Another option would be using a "drop-in" decoder where you remove the lightboard entirely and replace it with a lightboard shaped decoder.
If it is the board with the short 9-wire 'pigtail' to a smaller board with come components on it - yes, they are on there pretty good and it takes some effort to remove. Do not pull against the main board, what you need to do is grasp all 9 wires and gradually work the 'dummy plug' board witht he diodes out of the socket. It does sometimes take some force, just work slowly and carefully and don't yank it off.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
David and Pete are right, I did not understand that you were refering to the 9 pin interface.
Sheldon
Dennis.
I have done about a dozen of those swaps. Yes those plugs are hard to pull out. I have found that using a small screw driver you can start it coming out by carefully prying on the sides of it. If you are going to use the 8 pin socket then you can just cut off the little ribbon cable to the plug.
As an aside out of the dozen or so I have done, I had found that the Athearn board is faulty on a few of the units I changed over. I followed the traces and noticed that the lights are run directly to the plug socket bypassing the resistors and diodes. Plugging a nine pin decoder to the ribbon does not bypass the resistors. The worst that will happen is the lights will burn out instantly.
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!
Dennis,
You did not say which Athearn loco you have, and I surely don't have all of them to know exactly what the board set up is, BUT, if the "DC" board you are referring to is plugged in somewhere other than the 8 pin socket, I would think it should stay even after adding a decoder.
If it is pluged into the 8 pin socket, just pull it straight out, yes it might be really tight, I know the Bachmann ones are.
Generally, DCC ready locos have a small "jumper" circuit board plugged into the 8 pin socket. That comes out and the decoder plugs in. All other wiring generally can and should stay in place.
I am in the process of installing a dcc decoder into a Athern plug & play diesel. The Athern instruction show a different board than is in the loco however there is an 8 pin socket for the decoder I have. No problem there. The dc board is attached to the rest of the board via a connector (white) I've tried pulling the plug out but no luck. Are they that hard to remove or doesn't it come out?
First time I've done one of these so any advice would be appreciated.
Dennis
CDN Dennis
Modeling the HO scale something or other RR in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies Alberta, Canada