or DH163D will work, as Dave points out the additional functions.  Also The DH163 have Back EMF where the DH123s do not.  I'd suggest you pop the shell and see if there is a DCC socket there.  If not, it might be helpful to post a picture of the unit with the shell removed.

 

Engineer Jeff NS Nut
Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Manitou, Okla
  • 1,630 posts
Finding the right decader
Posted by mikesmowers on Friday, December 26, 2008 4:35 PM

    I have two Athrens SD75M locos and am wanting to install Digitrax decoders in them. What are the correct decoders to fit them, or where can I find a place that I can look them up myself? I will probley order them from Tony's Trains.   Thanks,     Mike

Modeling Trains Is Not A Matter Of Life Or Death, It Is Much More Important Than That!!

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