Proud of myself!


goscrewyourselves

goscrewyourselves

I'm the one
As every one will be aware, when it comes to anything other than wiring the track and structure lighting I am a 100% complete electronics moron. That is why I am so proud of myself this evening :cool:

I have two (2) Kato N Scale DC engines an F42 Genesis and a GEVO AC44ES. As said both are equipped with DC light boards.

This evening I successfully installed TCS DCC decoders in both engines and they STILL both work!

I was amazed at just how easy and quick it was to do. It took about 15 minutes to remove the body and DC light board then install the TCS decoder into it. Nothing to it what so ever. In short, the light board (literally) slides out and the TCS decoder literally slides back in. The only thing that had to be done was to add some insulation tape between the frame and the motor tabs on the decoder.

The F42 Genesis wasn't much harder or took much longer. The only additional thing that was needed was to solder the motor tabs to the decoder.
 
Very good, Tony. I have managed to foist off my locomotive repairs or decoder installations on a friend, but he is getting on, and getting onto things beyond trains these days. I think I may have to pick a sacrificial locomotive and start to learn how to take them apart, and then hope they work, with no leftover gears, once I figure I have them back together.
 
Crandell,

Thanks and I had the very same fears about pulling something apart and then "hoping" I could get it all back together again and not destroyed a running engine. Or, screwing up the DCC install and then have to figure out how to put the DC light board back. Trust me, I held my breath when I put the engines on the test track :)

With that being said, there is no way I would try to pull an engine apart or even out - I'd definitely follow your method for anything like that.
 
It's when the shell starts to come off, but gets stuck and won't move further off and not back on again. Get that a lot with my HO stuff. From what I see with N scale there's more of what you've got, take out the old decoder entirely and put in the new one. Minimal wiring to hook up or get tangled or pinched. Try an HO Athearn.
 
Yeah, like you, my first DCC conversion was a little nerve racking, but turned out to be not too bad at all. Subsequent conversions were a bit more challenging, but I've managerd to get through all of them.

Well done, Sir!
 
Congrats Tony. You can never say you can't do something until you first give it a try. Well done. Thumb up.gif
 
Congratulations Tony. I know how it is. I have no qualms about taking a loco apart, and other small items I work on, then re assembling them, but electronics are a different story for me, as can be noticed in some of my previous posts, and future posts. A 5 year old probably has a better understanding of electronics, and things electrical than I do. :)
 
That's a MAJOR accomplishment from my view. I am as dumb as a rock on anything lessthan 110-120!

50 years ago I built my on power supply using a 110 volt variable transformer. Now I cannot remember the components that I used and cannot find where I drew out the plan?
 
Thanks gents this has given me a huge boost of confidence for any (possible) future installations of TCS decoders. I "might even try" a TCS sound decoder next ... note I said "might" :)

Toot'n,

I thought I was going to run into that "getting the shell off" issue with the P42. I got the front half up and free but the back half didn't want to play for a little while. Resorted to good old fashion Aussie technology - an over sized screw driver and 20 lb mash hammer. The body came off no problem :)

I remember trying a HO install and that was a pain in the rectum, so much so that I don't think it even worked. The N Scale install was much quicker and much easier, of course, it might also have something to do with the type of decoder.

KB02,

If I try the sound install, I hope I have the same results that you have achieved.

Chet,

Yep that is true, very true.

Despite having success with these installs, decoders, decoder types I'm sure not going to say that I can now do decoder installations and leave it as a general statement. What doing these installs HAS done is given me the confidence to try another one, one that is a little more of a challenge and see how things go then and (to me) that is a step in the right direction.

Paul,

Yeah, electronics and I don't seem to have a very good relationship beyond the very basic stuff as a rule. I have to admit that a little bit (well a lot) of my apprehension about doing an install was the fear of destroying an engine that ran perfectly well as a DC engine when I could buy something already assembled and (hopefully) proven.

As said above, in no way do I think that I can now do any decoder installation BUT, I do know that I can do this type. As such, now I can look at the TCS site, see what decoders they have that are the same, see what engines they apply to and buy (if needed or wanted) those engines as a DC engine. It maybe arse about logic BUT, it could mean I get a larger fleet of DCC engines a little more cheaply than buying a DCC engine of the bat.

From my stand point, I can justify to the CEO spending $50 - $70 on a DC engine much easier than $300 for an all singing and all dancing engine. It will then be easier to find the "dollars" for the decoders ... there is some method to my madness after all :)

Sherrel,

Interesting point and one that made me think a little. For me, it isn't so much the "electricity, the zap you stuff" as it might be the technology. Electricity is electricity after all that basically (very basically) needs a wire to transport it from point A to point B whether it is 110 volts, 240 volts, phase 3, 12 volts or any other type. That I understand and am comfortable with to a point.

The only thing I can conclude is it isn't the zappy stuff but the points A and B, and more so the B, that gives me cause for concern and apprehension.
 
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NOW I am proud of myself.

When I put the decoder in and ran the engine there was no headlight. Pressing the headlight button on the Powercab didn't have any effect at all.

Spent this afternoon back and forth with TCS Tech Spt and they assured me the decoder does have lights.

End result is this - it helps a lot if you press the powercab button just a teensy weensy bit harder ... :rolleyes:
 
Kudos, Tony! I remember how excited I was after my first decoder install in 2007, seeing the loco respond to my throttle commands. (But I can't for the life of me remember which unit it was :confused::eek:)

For me, soldering the wires is the easy part. What causes me the most anxiety is: Will I be able to get the body shell back on without mashing the decoder or pinching/breaking any wires?
 
Thanks Ken, this was a big step forward for me so I am pretty pleased. I don't want to get into the RTR V's Kit thing but there is a very nice feeling when you can accomplish something that could have just as easily been bought as a complete item. It took me almost 5 years to work up the courage to try doing an upgrade. Now I have to wonder why it took that long.

What I did was easy - no wires to contend with but yes ... having the added concern of how to place the wires, are they soldered correctly, are there any little shorts, will the body catch on them when being replaced all add to the apprehension and anxiety until it is done and you see the engine run. I imagine that would be an even better feeling.
 
Toot'n,

I'm going to assume that you know me well enough to know that comment was made sarcastically ... and yep, winter is upon us and am already impatient for spring and summer to return :)
 
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