You didn't say anything about wanting sound. That doesn't necessarily mean you might not be expecting sound. In which case you will have to install a speaker and get more than a bare bones DCC decoder. Just sayin'...
Nub there is no charge to start a new thread for a new topic. Good titles are helpful to get answers to your specific question because they catch the eye of people who have done what you propose to do.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
nub All i want to do for now is put a decoder in it. It says all i have to do is unplug the DCC jumper board, and then plug in a 9-pin or 8-pin decoder. No resistors should be needed for the light bulbs.
Here is a link to Digitrax's economy decoder, it's about $20. Some hobby shops sell it for $18.
http://www.digitrax.com/products/mobile-decoders/dh126d/
It's from the Digitrax web site. They have decoder selector, go the site, and learn how to use it. It's all drop-down boxes, and easy to use.
This decoder is 2 functions, which will give you the motor controls, forward and reverse, and front and rear light. The circuit board that you plug the decoder into has the lights set up ready to go. No need for resistors UNLESS you switch to LED lighting, and that is a whole different procedure.
Unplug the wire harness that comes with the DH126D, and plug the decoder (the little blue shrink wrapped part) into your loco. Done, put the shell back on a run your train. It will have the default address of 3.
There are many brands of decoders.
Mike.
My You Tube
NUB,
Here is a link to installing a decoder in an Athearn HO scale SW1000. http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Athearn/SW1500_DCC_Ready/Athearn_SW1500_DCC_Ready.html
One of the resons you see so many choices is because there are so many. Athearn provides both an 8 pin blug and a 9 pin plug. Choose a decoder with the features you desire and that will fit one of those plugs. Digitrax decoder selector shows several choices. Pick the model that best suits your needs and budget. They usually imclude at least one hard wired model in their charts. Stay away from those as they would require some soldering which should not be necessary on this engine.
Martin Myers
Hi guys how ya all doing? Have question decoders. I just bought a new in the box Athearn SW1000, it says it is dcc ready. All i want to do for now is put a decoder in it. It says all i have to do is unplug the DCC jumper board, and then plug in a 9-pin or 8-pin decoder. No resistors should be needed for the light bulbs.
What i need help on is the correct decoder to use and which ones will fit. The list of decoders is like wow! I am new at this and don't like doing things twice if you kmow what i mean. I have Digitrax DSC51 DCC set up if that makes any difference. Any help is appreciated greatly thx for your time.
nub
nub Ill make it short. My DCC all of a sudden tells me i have short in my track with the power turned off. All so when i turn the power on to the track the speed control will not adjust it is full throttle, forward only. Help
Ill make it short. My DCC all of a sudden tells me i have short in my track with the power turned off.
All so when i turn the power on to the track the speed control will not adjust it is full throttle, forward only.
Help
What Mr. B said
Look for something shorting the track, like my scale HO ruler I discovered this afternoon.
First of all, can you describe your DCC system for us? Who made it, and what other equipment do you have on it, things like throttles, boosters, circuit breakers and the like?
What do you mean by "with the power turned off?" If everything is truly off, you will get no short circuit indication either, right? If you've just powered down all the engines, the system is still putting full voltage on the track, but the engines are stopped because they've had no control signals to start going. In this case they system will report a short if there's a short, even with no trains running.
Think back to the last time the system ran correctly, and anything you've done to the layout since then. I mean, literally, anything. For example, ballasting track sometimes causes shorts like this, or leaving your Kadee coupler gauge on the end of a siding while adjusting a trip pin.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I'll make it short. My DCC all of a sudden tells me i have short in my track with the power turned off.