In the begining years of DCC, where 100% of decoder installs were ‘hard wired’ in by the modeler, DCC Ready meant that the motor was isloated from the frame. Or in other words, the locomotive had 2 wires comming off of the power pickups, 2 wires going to the motor and other wires for the lighting.
In the following years, the term “DCC ready” became popular with the introduction of the DCC standard plugs. The 8 pin plug became a popular choice, and most locomotives that were labeled DCC ready had this plug (of the other 9 pin plug)
Lately, this term can also be used to mean “Decoder already installed”, but not nessesarily so.
In as much as the NMRA has not even issued a ruling on this subject that I am aware of, it will continue to mean whatever each manufacturer chooses to have it mean. Therein lies my frustration with the NMRA.
I decided not to elaborate and deleted the rest to save you the time of reading it.
My opinion is, it should mean the model is equipped with a compatible plug for easy decoder installation.
Agreed ! I bought some spectrum models that were supposedly dcc ready. And I ended up pulling out the old circuit boards and replacing them with nce boards. I agree with the original posting, What should dcc ready really mean ? Atlas, Athearn, Bli and others are dcc ready all you do is plug in the decoder and go !
For now, I think it should mean “plug in a decoder and go.” The motor should be properly isolated, the lights should all have appropriate resistors installed, and there should be enough room to replace the shell once the decoder is in place. You should be able to do this without soldering. It should be so simple that a caveman could do it, with all due respect to those who model the Neanderthal Valley Railroad.
Of course, sound now presents a whole new set of problems. Should a sound-ready engine also have a speaker and baffle already installed, or would it be better just to leave enough space under the shell to put one in without having to machine away engine weight?
There should be a standard socket (preferred 8-pin) with a dummy plug to be replaced with the decoder.
The dummy plug should also NOT have some special circuits to protect 1,5V bulbs that will burn out the first time F0 is pressed with the decoder installed.
Or cut down the weight and get two engines for the same job.
Then buy speakers, baffle material, soldering iron, manuals, supplies, shrink wrap tubing, hours on internet downloading manuals and studing them, discovering the differences between manufactors etc.
Or sit on the engines and a DCC Installed Model comes out of the factory.
I think it is a lot clearer now as all the major plastic manufacturers seem to have an NMRA socket in place. Even if the terminology were standardised today there is enough older inventory sitting on train-show tables and LHS’s to keep folks confused for a long time to come.
IMO DCC ready should mean Socket in place for a simple PNP installation.
DCC ready should mean that the motor has been isolated and the light’s are compatable with DCC systems so that a decoder can be installed without having to make these changes.
Due to space availability not every loco can accept an 8 pin or 9 pin plug type decoder. What manufacturers need to state in their description is what type of decoder is acceptable. Such as whether their DCC Ready loco is a “hard wire”, “Board Replacement”, or “plug n play” type installation.
Loco’s with decoders usually state “Decoder Installed”. I don’t believe there is a missunderstanding with them.
I think DCC ready should mean that an NMRA plug is already installed. Having said that, a couple years back I bought a Spectrum 10 wheeler and couldn’t get it to go after plugging in the decoder. It kept showing a short. After a lot of head scratching, I found that where the wires pass through the bottom of the loco, they had been pinched to the point where the insulation had been opened, thus causing the short.
Also anybody know a source for the 8 pin SOCKETS, I got plenty of plugs but I need sockets.
I agree. I really don’t enjoy adding resistors to lights. I wish everything was as simple as the Proto 2000 DCC ready loco’s and the Digitrax DH163L0 decoders. Just plug the decoder in and go. Except for the minor issue with some number board lights I really believe that the combination of these two products is what DCC ready is all about. Simple plug and play is what is needed in the hobby.
Its nice to have stuff ready to use right out of the box, but I’ve always understood DCC ready to mean the engine has a socket so all you have to do is buy a decoder with a plug and plug it in. What should it mean? I don’t really care or have an opinion, as long as the terminology is clear to the buyer.
I agree with the majority here. DCC ready should mean there is a socket and you should be able to plug in ANY decoder and run the locomotive without further modification.
The KATO versions that have a speaker well in the fuel tank are a very convient option. And while I view that as an extra, with more and more sound decoders available, perhaps room for a speaker should be considered in the DCC ready “standard”.
IMHO, “DCC Ready” should mean that I don’t have to heat up my soldering iron. The moment I plug that puppy in, the engine is no longer “DCC Ready” to me.
That being said, I recognize that the original P1K RDC’s are easier to wire for DCC than, say, an Athearn Blue Box. You had to solder the wires through the marked holes on the circuit board of the P1K RDC and cut the traces marked “X”, but at least you didn’t have to dismount the motor in order to install the decoder.