The ones with that type of board are a DEFINITE hard wire - that's one screwy circuit on that board, especially after you cut the marked traced for DCC operation.
Since you're hard wiring, save a few bucks and get a T1 for TCS or a D13SRJ for NCE. The specialty board ones usually cost more and aren't really needed. I need to upload pics of my P2K GP7 with a TCS T-1 - that was one witht he 8 pin plug and seperate diode board but still I prefer to disconnectit all and hard wire.
--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 would use a board replacement style decoder in this. The stock P2K board has all sorts of extra gobbledygook on it. Take it out, and hook up the wires to the similar terminals on the decoder. For NCE use a DA-SR. The one on the bottom in the picture is a TCS A4X.
Both of these now have dropping resistors right on the board, so hooking up LEDs is very easy. On the NCE board, cut a trace.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
I did hard wire a PK1000 F 3 the same day. I can do it, I hate cutting and twisting the tiny wires together. I do have a small pair of cheap wire strippers from Harbor Freight.
Ken
I hate Rust
Next step, go whole hog and remove all traces of the P2K circuit board. Use the D13SRJ or D15SRJ decoders tha thave the 9 pin plug so if you fry another decoder, you can just plug in a replacement - or try different ones, the 9 pin plug is a standard do you can plug any 9 pin equipped decoder into the harness from another brand, so you could try a TCS T-series, or a Digitrax, or Lenz, or different NCE, or even a sound decoder without rewiring the loco.
I KNEW I had a justification for my tendency to hard wire everything - besides not having to deal with questional circuit boards, that is.
Cacole, thanks for the advices. I finally got a round to installing the LED. First time the SD 7 had a decent headlight! I cut the blue and white wires from the harness and did it that way. In the long run it was easier.
Now I can see light shinning through cracks I never seen before, a easy fix.
If you can determine with a VOM which headlight wire is positive and which is negative coming from the P2K board, you can wire the LED there instead of directly to the decoder.
cacoleYes, you can replace the bulb with an LED and 1K Ohm resistor wired into either line, but I'd wire it directly to the decoder and not through the P2K circuit board.
Yes, you can replace the bulb with an LED and 1K Ohm resistor wired into either line, but I'd wire it directly to the decoder and not through the P2K circuit board.
Why?
If I wire it straight to the decoders wires, just clip the wires at the 8 pin plug and go from there?
Thanks for the answer Cacole.
For a P2K you don't need Torque Kick -- leave these CVs alone. They would be used only for an older loco with an open frame motor.
I have a few question about the above. First when I had the SD 7 with the R15SR on the PR 3 using Decoder Pro I saw something I never saw before. I saw Torque Kick Rate and Torque Kick Strength. I have a idea how I should use it, but still not sure. Do I use it with CV 2 or do I use it as a stand a lone function to get the engine moving at 1% power. (using my DT 400).
The lights where pretty Cabooseie from the start. Engine has a PK 432-X001R1 board and used light bulbs, not LED's. Can I wire a 1000 Resistor to the correct side of the LED, then wire it to the PC board?
Good to have this engine back on line. I asked about this engine say 6 to 8 moths ago and you folks where right. It smoked the decoder. It was ran a lot before Simon found the Bus wire problem.
Again, thanks for the coming answers. And NO, I don't want to hard wire.