I purchased a KATO C44 at a recent swap meet; a little older but Runs Great; Going to Convert to DCC and I am taking out the Old Board.
Concerned about shorting/Isolating as I only have done Athearns; The Motor seems very well encased and would be very hard to get at to isolate anything; can anyone tell me if this is Isolated
It has The Prongs from the Top and One from the Bottom but I am unable to tell if it's touching any metal on the bottom?
I am assuming if you purchased a New Board for this It would drop right in and should be fine but of course I don't want to Blow up a New Decoder!
thanks, Cary
HO or N?
HO Scale
http://www.digitrax.com/ftp/sfxAC4400.pdf
N Scale
http://www.digitrax.com/ftp/dn163k1c.pdf
Sorry; HO and I also Unscrewed the motor from the bottom; should I be putting in Nylons?
Also the Board just seems to be a light board but at the back of the board there is an 8 pin plug area but manufacturer seems to have blocked out 1,8,2 & 4,5,6 so you could not put an 8 pin in.
thanks again, Cary
Cary,
Is it like this one?
http://www.mrdccu.com/install/hods/Kato-C44-9W-820043.htm
or this one
http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Kato/GE_C44-9W/GE%20C44-9W.html
Looking at this picture from TCS, those pins that are blocking the 8 pin plug are removable. Gently take a small needle nose pliers to grip the flat part and they will come out. There should be two of them, one each on opposite corners. They are needed to run in DC.
Emman
2nd One; Exactly the Board; I did take out the Board as I tried to put in an Tsunamai Decoder which it worked/Sounded Great............Problem now Is the *** Decoder/ Speaker Box won't fit as I am unable to shut the Shell; 5mm or so away; Weighing options as I really want that Tsunamai in this KATO; I do have Two Athearns that I just converted with Hex Drives and they run just like the Katol
The speaker Box I can make fit but the Decoder is larger than I anticipated and then the lights; but going with Strands of Fibre Optics so that shouldn't get in the way.
Cary
David B is correct. Especially the 3mm LEDs. I trimmed the light pipes (removed from the shell) using a razor saw and then lightly buffed the cut surface with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, just to smooth it off. I put the head of the LED right up to the newly cut end of the light pipe and heated up the heat shrink. It doesn't seem to affect the intensity of the headlight or rear light. It also keeps light from shining through the shell.
The mini oval speaker was also used in a recent MR article for an SD40-2.
David B, from your experience, are there better ways to trim those light pipes?
Thanks.
Thanks for the Info Guys; Soon As I'm able will try the Suggestion; also was thinking using the Dremel and Buffing the End and plan was to use 3mm and strands of Fibre Optics for the Front & Ditch Lights; let you know!
I read some of the Tsunami in changing sounds and Lock/Unlock; So would I have to Unlock the Decoder Now to change any Settings?
Rail nippers. I find that no buffing of the nipped end is necessary in any way. The 2 little nubbies that originally held the neck of the light pipe to the top of the shell needs to come off to clear the speaker.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Magnum019 I read some of the Tsunami in changing sounds and Lock/Unlock; So would I have to Unlock the Decoder Now to change any Settings?
If you "locked" the decoder after programming it, you would have to "unlock" it to make changes. It doesn't automatically lock the settings, you have to choose to do it.
As mentioned, a 1/2" by 1" oval speaker and enclosure will fit most any HO diesel and deliver great sound. You might have to do some trial-and-error to find where it will fit. Often there's space towards the back above the rear truck that will work.
Hi Cary,
May be a bit late, I just started a Kato 4400 I've stripped the chassie, cut .25" off at the grooves for the rear where pick-up wires go, put an enclosed a QSI small oval speaker (facing down) towards the back, it just cleared the rear tower and boy it sounds great. Now I'm gonna have some fun with the LEDs, when I get em.
Be in touch.
pick.
Thanks again for all the reply's; was hoping I could get it done before we took off on Vacation for the week and have two little kids (time)...........sure you know what I mean!
Will be definatly cutting off the Rear Light Tube as that did take a lot of room but measuring the speaker I had; I'll either have to go with that Oval or cut the Grooves in the Rear; I like the Oval speaker choice though as the latter scares me a little.
The Decoder is pretty thick (30-35 mm I think) also and I do have the 3mm LED's and using an LED & Fibre Optics (.040) for the front.
thanks again
Soon as I start my Atlas/Kato RS-3's I will have to try that rail nipper trick. Ones I did before I sliced off the light guides with a razor saw and then used ultra fine sandpaper to polish the neds. I secured the LEDs to the light bars with shrink tube, layered on a coupel of sizes so it fit snug and then heated it. The other option I want to try is drilling in to the cut end and seatign the LED inside the light bar rather than up against 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.
That's why the world invented miniature 3-pin connectors.
Well Everyone thanks for all The Help; the tough parts are done and the Shell Fits. Sorry for the Lighting but here's a Quick Look.
http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg34/cjham/?action=view¤t=2011August-TrainVid024.mp4
Never one when I bought it; that is a smart idea if I could get one to block out that interior lighting or at least make something up. Will have to take a better VID in HQ and turn the lights up as the wife was watching her Bachelorette Show