Don't feel too bad, this DCC stuff is a learning curve. I've been back for 7 years, during that time, went to DCC and still make mistakes. I've "fried" 3 decoders by erro of my own making, out of many decoder installs during the past 7 years, some very difficult, but non the less, successful. Just recently, 2 days ago, I put a simple 2 function decoder in my pre-war Penn 4-6-2 steam loco, had all the wires connected except for the reverse light wires, which were stripped for solder in the tender. I was just testing the loco itself without the tender, with just the chasis on my program track, with those 2 light wires, flopping around, and disaster, they shorted on the live track. Lucky for me it wasn't a sound decoder. The sound decoder is in the tender seperate from the motor decoder. But it's under warranty, TCS replaces them even if I mess it up. Happy RR'ing. Jim

Lesson 101-don't strip'em, till yur ready to solder'em!

Bachmann sells one too, but again like Rich said, only for DCC. I have 3 on my layout and they work flawlessly.
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Bachmann-44912-EZ-Command-Reverse-Loop-Module-p/bac-44912.htm

The Digitrax DB150 command station has one built in, no fuss, no muss, no extra wiring, no DPDT switch, it's all good!

You don't "need" the auto reversing units, you can still just use a DPDT switch, even with DCC, and do it manually. Jim

I don't know what prices you got, but I was on the Micro Mark site buying other goodies and came accross it there for the $98 sticker price:
http://www.micromark.com/bachmann-ho-standard-line-alco-s4-diesel-locomotive-with-sound-erie-no-529,10112.html

Like the other poster said there is a lot of DCC that is not plug and play and a lot of issues involved with especially adding sound. Because even plug and play doesn't include speakers, speaker placement can be a problem as well as speaker size and speaker enclosures. Most sites that sell sound decoders have a wide variety of speakers that may work

One final word on "buying this particular decoder", Bachmann has made a deal with Soundtraxx, from what I've read on other sites, for these particular decoders. So I'm not sure what is different from an original soundtraxx decoder. Maybe some functions are not available on it, maybe someone will enlighten us. But I've heard no complaints, on the contrary. Jim

Hello and welcome, my opinion is to just buy it with sound installed especially if your just coming back after 40 years. For the price of under $100.00 with sound installed is really discounted about 50% compared to other manufacturers. The price of a good sound decoder without installing is the same price of the complete loco already installed.
I too am back for 7 years after being away from the hobby for 35 years. LOL I know what you mean about how the hobby has changed in those years. Unbelievable was my impression when I saw and heard my first sound equiped Loco in a hobby shop, but I was immediately hooked.
Do visit and read and learn and research and there are no dumb questions with DCC and all the variables and choices. LOL heck even the new DC analog engines run 1000% better than any I had stored and remember or used in the past. And most today are at least DCC ready. Just buy a decoder, plug her in, and have fun.
Jim

Converting couplers to Kadee is like eating one potato chip. Once a modeller tries Kadee's on a few cars and notices how well they work, there's no turning back. They are all metal and the most popular size's are #5 and #148. The #148 has whisker phosphorous bronze springs opposed to plastic springs that center the coupler. If you want a better looking, more realistic coupler, for size and looks, the Kadee # 158. Coupler height is most important no matter what coupler you use.

The other thing rarely mentioned is the trip pin, they get caught on the frogs on turnouts and crossings. It is a must to adjust them to compliment correct coupler height. Kadee offers a starter kit with all the tools, coupler height gauge, trip pin height, trip pin pliars, dry lube, spring pick for the nasty little spring in the coupler, and of course a nice selection of the most used couplers. It's all good and makes the hobby a little more enjoyable. Kadee lists it for around $50.00. It can be purchased here for about $37.00:

http://www.yankeedabbler.com/.sc/ms/sch/ee?search=1030+starter&go.x=25&go.y=14

Quote from: richg on February 14, 2012, 11:28:08 AM

Quote from: Jim Banner on February 13, 2012, 09:02:25 PM

Quote from: Rangerover1944 on February 13, 2012, 02:21:48 PM
...  I would solder the wires together and see what happens when you push the light button on you throttle ...

Solder the yellow and/or white wire to the blue wire and what will happen when you push the light button on your throttle is that the lighting output(s) of your decoder will be instantly destroyed.

Jim

That response really surprised me. That is how people with no electrical knowledge get into trouble.

Rich

OH MAN, geeez I thought the op had enough knowledge to know  "to solder the wires together ", not as a bunch, but to their proper mates, yellow to yellow blue to blue, he said the motor function worked so he must have some knowledge or at least read the instructions that came with the decoder.

Rich, As far as my knowledge Rich, I have installed 24 decoders on loco's alone about half with sound, and hard wired about half of those, (5 year olds can plug in a decoder if plugs are available) with all kinds of alterations , even added extra electrical pickups on Bachmann's "Old Tyme Village Express 4-4-0 when I added DCC to it so it would at least make it through the turnouts, talk about a challenge, for my granddaughter, because she loves the loco.  I've installed electrical pickups, configured my own, (other modelers wouldn't even attempt such a project) on cabooses, and passenger cars for interior lights. I've  also installed 1.8mm led's with flashing red lights with flashing headlights and sirens on my police, fire, and ambulance vehicles, just to name a few. And the last month I've been working on infra red device kits  to operate crossing gates and lights, so yea I have  achieved just a tiny bit of knowledge I suppose compared to the wizards and professionals on the MRR web sites, such as this, and yes I wouldn't be here except to learn form others in this wonderful hobby of their experience, wisdom, and knowledge and trying to help others along the way.

