I picked up a pair of these DH163PS decoders at my LHS as they are moving and discounting a lot of stuff. I put one in my Spectrum 4-6-0 (DCC ready) which ran great on DC. I use Decoder Pro to program my engines. I reset the address and tested it with everything else at default. I can't get any motion (forward or back) but the decoder responds to the new address and the lights work (both directions when selected) and can be turned on and off with Function 0. I removed the decoder (plug in type) and the engine runs fine on DC. I replaced the decoder but put it in backwards and it smoked! I put the second decoder in and programmed it like the first one and got the same results (didn't smoke this one!). I can't figure out why it doesn't respond to motion/throttle? I set the decoder for DCC only and even tried using address 03. Any suggestions as to what might cause this?
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
It sounds to me like something is shorting out in the tender -- turning the decoder plug around should not have caused to decoder to release its magic smoke.
Examine the area under the socket where the decoder plugs in and make sure the decoder pins aren't touching the metal weight under the circuit board.
Some decoder plugs have longer pins than others, and the pins may be touching metal under the circuit board.
If the pins are touching, you most likely now have two dead decoders.
That turning the plug around caused it to smoke should give you a clue of where to look. Normally, plugging the 8 pin in backwards reverses the track pickups (non-issue) and reverse the motor wires (causes the loco to run opposite the commanded direction), as well as mixes up the lights but puts the one wire on a pin which in the NMRA definition has no connection and therefore causes no harm. The other thing to check, besides protruding pins, is if there are any solder bridges between any pins of the 8 pin socket on the factory board.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
If you have a decoder tester, such as an NCE DTK, test the decoder to see if it is fried or still functioning.
Rich
Alton Junction
I didn't think turning the plug around would have fried the decoder? I've done it before with no smoke. I will look at the pins/board/metal weight tomorrow and see if I can find the problem. I also have an NCE decoder tester and will check them out. The one decoder that 'smoked' still worked the lights and direction command but I am sure the smoke was still bad news for the board.
PS: I thought I got a great deal on the decoders; $8.25 each, but now I may have just burned $16.50!
Digitrax has a one year "no worry" warranty on its decoders.
http://www.digitrax.com/support/returns/
This bit of information on the TCS site may point to your problem ....
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/Spectrum%204-6-0/TCS%20Decoder%20Install,%20Bachmann%204-6-0.html
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
This has been an interesting project for me. I took the light board out and looked at the underside. The socket pins looked OK but some were a little long so I clipped them back and then decided to just take it out all together and hard wire the decoder. I traced all the wires back to the 'harness' that goes to the connecting plugs to the loco. The engine runs now but in the process I forgot about the resistors that were on the board and fried the LED's. I replaced the tender LED with a 12 volt warm white that I had and it works. I haven't replace the headlight yet (too much close quarter soldering for one day!). I did notice that the rear light stays on all the time now and when programming it in Decoder Pro I couldn't find a way to change it. Maybe when I get the headlight installed I can sort it out?
Mark R. : Your link to the TCS site looks like what caused my problem too. I did test the 'smoked' decoder on the NCE tester using Decoder Pro and it seems to be OK?? I could read all the motor and light settings from the decoder and changed its address back to 03. I just need to try it in a loco and see if it responds.
Thanks to all of you with your advise, comments and suggestions. One more problem solved thanks to the forum.
I will let you know if the 'smoked' decoder actually works when I test it in a loco. Also, thanks for the reminder of Digitrax's One Year Warranty; I may need to use it!
A light staying on is a sign of the function control being fried. As often as not, the drivers fry in the 'closed' position so act like they are always turned on regardless of the function setting. Good thing is, these are 163 series decoders so you have 4 more function lines to use in case the yellow wire is indeed blown.
rrinkerGood thing is, these are 163 series decoders so you have 4 more function lines to use in case the yellow wire is indeed blown.
rrinkerGood thing is, these are 163 series decoders so you have 4 more function lines to use in case the yellow wire is indeed blown. --Randy
richhotrain Digitrax has a one year "no worry" warranty on its decoders. http://www.digitrax.com/support/returns/ Rich
farrellaa richhotrain Digitrax has a one year "no worry" warranty on its decoders. http://www.digitrax.com/support/returns/ Rich Well guys, I sent the smoked decoder back to Digitrax on 8-15-14 and it came back today 8-21-14 as a new replacement decoder. Very impressed with their customer service on this one. Now to figure out which loco I can install it in? -Bob
Well guys, I sent the smoked decoder back to Digitrax on 8-15-14 and it came back today 8-21-14 as a new replacement decoder. Very impressed with their customer service on this one. Now to figure out which loco I can install it in?