[Robert Stokes]

I have just bought some TCS MC2 decoders. One of the engines that I want to fit a decoder into is DCC ready.
I think that I have three options:-
1. Cut off the DCC ready fitting and solder wire to wire.
2. Solder the decoder wires into the correct holes of the DCC ready fitment.
3. Alter the DC fitting that came with the engine so that all the prongs are independent and then solder the decoder to this.

Which of these options do you think would be the best? Thank you in advance.

 

[harkins77]

which loco is it going into. i.e.make model?

 

[SPROGman]

QUOTE (Robert Stokes @ 23 Apr 2008, 12:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I have just bought some TCS MC2 decoders. One of the engines that I want to fit a decoder into is DCC ready.
I think that I have three options:-
1. Cut off the DCC ready fitting and solder wire to wire.
2. Solder the decoder wires into the correct holes of the DCC ready fitment.
3. Alter the DC fitting that came with the engine so that all the prongs are independent and then solder the decoder to this.

Which of these options do you think would be the best? Thank you in advance.

<Smartarse>
4a. (If there's room in the loco) Solder a plug onto the decoder wires. That way you haven't messed about with the loco if something goes wrong.

4b. Swap the decoders for ones with plugs.
</smartarse>

Of 1, 2 or 3, 1 would be my preference and I usually remove all the suppression components as well.

Make sure you run it in thoroughly on DC first and check there are no problems before altering the wiring.

Andrew Crosland

 

[Kirrin Castle]

Mate, I use MC2s and they are great decoders fo rth eprice. I would recommend buying a suitable harness (only a couple of quid) to plug directly to your DCC ready plug- which will probably be 8 or 21 pin. That'll save all the soldering/warranty hassles if the model needs to be sent back. Ive soldered before and the results arent as satisfying- probably my poor skills, but if the plug is already there then use it is my motto. The MC2 will accept the plug harness and it makes everything "plug and play" as they say.

Watty

 

[Robert Stokes]

Thank you for the replies so far. The engine is a Hornby 8F with an 8-pin plug.

 

[Makemineadouble]

I've installed decoders in 100's of 8F's over the years.
Just a small tip with this loco. The 8F can be quite noisy, and the noise never seems to go away. Poor meshing of gears with this loco is frequently a problem.
yes a little white grease can help sometimes. Try a very thin card or even paper shim under the motor mounts this is often all it requires to make an irritating noise completely disappear.

 

[Robert Stokes]

I thought that you might like to know that I opted for number 3. It was surprisingly easy. A couple of strokes with a mini hacksaw across the middle of the DC fitting, cuts the connection between the relevant pins at both ends. I then soldered the wires from the decoder to the tops of the correct pins carefully copying from another deoder which colour went where.

If I ever get another DCC ready loco then I think that I will use the same method. As someone above says - it means no alteration to the loco itself, except for removing one of those orange capacitors. As I report on another thread the only problem is that it runs the opposite way to the direction indicator on the controller.

 

[railstimulator]

As you have a soldering iron, the easiest way out would be to reverse the two leads going from the chip to the motor connection on the DCC socket

OR change over the wires on the motor itself.

 

[Brossard]

I'm confused, if the loco is DCC ready, no soldering should be necessary. I have the new Hornby 8F with a Digitrax chip and it runs quiet, slow and smooth. Maybe you're talking about the previous generation 8F?

 

[Robert Stokes]

I was talking about a DCC ready loco not a DCC fitted one. This meant that I had to fit a decoder, but it was one that did not have the 8 pin plug only bare wires. In my last post I explained how easy it was to use the DC fitting that came with it as a sort of 8 pin plug.

 

[BromsMods]

QUOTE (Robert Stokes @ 9 May 2008, 11:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I was talking about a DCC ready loco not a DCC fitted one. This meant that I had to fit a decoder, but it was one that did not have the 8 pin plug only bare wires. In my last post I explained how easy it was to use the DC fitting that came with it as a sort of 8 pin plug.

Robert

There is a fourth option you could have added to your list and that is to purchase a harness for the MC2 with an 8-pin plug attached, although it would have been cheaper to buy the MC2 with a UK harness already packaged with the decoder. This would have saved any "butchering" of the loco and would have just been plug and play.

There is now another option that can be used with UK steam locos and that is to use the TCS DP2X-UK decoder - it has no wires and just plugs into the 8-pin socket.

Regards

John R
Bromsgrove Models

 

[Robert Stokes]

Thanks for the information. It was you I got the original pack of five MC2's from. Won't need any more for a while as I don't have too many locos but maybe one day.