Daniel  Does this loco have

Daniel

Does this loco have the 8 pin and 9 pin decoder interface? Is the 9 pin jumper removed?

Pete

Pete It came with the 8 pin

Pete

It came with the 8 pin only, it does not have the JST interface. In the manual I have not found this jumper you mention.

Thanks

Daniel

Daniel  Put it back on the

Daniel

Put it back on the lokprogrammer and reset it back to original configuration. Then try driving it using the programmers cab.

Some of the Athearn locos have a board with an 8 pin socket and has short pigtail with a 9 pin JST socket that will have the DC jumper in. Hear is a picture of the board.

http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Athearn/AC4400/AC4400.html

Some people have plugged into the 8 pin socket and never removed the jumper from the 9 pin JST and have burnt out decoders in the process. Why Athearn built boards such as these is beyond me.

JMRI should not be needed if you have the programmer. I use the Lokprogrammer for the five Select decoders I have.

Pete

Thanks very much Pete! It

Thanks very much Pete!

It was the pigtail jumper that was causing trouble. Removed it and it worked OK, no damage to the decoder!

I just don't understand why athearn makes this board with both 8 pin and 9 pin interface and don't put any instruction on the manual about this jumper.

Gratefully,

Daniel

SW1000 DCC card installation

Two questions.   First, how do you separate the body from the frame?   Seems stupid but I cannot seem to find a way to get the body off and I am concerned about breaking part of the plastic.

Second question.   I purchased a Digitrax card.   I did not see any references to problems with the Digitrax card.   The digitrax card is also a 9 pin card.   Do I have to remove one of the pins from this card.   sorry, but I am very new to DCC.

SW1000 dis-assembly

Dear ??? (Pipeliner)

First, although it's not Digitraxx-specific, check the SW1000 install guide from the TCS website. Check the pics as you read thru the below procedure.

http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Athearn/SW1500_DCC_Ready/Athearn_SW1500_DCC_Ready.html

Second, which Digitraxx decoder are you intending to install? While it may be "plug n play" as far as the physical connections go, the decoder may or may-not provide the appropriate voltage for the factory-installed lighting. Check First!

- Assuming this is one of the newer Horizon-era SW1000s
(which is should be, if it has the can motor and DCC-ready PCB),
then getting into it is a case of:

- place it upside down in a loco cradle or other soft safe holder
- carefully remove the screws holding the couplers in place
(they are accessible from underneath, just behind the ends)
- grasp the couplers, and slide the entire coupler/draftgear-box assembly out thru the end of the loco.
As the draftgear boxes come out, they will want to seperate into their "box" and "lid" halves. Take your time, work carefully, and make sure you put all of the couplers/draftgear-parts/screws in a zip-lock bag or similar for safety.

You should now be able to flip the loco back up on it's wheels, and lift the shell off the mechanism.
NOTE! There are wires running between the PCB and the bulbs in the shell! DO NOT lift off quickly, or you are liable to damage the lighting/wiring/PCB!

There _should_ be enough slack on those lighting wires to lay the shell down alongside the mech.

From there, if your Digitraxx decoder has a JST 9-pin plug,

- simply unplug the little jumper PCB from the short 9-pin wire loom,
(NOTE! the connector the jumper was plugged into _IS_ the JST 9-pin connector for this loco! ).

- plug the decoder in it's place,
- make sure any exposed decoder electronics aren't going to short-out on the PCB or anything else when the shell is pushed down into position! 
- re-install the shell,
- remount the couplers+draftgear boxes
(IIRC they are interchangable end-for-end)

and you should be ready-to-go...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

SW1000 DCC card installation

Got it!   Great instructions.    Piece of cake once someone gave me the instructions.    Thanks a million.