Tips and Techniques I Have Found to Work for Me. YOU Can Do This!

Transcription

1 Decoder Installation Tips and Techniques I Have Found to Work for Me YOU Can Do This!

2 Topics We Will Cover Types of Decoders Current Rating and Selection Decoder Form Factors Typical Decoders Tools Needed Useful Supplies Engine Preparation Decoder Selection Installation Preparation Installation

3 Types of Decoders Motor Simplest two wires to decoder and two to motor. Two to lights minimum, some up to six effects Sound Only Low cost way to add sound to existing DCC engine Sound and Motor Larger package Speaker two additional wires Advanced lighting features

4 Current Rating & Selection Decoder rating must exceed motor stall current Most HO engines will work with 1 amp Can use.75 amp if necessary. in small HO engines (May require heat sink) Soundtraxx makes small steam rated at.75 amp One amp or higher is the norm anymore

5 Decoder Style or Form Factor Light board Replacement Simple to mount Some soldering required Takes less space than plug in May need to change light bulbs to match voltage Made to fit specific engines, but can be installed in a variety of engines (With some preparation)

6 Decoder Style or Form Factor (cont) Light Board Replacement

7 Decoder Style or Form Factor (cont) Universal Decoder More challenging in some ways May require splicing wires Have to tame wires Most versatile Will work in most any engine situation Made for non DCC ready engines Good when lack of space is issue (more flexible decoder location)

8 Decoder Style or Form Factor (cont) Universal

9 Decoder Style or Form Factor (cont) Easiest to install Plug In Uses existing light board May not fit in some cases You can add plug to any hard wired decoder, but all functions may not work

10 Decoder Style or Form Factor (cont) Plug In

11 Typical Decoders TSU 1000 Sound NCE D13SRP ( amp) TSU AT1000 Sound TCS T1 ( amp)

12 Typical Decoders (cont) NCE SW9-SR NCE D15-SRP NCE DA-SR NCE N12SR

13 Tools Needed Small soldering iron - 25 watt preferred Needle nose pliers Wire cutter and striper X-Acto knife, small screwdrivers, etc. Volt/Ohm meter Engine cradle Helping Hands (optional, but useful)

14 Some Useful Supplies Small diameter rosin core solder Small diameter shrink tubing Kapton or electrical tape (with reservations) Other Styrene and 3M foam mounting tape Flexible wire in ga. in suitable colors Aliene s Tacky Glue Tacky Putty Dental Floss Sub miniature plugs LEDs, Assorted resistors, etc.

15 Engine Preparation Test run on DC to make sure it runs properly It will not run better on DCC Check Stall Current at Max Voltage Remove couplers and screws needed to remove shell Place shell and loose parts aside Is engine DCC ready? This term has different meanings. Sometimes engine has a plug other times it just means the motor brushes are insulated from the frame Remove factory lighting board (If not needed) Check motor to insure brushes are isolated from the frame and trucks.

16 Decoder Selection Determine decoder mounting method Plug in decoder Light board replacement (often engine specific) but can be adapted Universal decoder Plug in decoder Should have 8 or 9 pin plug Need to match decoder and engine plugs No soldering required Use existing lighting

17 Installation Preparation Does the engine have bulbs or LEDs Does the decoder have the proper output for selected lights bulbs/leds? If the decoder is not ready for LEDs prepare them by adding a suitable resistor (470Ω to 2KΩ+ usually work). Increasing the value will decrease the light brightness.

18 Installation Preparation(cont) Remove light board (if not needed) Identify wires (not all manufacturers follow the NMRA standard) Check that motor brushes are insulated from frame Install selected lighting in shell Select resistor if needed Small ¼ watt resistor is all that is usually needed

19 Typical Decoder Wiring Sunny White LEDs are used instead of the incandescent lamps with the 1,000 ohm resistor for each. Resistor can also be wired into each function wire. F0F Front Headlight F0R Rear Headlight F1 Function Right Rail Left Rail flat flat flat DC Motor Gray Orange Red Black White Blue WARNING: To prevent decoder damage: always make sure the motor brushes are properly isolated before applying power. Motor Motor + Right Track Power Left Track Power Output 1 (F0) Light Common Output 2 (F0) Output 3 (F1) DCC decoder Note: The Blue function common wire is positive rectified approx 12 volts DC Note 2: The function wire provides a ground when the function is operated. DCC cecoder wiring connections showing voltage dropping resistors in the common wire.

20 Selected Decoder Most manufacturers have decoder application or selection notes on their web site Often they have photos of specific installations Used with permission, NCE Corp.

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22 Installation

23 Conclusion Plan ahead for more professional installation Take your time for a reliable installation Many models are similar and you can use similar techniques Not bound to one traditional method Start simple and work up