Is any one using any of these decoders? I just got 8 of them and they will not read on my programing track. I have a NCE DCC system and wondered if any one else or just me has had any issues. thanks Steve
Steve, Where did you get the decoders? Loy's, Tony's, Fifer's, Litchfield are sold out. At least you have some.
8, wow... and I thought I was bad waiting on 7 for the last 3 months. I did however have one I fitted into an Athearn SD75 and it worked flawlessly and read and wrote fine with JMRI using a Digitrax system. Now just a question. You did follow the diagram and put tape everywhere it showed. If you didn't the board could be shorting out on the frame. Also have you just tried them on DC and see if they ran.
Well first let me say that I had just programed some decoders in my C44 fleet about lets just say 6 months ago. Then I moved the layout into the garage for about a month while I finally finished my basement. I had not been to regular about runnning trains so my track needs some MOW but I starting to worry that its my DCC system since i have now tried to program a running locomotive and it will not read either. More investingation to follow. (Tonys is my DCC supplier always good product I had the decoders on order since they were announced.) Steve
I have one running in a SD40-2 for about two months now. Works great so far without a problem. Even reads find with DecoderPro.
Steve, You have probably already done this but.... Check the wire connections on the system and the track and then clean the track.
The MOW team is out running around the tracks now. Lets hope they find the break in the programming track.... Steve
Out of Six Decoder Installs.... one is giving me grief I have installed 5 of these with no issues. The last one however is a real pain. As soon as I put the shell back on; the decoder will not operate the train, no lights, no movement. Remove the shell and the lights work and the loco goes round and round. Remove the decoder, reinstall the factory lightboard and with and without the shell the loco runs and lights up. I have installed the kaplon tape as documented in the decoder install instructions, and even added some more. It happens as soon as the shell is about 3/4 of the way down the loco chassis. Has anyone else experienced this problem. Thanks for any help
One thing I do with the kaplon tape is throw it away first. I always use the fiberglass reinforced packaging tape. It's ultra sticky, stays put forever, and is thicker than the kaplon, not allowing any "rub throughs" over time. The first decoder that I ever fried had the kaplon tape fall out of place, allowing the factory smoke to releasemg: Since then, over 15 years ago, I've never had a decoder failure due to rubbing the frame. Back to the original thread, no problems reading or writing with a Digitrax system
Okay That worked, much better than the Kaplon, solved the porblem with different tape. Thanks for the suggestion
Well finally I have solved this one. I did 2 things not sure which one fixed the issue but the first fix was to add tape over the "top" of each brush on the motor, then I also added some solder to the front pads (not so much for thickness but to solder though the holes on each pad.) this done all of the fleet is now pulling loads around the layout. These new SD40-2's are great and the White face leading looks good. Thanks for all of the ideas what it actually took was 3 (maybe 4) weeks of snow to get them fixed. Steve
Which decoder is better for a Kato SD70 and AC4400, the DN163K1C or B? I've seen both listed as working. Sorry to hijack the thread
The correct decoder for the SD0 and AC4400 is the DN163K1B, at least that is the one that I use for these locomotives.
Interesting. I remember reading that 'normal' insulation tape was a bad idea because over time it lost it's sticky, and also because if the motor got hot it tended to lose sticky fast and fall away. Kapton supposedly solves that by not losing sticky with heat. How long did the kapton fryee last before dying? hours, months or years? White Face? Got pictures? (Probably in another thread, when railimages is back up ) So DN163K1B for early SD40 and SD40-2, SD70 and AC4400; DN163K1C for new SD40-2? And which decoder for the Athearn SD70? I'm pretty sure it used one of the DN1..K.. decoders.
My impressions is that the only difference between the DN163K1B and DN163K1C is that the latter has flat, "surface mount" LEDs. This was to avoid hitting the light pipe on the new Kato SD40-2. So the C version should work in anything that took the B version (but NOT vice versa). Someone correct me if I'm wrong...
Aah, but depending on the light pipe length and alignment, the surface mount LED on a C might not be as "bright" as a leaded one (closer to the shell and at the right height); so you might be better off with the B for older cars. On the other hand, surface mount + old engine frame/shell = space where leaded LED was is free to install other electronics... like LEDs for ditch lights or classification lights... (or use the LED on the board + fibre / something for these and add a new LED for the headlight... or...) Enough from me! let's see what everyone else thinks.
The C will work in any B but because of the difference of open space between the light tube with a B and C the C will be much dimmer. I've had to use a C in a couple of engines because I couldn't get the B's but you can tell the difference. And I've slowly converted them back to the B's they should be. As for the Athearn SD70's I would recommend the C for simplicity because if you use the B you will need to file down the LED very close to the lens and if you go to far then you've just killed that LED.
Jagged Ben, That is what Digitrax says: "Only difference is LED", but in my experience there is a difference. My SD70MACs work better with the DN163K1C. They start at a lower voltage. I have tweek the DN163K1B to get it to start moving at a lower voltage (CV2). I have sworn off the DN163K1Bs and will only buy the K1Cs from now on (though they cost a few cents more at most dealers). I also like the lights effect with the flat LED -- not at bright. Jerry
I have the "b" version in all 17 of my Sd70MAC's they all run great no issues at all. I will have to get some shots of the SD40-2's running the white face along with my long idle custom ones I did last year that have been dying to be run. Its going to be cold this weekend so maybe a good time to shoot indoors. Here is a nearly complete side shot of one of them....
