Need Help With Digitrax DH163AT Decoder Installation in Athearn F-7

[BradKT]

AT LAST...SUCCESS!!!

The solution was something very simple like I thought it might be.  Once I started thinking through how the electrical current flowed through the decoder, I realized that I had not removed the long bar that goes on top of the motor clip and connects to the trucks (the result was that the current  doesn't go through the decoder).  Because I had put it back on after I had replaced the DH163AT motor clips (with the gray and orange wires), it was running the current directly from the trucks to the motor without going through the decoder, PLUS it was making contact with the motor clip that was connected to the orange wire.   Hence the short circuit.

The solution was just to remove the long bar that goes on top of the motor clip and connects to the trucks.  In future installations, you just don't replace the long bar after you install the motor clips with the gray and orange wires attached that come with the DH163AT decoder.

I know how to convert Athearns to DCC and I can do these on my own now.  Once you finally do one of these successfully, it's not that hard.  It cost me a couple of decoders to learn this lesson (I'll re-try them to make sure that they are blown), but even if I lost those rwo decoders, it was still worth the $45.00 for the two of them.  That would be less than the cost of a single DCC conversion by a hobby shop.

I hope that the discussion on this thread will be of help to someone else.  It was a great help to me.

Once again, thank you everyone...and have a Happy New Year!

[Jim Banner]

Well, Brad, I am glad to hear you have figured it out.  You should now have a better understanding of what "motor isolation" is all about, and how it applies to both motor connections.  I hope you will buy yourself a meter and learn to use it before your next decoder installation.  Then you will be ready when you attempt a difficult installation.

[BradKT]

I have successfully installed a second Digitrax DH 163AT decoder in another RTR Athearn F-7...and it runs after being successfully programmed.  I will be installing several more over the next couple of weeks.  The two decoders that went up in smoke were definitely blown.  Chalk it up to my learning curve.

Thanks again everybody!

[pdlethbridge]

Don't forget to check out the warranty from Digitrax.
http://www.digitrax.com/

[BradKT]

OK, I think that I have the mechanics of the decoder installation down.  My last question is what is the best way to secure the decoder and wires?  Thus far, I have been taping the decoder and wires to the top of the locomotive shell.  Is there a better way...one that would secure the decoder and wires to the top of the motor and frame instead of the locomotive?  That way, I could remove the shell without worrying about dislodging any of the connections.

Any suggestions?