Model Railroading > Decoder for Rivarossi U25C

Does anyone know the decoder numbers for either the NCE or Digitrax decoder needed for the U25C?

Thank you all!

I just took the shell off one of my U25C models which is non sound but DCC ready.

There is a row of 27? Pins across the light board and an 8 pin NMRA socket near the end. The 27 pins have what appears to be a dummy plug on it which is removable.

All the lights are LED surface mounts and the nose area has a circuit card with three of these LEDs so you can have one centered for the NP red light or two split for CB&Q or ACL. The light board surface has the diagram for the light connections on both ends of the light board. For this model these connections are soldered with no cheesy plastic caps to fall off.

Any of the common plug in decoders with an 8 pin harness will work just fine. Digitrax DH123, DH163 or DH166. NCE 13? and I am sure TCS has an equivalent. There is ample room for any common decoder and also there is a speaker enclosure for a 1" round speaker. Even with sound this will be a straight forward plug and play install.

I will have to go to the Rivarossi web page to ask a few questions about an aftermarket install. Does the dummy plug have to come off in you use the NMRA socket? How do you connect a function output from a 9 pin decoder to make the oscillating lights work without adding a resistor? Which socket on the NMRA plug is #1 since there is no paint spot.

Photos will follow in a bit.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7

27 pins? That is a new one to me. I thought it was a 21 pin connection. Is a 27 pin connection another new European connector?

For me, the TCS EU621 is my decoder of choice where there is a 21 pin connection needed. Pricey but very good quality,

Rick

All this >9 pin stuff is new to me. I didn't take time to count all those tiny pins. The number 27 was just stuck in my cobwebs. I guess if these are forced upon us by the mfrs I will figure them out. At least Rivarossi gave us a choice so I can use some of the current decoders I have on hand now.

I will go see what I need to know about these European connectors before the night is over.

EDIT:

From the photos on the TCS it would seem the decoder Rick recommended would be a quick install by replacing the dummy plug. This seems a sophisticated decoder set up for European automation. I did not find any manual for the decoder I might read online yet.

This seems to be the quickest and most direct install of non sound DCC. Pull the dummy plug and replace it with this decoder. It may save the function lights but I cannot confirm this. Perhaps Rick has experience to share.

http://tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Products/Decoders/HO-Scale/EU-Series/EU621/EU621.html


Posted from Windows Phone OS 7



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/14 09:25 by fbe.

I just finished a decoder install using a Digitrax DH163 plug in decoder with a short 9 pin to 8 pin harness. The #1 plug is the lead hole on the engineer's side. The orange wire pin goes there. There is a white X on the light board on the rear engineer's side pin but this is not a mark for #1. The dummy plug on the 21 pin European connector was removed which is common practice for other installs.

The engine runs both directions and there is headlight control. There are no longer any lights in the number boards which were there before DCC. The red nose light does not light but it did not light before either. I did not expect it to light without a connection to one of the function wires on the decoder.

There are wires to the number board LEDs and the nose light so it must be possible to light these from the decoder. There are no suggestions with the model about how this might be done. The DH163 has 4 fn outputs beyond the headlights so all this is possible. The NCE D13SRJ decoder would have worked just as well but I had the Digitrax on hand and I liked the idea of a shrink wrapped decoder if it was going to be sitting around with all those exposed pins on the European connector.

The story goes on.

IMPORTANT EDIT

if you want to use the decoder violet or green wires to control the numberboards and oscillating lights it is imperative to wire the appropriate resistor in series before making the connection.

Posted from Windows Phone OS 7



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/14 11:22 by fbe.