Where does the decoder go? I have the engine but no directions. What comes off or opens up? What decoder might work? Maybe I will be less dense when I do a few.
Art;
Take the shell off the tender. Remove the 8 pin jumper, or the two 3 pin jumpers, depending on which your model has. Remove the capacitor(s) from the circuit board, and replace the inductor(s) with jumper wires; IF you are using a “silent drive” or sound decoder. Plug in a decoder with an 8 pin NMRA plug into the socket. Put the model on the track, and check that everything works, including the lights. If the motor responds correctly, but the lights do not work properly, you most likely have the decoder plugged in backwards. After everything is working correctly, replace the tender shell.
There are dozens of decoders that will work in a Spectrum Mountain, what do you want it to do? The easiest one is Bachmann’s 44915. Lenz, Digitrax, NCE, TCS all have several that will fit and work fine.
I’m sorry, but is this the N or the HO one we’re talking about here?
HO and I found the decoder. How do I test it to see if it is good? I can’t seem to program a number in it or run it on any number. It runs OK on DC.
Sorry to butt in, it’s just that I have two N scale ones that I need to do an install on.
Art;
The model does NOT have a decoder installed from the factory.
Hope you didn’t cut the wrong wire. You usually dont have to remove the inducters if you use one of the more popular decoders, but I do cut one lead of the caps. Make sure the plug is seated firmly. The system I have, Digitrax, you have to shut the system down after programing & turn it back on before the engine will run. I usually keep an extra decoder on hand to substitute in a situation like this. Keep us posted on your progress.