Model Railroading > DCC Installation in newer Proto 2000 Locomotives

Today, I was showing a customer one of the newer Proto 2000 GP20 locomotives, and he was interested in adding DCC to it. I looked up which Digitrax decoder (DH163L0) fit it and proceeded to install it. Everything installed OK, but only one headlight would work. Both lights worked OK in analog. I tried 2 different decoders and 3 different chassis (2 GP20's and a GP7) and I never could get the rear headlight to come on under DCC.

Am I missing something obvious? We lost out on a sale because of this.

Thanks,
Charles

I use the DH163LO in all of my P2k units. There is a CV setting (and I cannot recall which it is as I don't memorise that stuff) which allows you to turn off the reversing headlight when the locomotive is in reverse. This is what I get done since it is a more accurate representation of the prototype; ie. if you want the light on then you need to turn it on like a real life hogger would do. I used to have to change this CV to meet my needs for manual control of the reversing light but it could be that the latest decoders coming from Digitrax recognise this trend and have adjusted the factory setting. So if your customer was expecting what I will call the "Toy Train effect" where the light comes on for the direction it is travelling, you may have to adjust the CV setting back.

That is what he was expecting. I figured it was one of two things, a miswired board and a CV that needed to be changed.

Charles Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That is what he was expecting. I figured it was
> one of two things, a miswired board and a CV that
> needed to be changed.


When all else fails read the directions ..............

Andre

I bought a set of D&RGW PA/PB (Walthers ,both powered ) units recently and
they were each fitted with a standard NMRA 8 pin socket, I used a standard
DH163D decoder fitted with a long 8 pin harness, the decoder fitted well
in the recess at the front of the loco's and all the lights inc
the mars light worked OK ,without additional wireing. I think that the DH163LO
was for the older type Proto's that were not fitted with resistors on the light board.
These loco's by the way are really powerful and run just great.
Brian

Does anyone know the CV that needs to be changed? One of the units that I refered to was a GN prototype and it ran long-hood forward and guess which headlight wouldn't come on.

Charles

same problem here - dead headlight on long hood end while using DH163LO + latest run Proto 2000 GP30. F0/F1 do nothing for the rear headlight.. Plug in the old DC light board, and on good old fashioned 12V DC analog, both headlights work as expected.

However, I've been too busy tacking on little details and decals to be distracted for now! I have not played with the CVs much as of yet, but that day will soon arrive hopefully.

Cheers,
Harry

OK.. figured it out thanks to the experts on the Digitrax DCC group on yahoogroups.

You have to switch the leads to the LED on the multi-pin DCC plug for the LED on the long-hood end.

Plug and play.. Easy as pie..

Just be careful to not have any excess exposed copper wire flopping about afterwards that might short something.

Everything now works as advertised.

Cheers,
Harry