help please. shell and dcc board

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

first i need help figuring out what digitrax dcc board fits in the genesis sd60m the one that was in there prior to the new one had more tabs the new one only has enough 4 the the power pickups and front and rear lights not the ditch lights. second i need help removing the shell of my atlas 8-40c thanks.

2

If you are using something like a DH165A0 (I’d recommend this one for your locomotive) then the ditch lights connect to the F1 and F2 outputs (with the blue common), which are solder connections on the decoder board itself.

http://www.digitrax.com/kb/index.php?a=1100

http://www.digitrax.com/kb/index.php?a=149

I replaced the board in a Genesis SD70MAC with a DH165A0 and a Soundbug earlier this week. Make sure you use the proper size resistors on the F1/F2 outputs to avoid blowing out the ditchlights.

3

thanks thats the board i got but i was confused because the stock board u just pop the wires on and with the new board u dont have 2 add the resistors cuz they are already on the board right?

4

No. Always err on the side of resistors.

David B

5

i put the stock board back in and now i need to get a plug to make it dcc compatible and im also going to put sound in it anyone have suggestions

6

QSI-U with a 16x35mm Speaker/Baffle. Its as close to plug and play you are going to get for this unit.

David B

7

thank you alot im new to the whole dcc thing trying to get my first engine set up its seems you need to know alot buit once you get it its pretty simple now all the modern locos come with boards so when plugging a new board for dcc into the stock board would you recommend usin the same plug on all engines

8

BNSF4 sent me a PM in regaurds to this thread, and I feel it would add to the discussion…

And my reply as thus…

You are making the common mistake with new commers to DCC and sound…you are trying to do things CHEAP. In this case, what you are suggesting will work, but the sound is not up to par with what it can be…in a word…disappointing.

Is it a “good” way to go? No, because there are options that are much better.

The solution I offered to you is pretty much a plug and play. The REV-U comes with a 9 and an 8 pin interface. So…you just plug it into the existing Athearn board. You just need to find a home for the speaker/baffle (and you need a baffle). The extra functions for your ditchlights can be powered off of the extra function leads. You will need a resistor on each -ve lead to match the Athearn 1.5 volt 30ma bulbs.

Just trying to help.

David B