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Decoder for a dummy unit

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Coatsville, PA
  • 97 posts
Posted by gshin on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 10:29 AM

Along those lines, I substituted a 180 ohm resistor at the suggestion of a fellow modeler on another forum.  That seemed to do the trick!

Thanks D!

Greg Shindledecker Modeling the =WM= Thomas Sub in the mid-70s

  • Member since
    January 2023
  • From: Sherwood Park, AB
  • 13 posts
Posted by da29 on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 9:54 AM

I think, subject to correction by true experts, there needs to be a significant load on the motor leads.

Try configuring the decoder with a motor temporarily connected, then disconnect the motor and test if it responds as desired when operating as a motorless decoder.

D

da29.  the artist formerly known as da1.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Coatsville, PA
  • 97 posts
Decoder for a dummy unit
Posted by gshin on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 9:15 AM

I recently stripped out the motor and gearing from a Front Range GP-9 that really didn't have room for a sound decoder and also didn't run that well.  However, I wanted to run it as a dummy and still have the lighting work.  I had a NCE D13R non-sound decoder sitting on the shelf, unused, so it seemed like a good idea to install this into the Front Range unit to just provide lighting.

Well, Decoder Pro doesn't think there is a decoder installed in the unit.  It has power and I double-checked the connections to the decoder.  I even tried soldering a 1K resistor across the motor terminals thinking that maybe the decoder needed a load across those terminals to work correctly.  No dice.

Any thoughts as to why this install won't work?

Thanks,

Greg

Greg Shindledecker Modeling the =WM= Thomas Sub in the mid-70s

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