Hello all, my question today is . Why is there no real refrence charts for nce decoders ? I’ve been to tony’s train exchange site and seen their refrence chart for digitrax decoders which has helped me make my purchase decision on specific decoders that I needed. I was looking at a few nce decoders at could’nt tell if they were compatible with the locos that I need them for, there seems to be no refrence charts to tell you. I’ve looked at a lot of sites & so far tony’s is the only one that gives you some type of ideas as to what decoders might fit your locos.
The digitrax charts are more specific more detailed and easier to understand at tony’s. I’ve even visited nce’s site and have’nt been able to figure anything out. Anybody have any Ideas where to get information on what nce decoders fit specific locos ?
It might be helpful to know what scale and type of equipment you are planning to install DCC on.
For example I model in HO and use the NCE D13SR or D13SRJ hard wired for most of my Athearn, Proto, Kato and Atlas diesels. I’m a little distrustful of plug in style decoders as I can’t guarantee that the manufacturer has installed them properly - i’ve had decoders smoke due to badly wired manufacturer’s plugs.
Ocassionally I might use a different decoder due to space issues.
You won’t find a full installation guide with pics on NCE’s web site like you get with say the TCS web site. I find the current range of NCE decoders pretty easy to install and program (especially with the Powercab. :-))
It’s there, buried on the NCE page. It really needs to be moved out in front. The link text is pretty humorous though, I’ll give them that.
The only special-purpose NCE decoder I’ve used is the one for the P2K SW. FOr a cramped space it made the job relatively easy. There is a resistor already there to retain the rear light so you don’t have to tear the cab apart to remove it, and it is set up so you can just solder an LED on the front to replace the headlight, resistor for that is also already there. But I have used a bunch of ‘generic’ D13SRJ decoders, since you can get them for under $12 each. I’ve put those in just about everything.
Well thanks alot, because of been to nce’s site and could’nt find any real information on which decoders fit what. I finally dug through all the info they have in front of everything that I was’nt looking for on they’re site. Oh and I model ho ! Again my sincere thanks !
Do the NCE decoders include dropping resistors or current limiting so that you don’t need to repalce lamps on locomotives ? I’ve always heard and seen that they don’t. I’ve used Digitrax decoders on all of mine so far and exccept for the ones that don’t have plugs, they’ve all been a quick plug-n-play. In fact the only one I’ve wired so far is putting one inside of a baoxcar that is a cleaning car to control the motors under DCC, since it was designed as a DC track cleaner.
Only the Digitrax DH163L0 has dropping resistors, other Digitrax decoders don’t have them either. NCE’s drop-in for the P2k, their equivalent to the DH13L0, doesn’t have resistors, but the NCE decoder for the P2K SW’s DOES have resistors. These are specific decoders for specific locos, and as such are usually more expensive than generic wired decoders like the NCE D13SRJ. Even adding the cost of LEDs and resistors, the wired decoders are usually cheaper. So far the ONLY place I’ve used the specific decoders in in my P2K GP-7’s (DH153L0) and in my father-in-law’s P2k SW7 (NCE). Most of my other locos have D13SRJ’s or TCS T-1’s. That’s another one with resistors (actually a voltage regulator) - the TCS A6 for Athearn Genesis has an on-board voltage regulator to handle the 1.5V bulbs. TCS also sells a seperate voltage regulator you can use with any decoder. --Randy