[KingEdward1st]

Hi Everyone,

I am going to have a go at chipping my first non DCC ready locomotive. I brought a hornby chip and have already hit a wall...there is a purple wire of it that is not connected to anything at one end. Where does this go?

I have taken some photos of the chassis and if someone could help and advise me on where to solder the wires that would be great.

I already know one little rule: Red and black to the track, orange and grey go the other way. Does this apply to what I am doing here?

Here are some photos below:







Any help or advice so i dont make a mess of it would be apprecciated.

Thanks,

Jake

[BromsMods]

Ignore the purple wire - it's generally used for lighting, but if you haven't got any lighting, you can't use it! Well, you could use it for another function if you wished, such as a smoke unit, but if it's a Hornby decoder it probably won't have enough power to do that.

Regards

John R
Bromsgrove Models

[KingEdward1st]

Ahh...thanks John. That makes sense now. I was getting worried!

But if I did want a smoke unit, jus tout of interest how much would one cost for my 00 prairie?

Also, lighting on my prairie, do i need any? Like a light at the back or something?

Thanks,

Jake

[wiggy25]

Jake,

I was always told to remove ALL of those capacitors!!

ALos on the small electronic board there are two chokes, I was alos told to remove them as well!!

Looks easy enough to do on there, just remove the screw de-solder the wires and connect them upto the corresponding decoder cables.

That way should you need to you can always put it back on if required!

Cheers

[poliss]

The loose purple wire is because Hornby use an 8 pin plug/socket. Some other manufactures, mostly US, use a 9 pin plug/socket. The purple wire is for the fourth function, such as DCC operated Kadee couplings.
You can buy a DCC plug from http://www.dccsupplies.com/ which will save desoldering in case you ever need to change the decoder.
Some decpder manufacturers, such as Hornby and ZTC, say not to remove the capacitors. In fact, ZTC say their decoders work better with the capacitors left in place.
To check if you can use the Hornby decoder on your loco, you will need to do a stall current test, which I'm sure Pete will be happy to give you full instructions.
The Hornby decoder will certainly not be powerful enough to run a Seuthe smoke unit. Tom can, I'm sure, tell you where to get them from and how to install.
Saving the best till last, here's a link with photo's on installing a decoder in a Hornby Prairie.
http://www.tcsdcc.com/decoderpics/Hornb ... _2_6-2.htm

[BromsMods]

We also sell the NMRA 8-pin plugs and sockets, but frankly I wouldn't bother on this loco - much safer to hard wire the decoder in.

Smoke units are £15 or thereabouts.

If you want help with installing decoders into a range of 4mm RTR locos try http://www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/decod ... ion4mm.htm - lots of links here.

Regards

John R
Bromsgrove Models

[KingEdward1st]

Thanks for all the help guys. I will have a look at all those sites and probaly do some more research. No doubt I will be back to this thread with more questions. I am currently at my Grandparents, as I slept over the night, so I cant do it untill I get of this evening.

Thanks,

Jake

[traincliff]

Hi Jake. Hope you have success with this one. However I would not recommend using a smoke unit with the Hornby chip due to its low current rating.

Hornby chips have had better press lately so thought I would try one on a loco conversion. I was very impressed for 10 minutes and then loco stopped with a supposed short circuit. On programming track all seemed fine but every time I put loco on track I got a short cutting out my Lenz Compact. I have sent the chip back to Hornby and await their comment. There was no cooking smell or even heat in chip or motor so I believe it was faulty. I fitted a Bachmann chip and loco is fine. I really do hope the hornby one was faulty and they replace it as they are so much more economical to purchase.

Fingers crossed for you Jake.

Cliff

[Camborner]

That happened to me once-and in my case, the fault was in the DCC socket. Was you loco DCC ready or not? 'Cause my problem was with two plugs in the DCC socket being soldered together. If this is the problem with yours, wire the decoder straigh to the chassis.

[traincliff]

None of my locos are dcc ready but to date I have successfully converted about a dozen using Lenz, Bachmann and ZTC decoders. The loco I converted this time was a triang Deeley 3F running with Romford wheels and running very freely. I do not believe any overload occurred although it is always possible with the X04 motor. I had "enjoyed" a good 10 minutes running in both directions when it stopped and it was light engine on level track. I could still programme and read the chip on programming track but as soon as back on main track - short.

Hopefully Hornby will give me a reply at some stage - of course plug has been cut off and wires shortened back - they may not like that but then TCS offer a "goof proof" warranty. We shall see what we shall see.

Cliff

[poliss]

Have you tested the loco with another decoder?

[traincliff]

Yes I put a Bachmann in as I had 2 by me - I had only tried the Hornby one following recent good press on various forums. Loco as I said is fine and fully controllable.

When I get a reply I will raise a fresh thread - not really fair of me to hijack Jake's thread in this way but it seemed opportune with him about to use a Hornby chip.

Cliff

[poliss]

Jake, is the decoder you bought the latest model with the red spot?

[KingEdward1st]

Jake, is the decoder you bought the latest model with the red spot?

Yes that's the one rog. Why is there anything I should know? I haven't started yet. I need to buy a new soldering Iron.

[poliss]

The red spot has the NMRA warrant with all the problems fixed. The older ones kept resetting to address 3 when there was a short.

[KingEdward1st]

I fitted a older chip to my merchant navy and it keeps reseting to 3 over points, so I have just left it as no. 3!

[BromsMods]

NEVER leave a loco with a decoder as address 3. All decoders have their address set to 3 by default at the manufacturer. Sod law says that one day you will forget to remove the other loco(s) set to 3 from the track when you want to program the new one, and they will both be set with the new address!

Regards

John R
Bromsgrove Models

[KingEdward1st]

I dont quite understand what you mean John. sorry!

[Boris]

john is saying the standard loco address is 3, so evry new dcc loco or chip you buy will have the address of 3.
if you leave it as 3, when you come to change the number of a new one, with the address of 3, sods law dictates that you wont take off the prairie, so both will be re-programed.

[KingEdward1st]

Oh I see. So he's bassically saying I may leave the merchant navy on the same track and they will be go and possibly crash!