I’m installing a soundtraxx DSD-LL110LC decoder in a proto 2000 GP38-2 locomotive. I was soldering the resistors provided with the decoder to the headlight and backup light when I realised I didn’t record where the wires attached to the connector board. I looked in the instalation instructions and in the center fold found what seemed to be the wiring scamatics for the lights. When I attached the bulbs (and resistors) to these spots, the lights would still not light. Anyone know what is going on. P.S. the motor and sound still work fine.
If you haven’t already done so, you can download the DSD LC manual from the SoundTraxx web site. A diagram on page 12 of that manual shows the pin numbers to which the lights should be connected.
The headlight connects to pin 5 (white), the backup light to pin 4 (yellow), and pin 6 (blue) is the positive wire to both lights.
The DSD-100LC decoder I have has a 9-pin JST header connector on one end and came with a color coded wiring harness. Unless yours is different, use the white, yellow, and blue wires of the wiring harness for the lights.
Thel lights won’t come on until you turn them on with the FL (or F1) function of your DCC systme.
I just wired the headlight to se if it would work, but I still don’t have lights. I have disconected all of the other lights as well at this point. could this be affecting the lighting? (the locomotive has two other lights conected between pins 1&8 and 4&5 iluminating the number boards). Also F1 controls the bell.
You’ve lost me. The diagram I have from SoundTraxx for their LC decoders, including the one you have, show pins 1 and 8 as the Red (8) track pickup wire and one of the purple speaker wires (pin 1); 4 & 5 are the white (headlight) and yellow (backup light) wires. The headlight and backup light will not work unless you have them connected to pin 6 (the blue (positive) wire) and turn them on with the FL or Headlight function on your DCC system.
If your DSD-LL110LC decoder came with the wiring harness, connect it up according to the diagram on page 12 of the manual. There is no provision for number board lights with this decoder, so the fact that you have them working is something I don’t understand.
OK, what I’ve done now is removed the decoder from the engine so that I am simply looking at the wiring harness that the locomotive came wired to the locomotive out of the box. I also have the soundtraxx diagram. On the locomotive, pin 1 is wired to the top of the motor. Pin 2 is currently conected to noting. Pin 3 is also connected to nothing. Pin 4 is conected lefthand side track pick up. Pin 5 is connected to the bottom of the motor, and also one lead of the headlight. Between pins 4 and five their used to be one of the number box illuminators. Pin 6 is the secound lead to the headlight. Pin 7 is empty. Pin 8 is the right hand side track pickup. Between pins 1 and 8 has the second number box illuminator. The leads for the speaker are connected on the decoder at designated spots. This differs subtantually from the soundtraxx wiring diagram. Should I try re-wiring the locomotive to match the soundtraxx diagram. Also, how do I know which pin is which on the decoder? Is it possible that when I put the wiring harness on the decoder that I reversed them?
If you don’t wire the SoundTraxx according to the wiring diagram provided with it, which is in accordance with the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices, it is not going to work. The only wires that are not standardized in accordance with the NMRA color coding for decoders are the two purple wires to the speaker, because sound decoders did not exist when the NMRA established the color coding.
Well, I rewired the locomotive and tested it on th track, and all I got was a clicking speaker. So I rewired the locomotive to the way it originally was, and it is now working perfeclty with the exeption that I don’t have any lights. What I think I’m going to do is call the phone number that’s on the locomotive instructions, and see if they can tell me what is going on. Thanks anyways for the help.
