Hi everyone!!announce1 announce1 announce1
Just learnt a new lesson on those "DCC Ready" locomotives. Rather they be steam or diesel is relavent. I have a switcher that a friend helped me wire for DCC a few years ago. The locomotive being a HO scale S3 Alco is too small for sound so a power decoder (DN 121-p/play) had to be used.
I simply plugged in the decoder and set it on the program track, did the required CV programming and away it went!
It ran quite nicely for quite some time. One day a bump showed up on the track somewhere and as can be expected, the engine derailed. After attempting to correct the "bump", the locomotive traveled over it the 2nd time and this time I was unable to rescue the locomotives ocward derailment and POOF out came a black cloud of fried decoder.:cry: Just glad they aren't $100.00+ for these puppies!
I am a bit flustered however, The box the locomotive came in had the NMRA DCC READY symbol on it. I looked over the single page information and parts sheet that came with it and no where on it that I can see does it say that the ground wire connected under the foward head lamp must be disconnected prior to installing a DCC decoder.
For those of you that are just getting into the hobby and expanding into the wonderful world of the DCC part of it, I caution you to remove this wire which I believe is white.
The motor MUST, repeat, M U S T be properly insolated by YOU. Do not allow that symbol on the box to fool you into thinking it is ready to go as soon as you plug in the Decoder... IT is MOST definatly NOT!!! ...unless of course, you purchase the locomotive of your choice with the DCC Decoder already installed.
Good luck and have fun!
NCMR:thumb:
Just learnt a new lesson on those "DCC Ready" locomotives. Rather they be steam or diesel is relavent. I have a switcher that a friend helped me wire for DCC a few years ago. The locomotive being a HO scale S3 Alco is too small for sound so a power decoder (DN 121-p/play) had to be used.
I simply plugged in the decoder and set it on the program track, did the required CV programming and away it went!
It ran quite nicely for quite some time. One day a bump showed up on the track somewhere and as can be expected, the engine derailed. After attempting to correct the "bump", the locomotive traveled over it the 2nd time and this time I was unable to rescue the locomotives ocward derailment and POOF out came a black cloud of fried decoder.:cry: Just glad they aren't $100.00+ for these puppies!
I am a bit flustered however, The box the locomotive came in had the NMRA DCC READY symbol on it. I looked over the single page information and parts sheet that came with it and no where on it that I can see does it say that the ground wire connected under the foward head lamp must be disconnected prior to installing a DCC decoder.
For those of you that are just getting into the hobby and expanding into the wonderful world of the DCC part of it, I caution you to remove this wire which I believe is white.
The motor MUST, repeat, M U S T be properly insolated by YOU. Do not allow that symbol on the box to fool you into thinking it is ready to go as soon as you plug in the Decoder... IT is MOST definatly NOT!!! ...unless of course, you purchase the locomotive of your choice with the DCC Decoder already installed.
Good luck and have fun!
NCMR:thumb:
