There's nothing "nice' about the 8 pin plug - with most brands of decoders you can save a buck or two by getting a plain 9 pin decoder vs one with a harness and an 8 pin plug. TCS for example, has the T1 which has a 9 pin plug and comes with a wire harness, for soldering in. The same decoder, T1A, with just the decoder and no wires, which will plug right in the AThearn 9 pin conenctor, is $1 less. NCE has the D13SRJ which has a 9 pin plug and wires - the same decoder, but with an 9 pin plug, the D13SRP, is SIX dollars more.
I usually hard wire my decoders so I use ones with a 9 pin plug and plain wires. Too many unknowns on a lot of these more and more complicated factory lighting boards, but if I connect the decoder's red and black to the track pickup wires I KNOW it's connected. For my Athearn RS3 though I did just use the T1A and plug into the 9 pin.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
lol nope, this was a 9 pin so you kinda have to remove the dummy plug. Although I did notice they are including an 8 pin socket now on their boards. Nice!
Without having my testing supplies here yet, I still maintain it's the decoder or the loco wouldn't be running on DC... *shrug*
Rob
I hope you didn't leave the dummy plug in when you put the decoder in. I did that once with an Athearn loco. The result was kinda like a roller skating hippo. It wasn't pretty.
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
A reasonable question! I figured if I put it on the DC track and it didn't work (with or without decoder in it, I could reasonably assume I had busted something on the loco itself. Just trying to narrow things down a bit...
Rob_CSo I took it back to the shop, put it on the DC test track
Rob, I realize this is water under the bridge, but why would you to put a decodered loco on a DC test track to check for a possible decoder/DCC issue?
Maybe I'm missing something, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time, but that seems counterintuitive to me.
Rich.
They were both plug and pray digitrax decoders. The second the loco was placed on the track poof. I actually saw them go poof. The system at that time was a Lenz set 01 with a dedicated program track that put an error 02 as soon as it happened. Error 02 means no decoder installed or detected. One loco was a Bachmann 2-8-0 with a DH123 in the quick plug. The other was a P2K S1 with a DZ123. Both decoders popped and turned black at the same spot as the OP pictured. They had to have some sort of defect. I put another brand of decoder in the same locos and never had a problem since. Out of over 100 decoder installs these were the only ones to go poof on me at the git go. I had a Loksound go south after a few months because of a wire that broke loose and short to the frame. I am not a professional decoder installer but do some for club members and other people in the area. I have installed just about every brand of decoder save for MRC in a lot of brands of HO locos, buildings, cranes, cars and other things. I always ohm out the installation before installing a decoder quick plug, hard wire, and even board replacements.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Fried on the program track of which system? Not all are current limited.
locoi1sa Check and re check with a multimeter like has been suggested first. If it checks out ok then put another decoder in and put the loco on the PROGRAM track. The current limiting of the program track will weed out a defect hopefully before damage is done. Although I have had decoders fry on the program track before. They were also Digitrax but that was years ago. Pete
Check and re check with a multimeter like has been suggested first. If it checks out ok then put another decoder in and put the loco on the PROGRAM track. The current limiting of the program track will weed out a defect hopefully before damage is done. Although I have had decoders fry on the program track before. They were also Digitrax but that was years ago.
Really?
Pete, I don't doubt you, but I have never fried a decoder on the programming track. How has that happened to you? And, since you used the plural - - decoders - - that has happened more than once?
Rich
Alton Junction
Besides a multimeter, you should also purchase a decoder tester.
The first thing that I do with a new decoder is run it through the decoder tester to see if the decoder is faulty. Sometimes, brand new decoders can be faulty.
Thanks guys. To clarify, yes the unit works with the dummy plug in, not with it removed.
Also I was able to program the locomotive when the decoder was in it before it fried as well as read back programming. The first indication there was a problem was the lack of lights or movement when placed on the main. So I took it back to the shop, put it on the DC test track and it only ran in reverse, it was reading an overload when switched to forward. Shortly thereafter I smelled the smell. Took off the cover and sure enough!
I guess I'll invest in a multimeter if I want to solve this one.
rrinker or a dummy plug in the 8 pin socket, if that's one of the versions that has both a 9 pin AND an 8 pin connector. --Randy
or a dummy plug in the 8 pin socket, if that's one of the versions that has both a 9 pin AND an 8 pin connector.
+1
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I assume you mean it runs fine in DC AFTER you put the dummy plug back on? With the decoder out and nothing connected to the 9 pin plug it should NOT move - if it does, you've got a short somewhere - or a dummy plug in the 8 pin socket, if that's one of the versions that has both a 9 pin AND an 8 pin connector.
Troubleshoot. Just take your multimeter and check the wiring for shorts. Use the NMRA color code wiring diagram.
Don't ever try messing with DCC installs without using a multimeter. Fairly often, this is not plug and play for those who have limited knowledge of electronics as used in DCC.
Having been in electronics for many years, I do not assume with DCC. Much of this stuff comes from China. No idea on how USA manufacturers fir into the line for DCC installs.
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.
I guess you could risk burning up another decoder, but I would ask why.
If the first one burned due to an oversight or to a previous defect, or to one that took place during reassembly of the shell and frame, it would seem to me to be prudent to try to determine the cause before I spent another inadvertent $18. Or a lot more.
Crandell
Brand new DH123, brand new loco. Just got done painting the shell.
So do I risk burning up another decoder? Who is the likely culperit? Engine runs fine in DC without the DCC decoder.
Any ideas?
Thanks!