Please help!! Looking for someone to install DCC & Sound in an Athearn RTR

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Well I attemped my first install last night, and it didn’t go very well. I fried the decoder. smoked it. I sure hope the loco is OK.

I’m looking to pay somebody to install this for me, I will pay for shipping both ways, and offer like $50 to install the DCC and Sound.

I will pick up another new decoder.

I have:

Athearn F59-PHI Amtrak California
Tsunami AT-1000 EMD 710
Oval speaker from Soundtraxx

I live in Denver, CO

Thanks, I appreciate any help with this.

Michael

2

You’re very near one of the best custom installers – Ulrich Hobby Shop. Contact them.

Their web address is http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/StoreFront

Just as a matter of curiosity, did you remove the Athearn motor and isolated it from the frame by putting electrical tape under it and cutting off the tabs that touch the frame for electrical pickup to the lower motor brush? If you didn’t do this, that’s probably why you fried the decoder.

3

Thanks for the information on Ulrich, I will contact them to see what they charge.

btw, no I did not isolate the motor, I have never heard of doing that. Is that with all Athearn models?

Geeeeez, I don’t know.

4

You have to isolate the motor. If the motor is not isolated from the rails on any locomotive, the decoder will fry more than a chicken in a pan.

5

If it’s a blue box Athearn locomotive then you’ll most definetly have to isolate the motor from the frame. Most RTR Athearn locomotives don’t require isolation. Was “DCC ready” marked on the box the locomotive came in? To isolate the motor, it has to be stripped down to the frame and electrical tape has to line the motor frame housing and the copper motor clips must be turned around. You’ll also have to drill a hole in the frame and connect the black decoder wire to it somehow. (I usually insert a small screw into the hole i drilled into the frame and solder the wire to the screw.) Go to www.tonystrainexchange.com there is a section in his website explaning how to isolate the motor from the frame on Athearn locomotives…chuck

6

You are actually in Commerce City right? What is your deadline for having this done? I am unfortunately away from the family calendar but might be able to squeeze it in this Saturday. Or I might be able to do it next Saturday May 1 between the Youth In Model Railroading and Gulf Coast and Santa Fe operating session. I’ll write a private e-mail and see how quickly we can sync up.

7

From what I’ve read, ANY locomotive that uses the frame for the electrical path to the motor must be isolated.

8

Sounds like you have a couple of capable sources nearby. If you can get to watch while the work is done it would be a good education.

9

Thanks everybody for all the help, once again, it’s great to have plenty of people to help out, I was getting frustrated.

But, I just got back from driving up to Berthoud, CO to Ulrich Models, and I dropped off the loco for the install. Unfortunately, he is booked with other installs, and might not get to it for a couple of weeks. Dangit!

Good news is, he will send my decoder back to soundtraxx for replacement, so he’s not even charging me for a new decorder!! (I almost threw it away, LOL).

Texaszepher, thanks for the help let’s still hook up so I can learn this on my own. [:D]

10

Good Luck. How much are they charging you for the install?

11

Here are a couple of links that cover the basics of tuning up an Athearn locomotive mechanism that may prove helpful in the future, and one covering the installation of a decoder into one.

http://www.mcor-nmra.org/Publications/Articles/Athearn_TuneUp.html

http://www.model-railroad-infoguy.com/Athearn.html

There are several sites that have detailed instructions on installing decoders and sound into Athearn and other brands of locomotives.

I found the two above by simply typing the phrase ‘Athearn decoder install’ into Google.

12

Boy you are luck to be that close to Ulrich Model. Steve is a great guy! Let us know what he charged.

Cuda Ken

13

He said it would be around $50 for everything.

14

Ya Steve is a really nice guy, and he has all kinds of nice stuff for sale, in fact I walked out of there with a couple of new PECO switches!

15

Nice, So he’ll be giving you money after getting the decoder replaced? [:D]

16

Whaaaat? No, I actually purchased the decoder yesterday at Caboose Hobbies. I thought I was going to have to buy a new one from Steve, but he is sending back for replacement, so he’s not charging me anything for that. Which is really cool.

17

That sounds like Steve. One of the folks here gave me is Loksound 3.5 decoder for free. Sent it to Steve to load Big Boy sound. When I got it back, head light would not work. While I still had the original decoder he sent me a new Loksound decoder to replaces the one I got for free from Terry and trusted me to send back the one that did not work right! That is customer services!

Big fan of Ulrich Models Ken

18

I don’t know how old you are, but I got the impression you were a young person? Yes-no?

Because as I was checking my calendar, I realized that I am presenting at the June meeting of the Youth In Model Railroading club here in Denver. The topic is “Decoder Installation”. So if you are a youth. If you can wait that long (June 5th). You could come to the seminar, learn how to do it yourself, and save some bucks in the process.

They meet at the Westminster Presbyterian Church. about Federal & 80th.

19

Ulrich Hobby Shop sounds like a great place to do business.

For those of us east of the Mississippi River, I have used Tim Smith at Empire Northern Models in Webster New York for a number of installs on several of my engines. Good pricing and fast, competent service.

Rich

20

I wish I was young, I just turned 42. I’m an old fart. [(-D]