As the title pretty much says. When it says : “Equipped with Quick Plug DCC technology” on the Athearn website does that mean that they are uppgraded with a 8 pin decoder or what?
Magnus
It just means that that they have a decoder socket in them. Some of the other manufacturers use the term DCC Ready to mean the same thing. Most, if not all, Athearn Gemesis locomotives use the 9-pin JST socket, not the 8-pin.
Thanks, but which kind? It’s like proto 1K which need a different kind. I do wish there was a standard way of expressing this.
Magnus
It’s the standard white JST 9-pin socket that decoders plug into. It is a standard among decoder manufacturers that provide removable harnesses for their decoders.
Digitrax, TCS, SoundTraxx, and others all use the JST headers on many of their decoders today. On the decoder shown in this link on the Digitrax web site, the wiring harness can be unplugged from the decoder because it is a JST header and plug-in harness.
The latest Athearn RTR’s I got are GP40X’s. They are DCC ready and the board has BOTH the 9 pin JST and 8 pin standard socket.
Tilden
The new Athearn Genesis MP15AC actually gives the owner the option of using a plug in 8 pin or 9 pin decoder. Thats the first loco I’ve seen that has that option.
Remember, with the Athearn units, remove BOTH dummy plugs before installing the 8 or 9 pin socket. If you dont you will let out the blue smoke.
David B
Here is a Quick Plug board, in a SD40-2. The resistors for the 1.5 volt lights are built in. The dummy plug is still in the 9-pin receptacle. A 9-pin decoder plugs in, after removing the dummy plug. The 8-pin plug can be used instead, if you prefer. The MP15AC is similar, just much less room to fit everything back in. If the engine has a strobe, a 9-pin decoder will allow control of it, on F1. I don’t believe a 8-pin decoder will be able to control it.
…only if the decoder has more than 2 functions (DH163 or simular).
David B
if the ready to run locos do not need resisters why did my lights blow
…because you didnt install resistors?
David B
I just bought the AC4400 and it came with the 9 pin and 8 pin socket. the 9 pin had the jumper plug and the 8 pin was empty.
Did the lights blow useing the 8 pin socket? I folowed the traces on the Athearn board and found that the 9 pin is resistored where the 8 pin seems to bypass the resistors. But then my eyes arent what they used to be. I may have overlooked a trace or two. My decoder had a short harness and the JST header. So i figured why use the harness and used the 9 pin JST instead. All is well and runs good. but wish I stuffed some lead inside the body for more pulling power.
Pete
The 8 pin needs resistors