I’m installing my first Loksound decoder. The NCE DCC manual suggests installing it using an 8 pin socket, so the decoder could be removed in the future if necessary. Where do I get the socket? I’ve searched Tony’s website without finding one.
Litchfield station is good for supplies like that. Here is a link to the NMRA socket page
Tony’s will carry them as well. I looked around their site as well and couldn’t find them either, you might need to call them.
Thanks, Simon and Dave.
I am really impresssed with the prompt answers I have gotten at this forum.
Buzz
Buzz,
let me tell you , you cant go wrong with litchfield station I order as much as I can through them. I did get the plug they sell awhile back, and finally used 2 to make a wire harness set up it worked great.
A little tip tho when soldering the wires to the plug dont overheat this causes the plastic that holds the pins to melt and warp so align them before it cools off.
I have had the very same problem. I can NEVER seem to get the 8 wires soldered without melting the black plastic that holds the 8 brass pins in place.
Does anyone have any suggestions of how to solder these without melting the plastic???
Mike
Try using a pair of plyers as a heatsink next to the plastic. I have better luck with a hotter iron that you don’t have to leave in contact with the pin as long. If you have some old computer junk lying around, practice on those. They all have rows of pins like that on them.
Make sure the tip of your iron is properly cleaned. A small 15-25 watt iron is plenty to solder decoder wire to the 8 pin plugs,and it should take only a second or so to heat up enough to melt the solder. Work in diagonals, don’t do two adjacent pins at the same time.
I was under the impression from the pictures on the ESU and Tony’s web sites that the Loksound comes with an 8 pin plug already installed.
–Randy
You can also put the pins partly into the recepticle. This acts as a heat sink and also keeps the pins aligned. Ok course, don’t leave the iron in contact too long. You shouldn’t have to if the tip is clean and the wires fluxed, even a 25 watt iron should do the trick.
Tilden
Randy, the Loksound decoder did come with the 8 pin male socket attached. I’m putting it into an old locomotive. It was suggested that I use a female 8 pin socket when wiring the functions of the locomotive, so that I could easily change out decoders in the future if necessary.
Thanks to all of you for your input. I placed an order with Litchfield Station last night.
Buzz
Cheap way to get an 8-pin female socket is to buy 8-pin IC sockets, the ones with the round sockets and pins meant for wire wrapping. They generally have 2 plastic bars connecting the left and right sets of 4 pins. Cut these adn glue the two halves together back to back and you have the same pin spacing as the NMRA 8 pin socket. That’s what I did when I built a decoder tester.
–Randy
Nice Building Simon:
Can you tell us if this was a kit or how you did it?
Thanks!