Sounds to me like the decoder is reading lights off, that's what those wires solder to. I would solder the wires together and see what happens when you push the light button on you throttle. If that don't work, reset the decoder to factory default, cv8 to 008 should reset to factory.

I don't own the Dynamis, "one" of the reasons I didn't upgrade to Dynamis is "it doesn't read back cv's" the way I understood it from other user's. You are supposed to be able to change the cv's, but you have to keep a spread sheet of sorts, or remember what you did. If I'm wrong somebody will call me on it. If I remember correctly, it didn't say anything I've read either in the online manual or literature that it does in fact read back cv's. If you add on the Bachmann Dyamis Probox, then I understand you can read, write, omit, delete or anything else that can be done to cv's, and that to me is a costly upgrade. Jim

So glad I use the Digitrax PR3/JMRI.

LOL does it matter? I live in West Virginia and you can go from city to city town to town, some modern, some like being in a long ago space and time. A friend of mine has seen my layout and one of the sections is mostly done, with scenery and houses on top of a mountain, dirt road, "1/2 mile to blacktop", and he said he could take a picture of it and tell somebody it was taken on a mountain in West Virginia. I've seen just about every kind of loco and train cars modern and some wooden and three truck shays pull into the station here in Elkins. Even some of the old wooden tressel bridges still being used, built back in the 1800's. Just right over in Phillipi is still one of the oldest all wooden covered bridges in the country, built before the civil war, in fact one of the first civil war battles fought there, to think that horses, troops, casson, both north and south crossed that same bridge back then, that you use today to drive your car into the city. Old wooden tunnel entrances going into the mountains, with wooden wings to keep the dirt and boulders from falling on the tracks. The old commnunties of coal mines and timber mills are still here, people still live there, though some of the mines are now closed, union halls are now community centers, timber community's are timbered out, but it's still all in tact with people. On one corner it's 2012, turn a corner or just down the road over that way it's the 1950's. So my layout is just like that, LOL I even got a NYC subway, so I don't model any particular era, it's a mix of everthing and I love it! Happier than a June Bug on a tommater plant. Jim

Quote from: davecal on February 10, 2012, 01:29:21 PM
Thank you gentlemen, appreciate the quick answers.
I'm new to the DCC game and learning.
Is there another type I can use here ?
Am I correct in assuming you can use them on any make Loco.

Dave

Dave a few of the other popular mobil decoders are TCS, NCE, Digitrax, Soundtraxx.
Check this site out, Tony's Trains, he offers a nice selection of decoders both sound and mobil.

http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/components/decoder-mobile.htm

I too still using EZ Command but I program decoders with a computer interface called Digitrax PR3/JMRI. But until you become more accostumed to all the in's and out's of DCC and the terminology, keep researching and asking questions. Here's probably the best place to purchase simple, no fuss, drop in decoders and yes they are Bachmann, this guy is well known and he also sells on eBay. so you can check his feedback. He ships fast and a Bachmann dealer and Ray is a great guy and you can even call him and talk to him. Jim

http://www.thefavoritespot.com/c-1395-decoders.aspx

If your using the EZ command there isn't anything you can do with cv's or even have to. If on the other hand you have the Dynamis with probox you can adjust all the cv's and be able to customize the decoder to your liking, that's the great part of that particular decoder, like I said the earlier versions were very simple drop in no hassle decoder, lights and motion only, read only decoder, but still much better than DC analog, and I might add affordable to get started in simple DCC operation.

Go for it, I haven't used them myself but from what I'm reading at least these have cv's that can be played with unlike the original less costly simple decoders you can't write to.

Compatible with NMRA-compliant DCC systems
Control speed, direction and lighting funtions (including headlight dimming)
Service mode decoder lock for changing the address on the layout
Ops mode programming
Two or four-digit addresses
28/128 speed step control
Advanced consisting
Adjustable acceleration, deceleration and start voltage
Instructions included

Yup it's the decoder, it can be fixed replacing the decoder with a TCS or NCE silent Running (SR) motor output decoder that is CV controlled to produce noiseless operation - no motor buzz. Jim

Quote from: EJELen on February 03, 2012, 06:32:34 PM
Bachmann has made a couple of different GP40 models and some have the DCC quick plug and others don't. The first release of this model was a split frame DC only that didnt leave much room for a decoder. I installed an n scale decoder and it and it works fine.  They later released the GP40 in the Spectrum line with no DCC quick plug but you could get a decoder that replaced the circuit board on the top of the frame. This particular loco isn't split frame and they upgraded the circuit board on the top of the newer models and have a DCC quick plug.   Converting most engines to DCC is pretty simple with or with out the DCC quick plug. Hard wiring is not as difficult as it may seem to be, just do one and you'll find out how simple it is, if you follow the instructions that come with decoders that need hardwiring. Split frame engines take a little more thought and planning since a lot of the design of the engine's  are really simply grounded contact points built into the engine that need's to be isolated from the motor.  I've converted 3 loco's with split frames, it does take a bit longer, but it can be done.
hope this helps, Jim

Does this philosophy also apply to the SD40-2 Non DCC equipped locomotives? (Item 67003) I haven't taken it apart yet, but I assume that the motor still needs to be isolated from the frame. Can you use the NCE replacement for the DCC On Board  (NCE BACH-DSL) in the non DCC units?

Thanks for the link and the explanation. It really helps us novices.

Len S
[/quote]

Well It's a lot of work, but it has been done and yes you have to isolate the motor check out this install it's a pdf file I saved, it may answer your question

http://www.ppdnmra.com/decoder-inst.pdf

Each switch is independently wired with each having it's own addy and it won't interfere with my switch position leds. I'll know more when I get them wired and working. Jim