I just burned out a (fortunately old non-sound) decoder while installing it in an Athearn F59. Even though it says it's "DCC Ready" and has a light board with both eight and nine pin receptacles, you do still have to take it apart and isolate the motor from the frame.
The ones with the board clipped to the top of the motor with a 8 and/or 9 pin plug can be used as-is, just plug a decoder in, however the motor is still connected to teh chassis so it would be possible in a derailment for a wheel to contact the rail and be pushed into the chassis, which would fry the decoder. Much like the P2K S1 switchers. How likely is this to happen? It depends. For best results the motor should be insulated just like with old BB versions, but it's not strictly necessary. This only applies to those RTR locos that have a circuit board with decoder plug. If there's no circuit board and decoder plug, I doubt it's any different than the original BB version and will need the same type of install.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
It sounds like the Athearn RTR F7 is still basically like the blue box F7 - need to remove the motor and line the mounting area with insulation electrical tape and re-install, to isolate it from the frame. I think this is true for several of the former bluebox diesels, including the GP40-2.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Fieryturbo,
Do You know for sure if it is a DCC ready with 8/9 pin plug? Should be if it is a 2013 RTR. The reason I ask is there are You Tube Install video's out there for hardwire and DCC ready/Blue box and each is different and do You want sound? Do You know what kind of decoder You want to install? They also have ''how to's''. An ATH stock number, would also help, instead of throwing out all kinds of info, for something You don't have.
Take a look at some of these installs from TCS for Athearn's:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/HO_Search/search.html
Take Care!
Frank
I added DCC to 3 F7-A units last summer. It's a simple fix, the biggest issue is that the motor gets its power from the body, so you need to isolate the motor (a strip of electrical tape does the trick). The other issue is because the frame is "hot", you need to solder one of the DCC power inputs to the body, or re-wire the truck so the frame is no longer "hot".
There's a ton of space in there, it's not hard at all. I would also recommend replacing the headlight with an LED.
Hi,
Have any of you done a DCC install on the newest run of the RTR F7s?
I bought one at Trainfest this weekend, and it seems confusing to me.
The last one I did was a proto 2000 E9A, which turned out okay, but was really complicated to get both speakers in.
Julian
Modeling Pre-WP merger UP (1974-81)