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Replace DCC Ready Board

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  • Member since
    February 2010
  • 17 posts
Replace DCC Ready Board
Posted by ReadingFan on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 9:55 AM

I have a steam engine where the DCC ready board in the tender has fried.  Does anyone know where replacement parts could be sourced?  Or is it better to go a different route?

 

Thanks

  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:03 AM

The different route is, what brand, scale, model of loco?

 Is the PC board really burnt, smell, or just not responding?

I suspect you are very new to DCC. SoundTraxx has a decoder selector.

 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.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:18 AM

Many times a photo of the loco, tender will be a great help.

Look at your first message as if you had no idea of what the loco is.

We have no idea of what you have. There are many possibilities.

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.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:21 AM

One suggestion, go to the SoundTraxx site. They have a decoder selector for different brands and scales. This assumes you have experience with DCC. Many are not plug and play.

Edit.

I guess I should include the link.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step2.php?s=ho

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.

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Northeast OH
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Posted by NeO6874 on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:21 AM

who's the manufacturer?

how's it connected inside the tender (e.g. 8 pin or 9 pin plug, or hardwired to the connections between the loco/tender)?

-Dan

Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site

  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 10:46 AM

Assuming you are new to this. Study the below link a lot.

http://www.mrdccu.com/

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.

  • Member since
    February 2010
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Posted by ReadingFan on Saturday, October 4, 2014 7:40 AM

Sorry for the delayed feedback.

dccboard

Here's an image (if I've attached it correctly).  One of the resisters on the board has smoked.  It did smell and visually, you can see the damage.  The engine is a GHB Reading Crusader.  Note that this isn't the DCC decoder, it's the board the decoder plugs in to.  I'm fine with soldering in a replacement as needed.  I'm not familiar where I can source this type of a part.

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 1,206 posts
Posted by mfm37 on Saturday, October 4, 2014 8:09 AM

You will need to contact the engine's manufactureer for spare parts. Either that or custom build a suitable alternative.

Martin Myers

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, October 4, 2014 8:38 AM

Your best bet is to contact GHB International in Maryland to see if they can provide a replacement board.

Rich

Alton Junction

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    February 2010
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Posted by ReadingFan on Saturday, October 4, 2014 4:07 PM

I should have mentioned that I've reached out to GHB twice over the last 4 weeks and have not received any response.  Coming to the forum is me getting to the point where I need to try something else.  If anyone reading this can help me get in touch with George, I would certainly appreciate it.  Maybe my messages are getting caught up somewhere.

 

I'd also love to hear what others have done to replace a light board or eliminate it.

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 2,268 posts
Posted by NeO6874 on Monday, October 6, 2014 8:27 AM

unfortunately, the picture didn't work.

Does it look similar to one of these:

 

or more like one of these:

-Dan

Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site

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    November 2005
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
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Posted by woodone on Monday, October 6, 2014 9:24 AM

ReadingFan
I've reached out to GHB twice over the last 4 weeks

ReadingFan

I should have mentioned that I've reached out to GHB twice over the last 4 weeks and have not received any response.  Coming to the forum is me getting to the point where I need to try something else.  If anyone reading this can help me get in touch with George, I would certainly appreciate it.  Maybe my messages are getting caught up somewhere.

 

I'd also love to hear what others have done to replace a light board or eliminate it.

 

I've reached out to GHB twice over the last 4 weeks

Via phone or the web page- I just really love the way some places will not respond to a request like yours.

It is like you don't exise! I would call and send a e-mail untill youget a responce.

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, October 6, 2014 12:28 PM

  I don't think GHB is very responsive period. I believe for a time, one of the guys at the club was actually doing the repairs on the Crusader sets for them. I think every one that got purchased had issues, but once fixed they ran quite well.A real shame because models of these locos are few and far between, the GHB set was finally a chance to get one that was fairly accurate without paying brass prices or paying collector prices for the old Penn Line model, which are quite rare.

 For an electrical problem like this, I'd just figure out where each wire went and hard wire a decoder and be done with it.

                       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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