DCC Wiring Harness?

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
Once upon a time you used to be able to get a wiring harness with a female DCC plug attached, so that you didn't have to hard-wire a decoder to a locomotive.

Now, since most manufacturers seem to be making DCC-ready locos, it appears nobody seems to think there's a market for these... based on my searches, and generally not finding any!

Does anyone know of a source for these things? It's not complicated, just a female socket with 8 wires... heck, I'd even take the socket, if I could find 'em!

I see Digitrax has a 9-pin harness (DHAT), but can you plug a "standard" 8-pin decoder into it? And it's a solderless conversion for Athearn locos... I'd rather do the soldering and just have the plug and harness, since I've got several non-Athearn locos in mind.
 

UP SD40-2

Senior Member
Squidbait said:
Once upon a time you used to be able to get a wiring harness with a female DCC plug attached, so that you didn't have to hard-wire a decoder to a locomotive.

Now, since most manufacturers seem to be making DCC-ready locos, it appears nobody seems to think there's a market for these... based on my searches, and generally not finding any!

Does anyone know of a source for these things? It's not complicated, just a female socket with 8 wires... heck, I'd even take the socket, if I could find 'em!

I see Digitrax has a 9-pin harness (DHAT), but can you plug a "standard" 8-pin decoder into it? And it's a solderless conversion for Athearn locos... I'd rather do the soldering and just have the plug and harness, since I've got several non-Athearn locos in mind.
Squidbait:wave:, i ONLY use sound decoders, so i am not sure about "regular decoders but (1- i think your mixed up, you are looking for Male 8 pin plugs(the circuit boards in your DCC ready engines have the "female" socket in them;)). (2- NO, there is NO 9 pin socket that is compatible with an 8 pin plug:(. (3- ALL sound decoders I buy COME WITH 8 pin plugs:thumb:, i would think "regular" decoders would come with them too, though i am sorry, i am NOT familiar with many non-sound decoders:eek:ops::confused:. HOPEFULLY, others might chime in with help:). :D-Deano
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
Deano,

No, I want the female plug. I want to wire the harness to the loco, and then plug the decoder into it.

I could just hard-wire the decoder to the loco, but I'd like the option of swapping it out without having to de-solder everything.
 

UP SD40-2

Senior Member
Squidbait said:
Deano,

No, I want the female plug. I want to wire the harness to the loco, and then plug the decoder into it.

I could just hard-wire the decoder to the loco, but I'd like the option of swapping it out without having to de-solder everything.
OOH, I'm sorry, i thought you was wanting to install the decoders in DCC ready engines...my bad:eek:ops:.

well that changes everythingtooth1. right off, i cant think of anyone that makes the "socket" to solder into the engine...but it does seem as though someone might. if it was me, since you are going to have to "hardwire" the socket into the engine, i would just get the decoders you REALLY WANT, and hot-wire them in, and not worry about changing them out...seems like it would be a whole lot easier, just MY thoughts;).

lets see if someone else has any ideas;). :D-Deano
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
What started me on this was trying to put an MRC sound decoder into an old BB Athearn GP38-2. Because of they way they did the shell, so you could snap-in the dynamic brake blister, there wasn't room for the decoder in the shell. I had to ream out the upper part of the shell over the motor, pull the dynamic hatch off, put the decoder in that, and then wire it to the chassis. So you can't completely remove the shell from the chassis, because the decoder's stuck to it, and can't easily slip through the shell. It's a PITA.
 
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