4-6-0 Decoder installation

[marjer]

I.m looking at the dDigitrax recommended decoder for this engine, DH163PS, it has a nine pin 3.5 harness that connects on one end to the decoder plus a green and purple wire that are connected to nothing. I am looking at the 4-6-0 tender (after I figured out how to take it apart) and the circuit board therein.  There are two connectors to the engine, 1 has two female, the other has four female.  The curcuit board has 13 places that appear to be vacent solder connection holes.  It ain't no plug and play.  How does one wire this sucker?

marjer

[Pacific Northern]

The DH163PS comes with a plug in.


http://www.digitrax.com/prd_mobdec_dh163ps.php

See the plug in the pc board in the tender

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/H823-IS001.PDF

[rustyrails]

I haven't opened the tender on mine, yet, but the exploded view drawing shows an 8-pin plug.  Good luck.
Rusty

[richG]

All the Spectrum tenders I have seen have a PC board with eight pin NMRA socket on the board. Standard NMRA connections. You can buy a 8 pin to 9 pin adapter at your LHS or buy it online. The resistor for the 4-6-0 LED headlight is on the PC board. Many 4-6-0s have dim headlights because the resistor value is so high. Your mileage msy vary.

Rich

[OkieRick]

If you don't have an empty socket or socket cover...

Do you have 8 - two rows of four - solder joints on your circuit board?  NMRA color code standards are as follows.  You have to locate Pin 1.  This could be rotated differently in your tender.





Thanks - not blame - to the employees of the Yampa Valley Rail Road.


Okie Rick

[marjer]

There iis no plug in on the tender circuit board, thats my problem
Marjer

[marjer]

No plug ins at all.  The solder holes are in various places all over the circuit board. Tis a puzzlement.

Marjer

[Pacific Northern]

No plug ins at all.  The solder holes are in various places all over the circuit board. Tis a puzzlement.

Marjer

I would assume then you are not the original owner of this engine? 

If you are I would advise you to contact the Service Dept and request a replacement tender, which will have the required pc board with plug. Take a picture of the open tender and e-mail to the service department with your request.

[ta152h0]

My first Decapod had a 8 pin socket and I had the LENZ decoder with a 9 pin JST connector harness with a 8 pin connector, leaving one lonely black wire . Nothing worked until i soldered the extra wire to the ground pad , associated with the black wire to the track pickup ( labeled left power  in the colorfull diagram ) . Then everything worked.

[richG]

Are thr any components on the PC board?
I would doubt Bachmann shipped a PC board with nothing on it.
This is the PC board in my 4-6-0 with small tender.



This I believe is the PC board in the 4-6-0 with larger tender.



Rich

[ta152h0]

I ended up buying an old time passenger car for my small tender ten wheeler and installed the decoder with the speaker in that car. Looks good and you have to be really close to hear the speaker being in the passenger car. Sure takes a long time for this one to break in and rune smoothly.

[marjer]

I bought this engine and tender new in the box from a hobby shop  last November  It has never been run as I wanted to install the decoder first. (just getting around to it)  I did contact Bachmann with the problem on 4-17=-9, as yet no reply.  I think one of three things may be wrong.  Wrong decoder installed by Bachmann, Wrong decoder specified by Digitrax, I am going blind.

This engine, item No. 82301, is specified as DCC ready.  Well it has a circuit board in the tender with a connection to the engine, the decoder is small enough to probably fit but it certainly is not plug and play as there is no place to plug so I can't play.

[hotrainlover]

majer,
PN is correct.  You need to contact the service department.  was the unit in original packaging?  Unopened?

[richG]

Hi marjer

Take a digital picture and post it to the forum. This sounds like one for the books.
Photo Bucket is a nice way to post pictures.

The old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words would be applicable. If more people would post pictures of their situation, communication would be much better.

I see a lot of back and forth dialog/confusion, before some people get a clear picture of an issue.

The Internet is a great way to communicate.

Rich

[ta152h0]

remove the dummy plug and that will reveal the eight pin socket. this is shown on the tender exploded view  about half way down the view, third page of the product description folder..