DCC Question...Athearn decoder....how do I hook it up?

[Rotorranch]

I got a DCC decoder board for an Athearn train the other day, but not sure how I'm supposed to hook it up.



I'm pretty sure that one each of the big clips go to the truck connections. Obviously, the metal clip replaces the motor clip. What about the other two? One to the chassis, one to the motor, but which is which? What about hooking up lights?

I'm also guessing this requires a decoder. ( I thought this was a complete decoder board, but now see it's not! ) [banghead]

Thanks!

Rotor

[pike-62]

I have never seen one for an Athearn that looks like that. Manufacturer? There should be two motor leads from this board that go to the clips on the top and bottom of the motor. It is also important that the motor be electricaly isolated from the frame. The bottom clip on the motor has two prongs that contact the frame. You meed to bend these flat amd tape over the bottom of the chassis so there is no conection there. One motor lead from the decoder will hook to that clip.(-) and the other motor lead will go to the top clip(+) I only see three wires on this and by the looks two of them go to the (+) towers on the trucks. The way this looks to me is that the two terminals on the side of the board is where the motor leads should be. Again I have never seen one like this so I am not sure.
let us know who manufactured this. Maybe someone else here has some experience with it.

I have seen decoders made for athearn engine that have both motor clips that replace the brass strips on the motor top and bottom.

Dan Pikulski
www.DansResinCasting.com

[pike-62]

Upon further review, I do see 4 wires. My best guess at this time is that one of the two end wires goes to (+) and the other goes to (-) on the trucks.
Dan

[rrinker]

Yeah, that's not a decoder. That's the stock circuit board from most likely one of the new RTR line.

--Randy

[Rotorranch]

It's supposed to be a take out from a new Athearn loco.

The top motor clip is built into the board, and hooked to the printed circuit board. The fourth wire is at the top left of the board.

The board has quick connect terminals at each end of the pc board. I guess for lights (?) as well as the connectors to the trucks. It has a 8 pin socket for a decoder, as well as a 9 pin decoder plug, with what looks like a jumper on it, similar to the Digitrax jumper.

Not a great pic, I got it from the ePay auction. I'd take another, but the board is at home, and I'm at the store.

I looked, but saw no manufacturers name on the pc board.

Rotor

[pike-62]

I think Randy is right. Since I don't own any newer Athearns I was thinking old style. That does look like a factory install board and I would tend to agree that it is from a newer athearn. And yes, I also agree it is not a decoder, just a socke to plug on into. to answer the other queston about lights, when you do get a decoder check the wiring diagram to see what colors are indicated for lights. If memory serves me the NMRA recomendation is blue, white and yellow for the lighting circuits. If this is correct (I don't have one in front of me) the simply tracing the leads fron the plug to the board and then follow the tracer on the board to the end lead. This will be the light hookup.
Dan

[Rotorranch]

Yep, that's what I thought Randy....at least I have a Digitrax decoder I can plug into the board!

When I bought it, I thought it was a decoder, but when it got here, and I got to looking, it looked like just a pc board w/o decoder. Oh well, live and learn! [banghead]

Hopefully I can install the thing and get it wired right without blowing anything up! At this point I have a 50-50 chance. There's only 2 wires that I'm not pretty sure where they go!

Rotor