riogrande5761 According to Athearn's website for the 2018+ release Genesis F's, they have the 21 pin socket. I think the older chassis F units either have an 8 pin socket or you have to use the motherboard style decoders and replace the stock circuit board.
According to Athearn's website for the 2018+ release Genesis F's, they have the 21 pin socket. I think the older chassis F units either have an 8 pin socket or you have to use the motherboard style decoders and replace the stock circuit board.
Rich
Alton Junction
riogrande5761 According to Athearn's website for the 2018+ release Genesis F's, they have the 21 pin socket. I think the older chassis F units either have an 8 pin socket or you have to use the motherboard style decoders and replace the stock circuit board. Some have commented on those plastic push on clips at times didn't provide a fully reliable connection. So they pulled them and soldered. That's a user option of one chose to do that. Thanks for the tips on the MB style vs. 21-pin style Tsu2 decoders. Good to double check! I suppose of I have older Genesis F's (which I do) I could get the decoder buddy and then use the 21-pin Tsu2.
Some have commented on those plastic push on clips at times didn't provide a fully reliable connection. So they pulled them and soldered. That's a user option of one chose to do that.
Thanks for the tips on the MB style vs. 21-pin style Tsu2 decoders. Good to double check!
I suppose of I have older Genesis F's (which I do) I could get the decoder buddy and then use the 21-pin Tsu2.
I agree about the plastic push clips, but the speaker isn't as phinnicky about connections as the rest of the decoder. All OEM Genesis sound locos comes with those plastic clips all over the place as does the MB in the DCC Ready versions that the 21 pin style decoder plugs into. Solder if you want, I've just never had a problem with connections in the OEM sound versions, and especially not for a speaker. Just relaying experience.
- Douglas
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Well, I can't speak to the F units specifically, but ATH Genesis DCC Ready models have the 21 pin MB. Just plug in the 21 pin decoder and hook up speaker wires to the tabs. Athearn and others make speaker housings that replace the removable weight. It literally takes minutes to convert from DCC Ready to DCC Sound. And I simply use those plastic push on clips to hold the speaker wires to the MB, no soldering the MB.
Also, and you may want to research this better, but I don't think the T2 MB replacement decoder is LED friendly right out of the box, where as the DCC Ready MB is because of the LEDs in the DCC Ready versions.
You may have to program the lighting functions in the hard wired versions as to not blow out your LEDs. Programming lighting functions is a bit of a PITA, IMO. Might want to double check my info though.
What has been a bit confusing is the Tsu decoders with motherboard style format (replaces the stock motherboard) have been referred to as pnp (plug and play) while the 21-pin style are not called pnp, but if anything they are more pnp than the motherboard style. To me the 21 pin should be called pnp, because they fit that description better. At least that is what I think Ive been reading.
Sooooo, for the Genesis models (F unit or otherwise), what would be the simplest way to outfit those with a Tsu 2 decoder? Decoder buddy and a 21 PIN style decoder? Or something else?
I checked Athearns site for the F units I have and they have the 21 pin sockets.
Something someone pointed out is that Tsunami 2 six function decoders have been discontinued and replaced with 8 function and are higher price. So if six functions are enough, they are cheaper while they can still still be found.
If it has the pins in place for the 21-pin decoder I would use that. Seems to me 21-pin decoders actually are a touch cheaper than equivalent 8/9-pin ones.
I've installed a couple of the Soundtraxx "Economi" ECO-21 PNEM sound decoders recently and am very happy with them. From online vendors, they tend to cost around $65-70.
21 pin decoders are closest to "plug and play". In fact, you will not solder anything to the decoder at all, unless the motherboard does not have a speaker wire tab location. (Do suggest soldering track pickups, motor, lights, speaker to the motherboard tabs though, for a much better connection than those stupid plastic clips. But this is not a mandatory step during the install process. The speaker wires are the only mandatory soldering step.)
Replacement board decoder you will be soldering everything, track pickup, motor, lights, speaker, all of it. (Onto the replacement board. This will be a mandatory step during the install process here, no way around it.)
Better question - If yours indeed can accept a 21 pin already, Which decoder demands a higher price point? You want the other one. (If yours isn't 21 pin compatable, a replacement board makes the most sense.)
But as far as which one requires less soldering, the 21 pin requires far less. (Suggested for best performance is the point that will get you.)
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
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3: Any objections, consult above rules.
These Genesis F units were produced in the last few years so I would guess they have the 21 pin plug. They are at home in a different town so I don't have them here to check, but I was thinking about buying decoders for them and since there is a version that replaces the factory motherboard and there is another version that is 21-pin, I asked a rep at a DCC dealer for feedback. He told me either decoder would require the same amount of soldering. I was surprised because thought if you have the 21-pin socket and the 21-pin decoder it should be less mostly no soldering except for the speaker wire.
If you have a 21 pin motherboard, the 21 pin decoder plugs in. If the motherboard has a speaker tab, simply use it for the speaker wires, as the speaker on a 21 pin decoder uses 2 of the included 21 pins.
I put TSU2 PNP's in a pair of Genesis F3's. They were a nice drop-in fit and worked well. However, those were older release F3's that did NOT have a 21-pin motherboard.
But I believe (some?) Genesis models now come with a 21-pin motherboard. If that's what your models have, I'd definitely go with the 21-pin decoder.
Which is easier pnp Tsu2 or 21-pin Tsu2 in Genesis F unit? The 21-in seems like it would just plug in and then the only things needed would be maybe speakers? Or Tsu2 also comes in a board replacement version, which replaces the board that comes in the DC version. Comments? Photos?