I have been working on building my own decoder for DCC ready trains. In deciding between 9-pin and 8-pin I had decided to go with 9-pin (because you get one extra wire to control). My original target loco was an Athearn DCC-ready RTR which I thought was a good popular mainstream basic train. Then I started poking around Walthers and realized you can’t really buy Athearns online anymore, and maybe the Athearn RTR isn’t a good target loco for me. I should pick a target loco that’s affordably available on Walthers.
Is there any strong loco companies that make 9-pin DCC-ready locomotives? Or do the big loco brands tend toward 8-pin? I’m trying to decide if 9-pin was a good choice, or if I should consider dropping down to the 8-pin for my target locomotive. I believe Bachmann is 8-pin. If anyone knows good 9-pin locos or if you think I should switch to 8-pin please let me know.
Also, I haven’t miniaturized my electronics as much as I eventually hope to, so if anyone could recommend what brand of loco 9-pin (or 8-pin) dcc-ready loco has a little extra space between the shell and the chassis/engine that would be great.
Don’t buy direct from Walthers, they kill you on shipping. Instead pick a reputable dealer who carries complete lines of things, like Modeltrainstuff, who advertises here (I’m a many times repeat satisified customer - great prices and an accurate inventory system so no surprise back orders. They are close to me so I get my stuff in a day or two), or Caboose Hobbies, or one of any number of other good places. They will have most major brands of locos.
I don;t think one’s more popular than the other, but as was mentione the other times you asked this question, if you make something 9 pin compatible, then it’s a simple matter to plug in a 9 to 8 pin harness to install it in a loco that has only the 8 pin. That’s the way most commercial decoders do it any way, you get one with an 8 pin plug and if you look, it’s just a harness and the decoder has a 9 pin built in. It’s all standard, so any make of harness will work with any 9 pin decoder.
There’s a new 21 pin connector that is starting to catch on, particularly where sound is involved, since even the 9 pin has no pins reserved for the speaker. Currently this is more popular in Europe but it is spreading to the US. Despite more pins, it’s physically smaller than then 9 pin. ESU is using it, in fact the Loksound Select Direct decoder is an Atlas/Athearsn format board with some of the circuitry on it, but the ‘meat’ of the thing is essentially a Loksound Select Micro that piggybacks on the bigger board via a 21 pin connector. Take a look at the pictures on the ESU site and you cna see how it is two pieces - it really does just unplug into two component parts, I’ve pulled mine apart.
Any thoughts on my question of recommendations of a good loco manufacturer (brand) that does the dcc-ready 9-pin, preferably with F-units that have a little space inside the shell?
I’ll happily pick it up through ModelTrainStuff. Its making a decision on the loco brand. I’m not toying with sound right now - so just lights.
You can still buy athearn locos online, and model train stuff is a good place to go. One question though, why are you making your own dcc decoder? Are you not finding what you’re looking for with current products in the market? Are you adding features that have never been seen before? I’m very curious about your project.
Some modelers choose to buy very little in the way of manufactured products and scratch build nearly everything. I used to do the same with computers back in the 80’s and 90’s. Some have the talent to do it so they will. Others may have the same talent but lack the time and/or materials to do it and therefore buy half or more of what they need already made. I do that more than ever now due to my hands not being so good these days. Once in a while though I still tie into a loco or car that’s very old and needs parts. Where do you get parts for extremely old model railroad stuff? In many cases you don’t as they’re no longer available. Instead you make the parts or adapt them to use newer parts. There’s nothing wrong with building you own decoder(s) and I applaud the OP for doing it. If successful he’ll have something that nobody else has even if it’s just basic functions. I look at it as having something I can point to and say ‘See? I did that! Now where’s yours?’.
I would highly recommend checking out MERG. They have complete DIY DCC systems, from the command station tot he decoder, with throttles, block detection, stationary decoders, circuit breakers - the works. All designed by other MERG members.
Agreed. I wasn’t trying to talk the OP out of his project, I was just curious as to what he feels is missing or needed in commercial products that made him want to design his own decoder(s). Personally, I’d like to see a decoder that is only a motor control, no light functions. I have a BLI loco that came with sound but still needs a DCC decoder if I want to use it with DCC. I put in a DZ125 decoder but feel that the lighting functions of the Digitrax decoder are being “wasted” since the BLI’s sound board controls the lights. Hopefully the OP can elaborate on his project but if it’s top secret then I’ll just have to remain curious.
If 9-pin is what’s desired, why not just hard wire a 9-pin harness to any loco instead of just looking for that one “perfect” loco? OP if you’d like, I have an extra Bachmann standard line F9 I’m not using. I can hard wire a 9-pin harness to the F9 and send it to you for your project.