Hi!
After reading the postings about the most difficult decoder installations, I just had to ask about the easiest - either with or without sound. As I'm relatively new to the wonderful world of DCC, I'm looking to tackle the easiest installations first to get some experience under my belt. Obviously, your opinions matter - a lot!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I was Sargeant Schultz ("I know nothing, I know nothing") attempting my first decoder installation. Fortunately, it was a Life-Like R17 subway. There's no DCC plug, but the motor is isolated, and the track power and motor leads run to a light board. So, it was a piece of cake to connect up a simple DH123 decoder. All I had back then was a test track, not even a loop, but I spent hours just starting and stopping the train that night.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The Blueline AC6000 is simple. Just remove top radiator and it's right there. Jumper board pops out and decoder pops in.
Springfield PA
You did not mention scale. You might have to know how to solder in some instances.
Do you have your own locos now? If not, buy a loco with DCC and sound. People here will have plenty of suggestions, especially if the loco has a MRC decoder.
Steam will be a different story. The tender cover has to come off.
Above all, make sure you have a multimeter. A meter can hlp with trouble shooting. Think Murphy. You can get inexpensive meters for about $5.00 online. I have three of these inexpensive multimeter's and they are accurate enough for model railroad purposes.
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.
Rich,
I'm into HO, have been since the early '60s. I've got 6 BLI Paragon locos (DCC & sound), and over 50 other powered units. I've ordered decoders to power up 8 Stewart FTs and 8 Stewart Fs(Kato Drive), which from what I can tell will be fairly easy.
Remaining I have 8 more Stewarts, about 20 P2Ks, 5 Atlas, and 5 Spectrum steamers. All are in ATSF or IC livery, and the diesels are all first or early generation.
My reason for the question is to help me select which locos to go after next, as I don't want to jump into a major project at this point. Ha, I am certainly no stranger to motors or soldering irons, but as I am 65, those HO parts keep shrinking on me.........
Thanks,
mobilman44I just had to ask about the easiest - either with or without sound.
Let's see that would apply to Athearn Genesis, Atlas Silver, Proto-2000.
Next in line would be the "Kato Configuration" This is the Kato, Atlas, Stewart, and Athearn that have a plastic board over the motor. 1. Solder stiff wires on the ends of a compatible decoder and over the knotches on the sides. 2. Open shell. 3. Remove the track power wires from the ends of the plastic board. 3. Take out the plastic board. 4. Put in the decoder. 5. Make certain the motor pick up "wires "(flat metal strips) are pressing against the side wires. 6. Put the track power wires on to the stiff wires on the ends. 7. Solder any lamps/led lighting as desired. 8. replace body shell.
I can do it in about 10 minutes if the soldering iron is already hot.
N scale what are Bachman sharks...if you have a few of the old digitrax decoders laying around. All you have to do is get the shell of then pul the old circut board out, then put the new one in, and finally put the shell back on. All and all it takes only 5 min with one of these decoders. The dz 125 works great to but that is just a little more time consuming, but still easy.
Frank
Keep in mind all my decoder installations are hardwired. The easiest one was a pair of SDP40F's. One with an Athearn drive and the other with a Proto 2000 drive. Thirty seconds each.
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
In N scale, I can name several I've done - Kato F3A unit (Digitrax drop-in), Altas FM H 15-44 (Digitrax drop-in), Atlas VO-1000 (TCS drop-in) Intermountain F3 A/B units (Digitrax drop-in, some soldering required on A unit)
The Bachmann Spectrum Consolidation in N scale also pretty easy - just a question of making sure the motor's really isolated and hooking up the wires. Trick is to remember that the colour coding on the wires is actually the wrong way round (i.e. orange to grey, etc.)
The Location: Forests of the Pacific Northwest, OregonThe Year: 1948The Scale: On30The Blog: http://bvlcorr.tumblr.com
Hamltnblue The Blueline AC6000 is simple. Just remove top radiator and it's right there. Jumper board pops out and decoder pops in.
Ditto...
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
TA462 The easiest installations I've done where any Atlas engines with the 8 pin plug. I still prefer to remove the shell just to inspect the loco and it takes about 3 minutes to have it up and running. I just did three C424's this morning in under 10 minutes. Next would be any Proto 2000 loco that will take a DH165L0 decoder. I've done over 100 of these installations and can rip one off in about 3 minutes as well.
The easiest installations I've done where any Atlas engines with the 8 pin plug. I still prefer to remove the shell just to inspect the loco and it takes about 3 minutes to have it up and running. I just did three C424's this morning in under 10 minutes. Next would be any Proto 2000 loco that will take a DH165L0 decoder. I've done over 100 of these installations and can rip one off in about 3 minutes as well.
Agreed on the Proto 2000s that take the DH165L0. Once you add the Soundbug though, you end up milling some of the weight. I've completed 5, with Soundbugs, and have one more to go.
The easiest was the ShowcaseLine SW1. Couple of screws to remove the shell, 2 or 3 more to remove the AC board, pull out the dc plug, plug in the decoder, put the shell back on.
Enjoy
Paul