Over the last couple of years I have bought a couple of Athearn diesels that were labeled as DCC ready. So, I put decoders in them and within a short time, at least one of the bulbs burned out. In one loco, the headlight is gone but the rear light works - on another, it’s the opposite. On the Atlas diesels, this never happens and I have an old IHC Consolidation that is going strong but there is a resistor in the tender. Seems like this is something that is confined to the Athearn diesels but would welcome comments.
But did you fry the decoder?
If not, it could still be a DCC Ready loco, but you have to be cautious with the lighting.
Typically, you need to add resistors to LEDs and 1.5 volt incandescents.
Depending upon the decoder, it is also easy to fry a function output. Have you tested that?
If the locomotive runs OK with the decoder installed, then the locomotive is DCC Ready.
Rich
It’s the cheap crappy light bulbs Athearn insists on using. Run them enough on DC, espcially at higher speeds, and the same thing happens.
Part of my project Athearn RS-3s is to remove the bulbs (they protrude through the light housing anyway and look just plain wrong and very toy train-ish) and put lenses in the openings and put LEDs behind them.
Most recent Atlas production is all LEDs already, as are most other makers these days. If you plug a decoder into either the 8 or 9 pin socket on the Athearn, there ARE resistors in place for the light bulbs (otherwise they would amke interesting flashbulb impressions - they are only 1.5V bulbs). It’s not that the locos aren;t actually DCC ready, it’s that the bulbs are poor quality. And an inexcusable choice, especially on the higher end models, these days.
–Randy
Thanks, Randy, I forgot to mention that the average life of an Athearn incandscent bulb is 10 minutes even when protected by a resistor. [(-D]
Seriously.
Incidentally, a camera flash bulb males a greater impression than an Athearn incandescent in which you don’t even see the flash as the bulb burns out.
Rich
Oh but if you apply 12-15V directly to an Athearn bulb with no resistors, it will make a nice flash. [:D]
–Randy
I love the smell of burnt out Athearn bulbs in the morning!
Rich
psh, I see your burnt-out Athearn bulbs, and raise you LEDs!
[:$]
LOL
I have lots of unused Athearn bulbs in a small drawer. Any takers?
Rich
I know I"m in the minority here, but I like the Athearn bulbs, particularly for ditch lights. Easy to locate and work with and mine have lasted years. If it’s an 8 pin plug or similar DCC ready, then I would call Athearn and get some replacement bulbs.
Richard
Just have to use the right decoders some can do the flashign effects with LEDs better than others. Digitrax, for example, , prior to Series 6, are notriously bad at any sort of flashing light with LEDs. Series 6 claims to have better LED support, but I have not used one yet. TCS has always been good with LEDs. NCE is fairly decent as well.
–Randy
No, I didn’t fry the decoder. I am tending to agree with the Athearn bulb solution. I have one Athearn ‘DCC Ready’ loco that has two front headlamps, one works and one doesn’t. On another, the rear works and not the front. The Altlas engines just don’t have this issue - so I am coming down on the ‘cheap Athearn bulb’ side and now I can look forward to trying replacing them with LED’s. Need to find how to do that.
What type of decoders did you install in those Athearn diesels?
Rich