First venture into analogue to DCC

[Steamdrivendavy]

Hi all.

After buying a Select controller, a new world of modelling is opening up before me ha.

I'm interested in converting one of my old HST's to DCC by fitting a Decoder.  Alas, in my newness to all this, I would appreciate advice on the apt Decoder to invest in.  My thinking in this regard is that a standard R8249 would be most appropriate for my purposes.  I am only bothered about engine running and lights also, nothing else.

May I ask my peers if they agree my thinking is correct or am I way off the mark.  If the latter, which Decoder would be best in that case?

Thanks again and best regards,

Dave

 

[Fishmanoz]

Sdd, the standard Hornby R8249 should be ok for the job.  However, to be certain, it is always a good idea to do a stall current test to make sure it isn’t more than the 500mA the 8249 can handle.  Someone will be along soon to tell you how to do that.

 

Then if you need assistance on the conversion, someone will also likely to give you a link to the conversion process. 

[Steamdrivendavy]

Sdd, the standard Hornby R8249 should be ok for the job.  However, to be certain, it is always a good idea to do a stall current test to make sure it isn’t more than the 500mA the 8249 can handle.  Someone will be along soon to tell you how to do that.

 

Then if you need assistance on the conversion, someone will also likely to give you a link to the conversion process. 

Great stuff - thank you.

 

[Chrissaf]

De-ja-vu

Stall Test

[96RAF]

If your HST is an old ringfield motored version then here is a guide to the conversion. Rather than hard wire the decoder you may wish to install a decoder socket to make decoder swaps easier later if you wanted to say install sound.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/hornby-dcc/decoder-installation-guides/r2298a-virgin-hst-decoder-installation

Rob

[2e0dtoeric]

And please, SDD, don't fall into the newbie trap of replyng with the blue button. This just repeats the whole of the last post.

Scroll down to the empty white space below the thread titles and last post, type your reply in there, and use the GREEN button with the word REPLY on it!

[RDS]

I have fitted the standard R8249 to an old HST, Intercity 125 in my case (I hope that is regarded as an HST!), without problems.

[96RAF]

Looking back in my website I have 2 x ‘how-to‘ articles about HST http://myweb.cytanet.com.cy/honnor/articles.html which may be of some help.

Rob

[Steamdrivendavy]

No blue button this time.

Thank you all for your help again. 

Can I give a special thanks to RAF96.  The images you attached are fabulous and very informative.  Viewing these gives me more confidence now to try my hand, especially as the Virgin motor used is extremely similar to my old HST.  IE a Ringfield.

As ever, thank you again for all advices received. Merry Christmas.

[96RAF]

Don’t forget to come back and let us know how you get on with the conversion.

Rob

[Steamdrivendavy]

Thanks Rob.  I promise I definately will - either way ha.

Though to be fair I don't expect to fail at this using the images/link you sent me.  I am brand new to soldering but my oldest boy is a Telecomms Engineer, so I think he may be able to give me a pointer or two ha.

Again, thank you for advices.

[2e0dtoeric]

You'll soon learn  - - to NOT pick the iron up by the hot end!  😛

[Steamdrivendavy]

HI all.

I promised Rob (RAF96) that I would advise how my first conversion went!  

So I had the help of my son (at his house) who showed me the technique of soldering.  The other problem was baring the very small and thin Decoder wires.  Very easy to err and ruin the whole thing.  But we managed it with a wire stripper he uses (telecomms eng). 

It may all have been a bit 'tin-pot' fashion but we eventually integrated the Decoder after about 90 mins.  I then took the HST home and went straight to track.  At the risk of sounding like a proper old twerp, I was positively euphoric when the HST light came on and the Select read the factory default of '03'.  Then the train ran beautifully.

I get it now why all you guys do this hobby. The feeling of acheiving something is really quite amazing and it's the first time I felt this.  So thanks again for all your advices.  Decoder number 2 will be winging it's way to my next HST shortly.

SDD

[Fishmanoz]

Good to hear it went so well Sdd, I’m betting No 2 will take a lot less than 90 minutes. 

[Steamdrivendavy]

Absolutely right Fishmanoz.  The 2nd time is not such an unknown quantity.  Feeling so much more confident now and - it will be done better too.

Thanks again.

[96RAF]

Next time just wire in a socket, then if you have to swap out a decoder it is easy.

Wiring the socket in is just as much work as hard wiring decoder.

Rob

[Steamdrivendavy]

Thanks for your last reply Rob at 11.27 Jan 8th.

So about wiring in a socket!  This does sound a better way to do things going forward.  Is there a Hornby product and code you can point me to please?  I just want to make sure I buy the correct item for using in conjunction with the standard R8249 Decoder.  Thanks again.

Rgds

SDD

[Chrissaf]

 Photo courtesy of HB./media/tinymce_upload/51aad0989fa76df8cb75b2c9345cfa0d.png

 

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Or this. Click this link

 

[Steamdrivendavy]

Thanks Chrissaf.  Item x 2 ordered and on the way.

 

Kind regards,

SDD

[Steamdrivendavy]

Hi Rob (RAF96).

Quick question.  And please don't laugh at me as I'm sure it's quite daft!

I wired in a socket as you suggested.  I soldered all the wiring pretty good but I cannot get the damn train (HST125) to move.  The light comes on but - my query is:

Does it matter which way you plug to eight pin Decoder into the Socket?  I imagine it's important but I don't know how to ensure I have it the right way around.  Or does it simply just not matter?

Don't laugh now... :-)

Dave

[96RAF]

Yes there is a right and a wrong way.

Right way everything works, wrong way the motor works but the lights won’t.

Look at the middle socket on the right in Chris’s picture. Pin 1 has both a triangle and a number one. You plug your decoder plug into this aligning the orange wire with pin 1.

You obviously have to wire the lights in the loco to the inner group of pins on that socket per the diagram posted.. The outer pins are wired pickup and motor at each end opposite each other.

The diagram is easier to follow than my words.

Rob

[Steamdrivendavy]

Great stuff.  Thaank you.

[Steamdrivendavy]

Thanks again.

I see all the pins are round and the one you refer to is square rather than a triangle.  I'm guessing this is the one you refer to that I align with the orange lead.

Rgds

[Steamdrivendavy]

Hi Rob - me again.

I STILL can't get this engine to move!!  May I again pick your brain!

Query 1.

I notice that the purple wire has come away from the PCB.  But if it's one of the 4 wires I won't use, does this make any difference?

Query 2.

I wonder how likely it might be that the Decoder is faulty in some way. Is that a possibility?

Rgds

SDD

[Chrissaf]

I see all the pins are round and the one you refer to is square rather than a triangle.  I'm guessing this is the one you refer to that I align with the orange lead.

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SDD, it is not the physical pin that is a triangle. Rob was referring to the marking on the PCB. See below.

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/media/tinymce_upload/a792e9d168fa1fa74a99ceb43b75e714.jpg

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The position indicated by the triangle is Pin 1 on the decoder. The 'Orange' wire on the decoder plug. The socket pin indicated by the triangle terminates the wire going to the right hand side of the motor......see below.

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Drawing below courtesy of Brian Lambert's site

/media/tinymce_upload/963fab5a8c9cec5d0b0fd1c91297cb76.jpg

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If the purple wire has come off the decoder and you are not using the purple wire for a function. Then leave it off. But do look closely at the decoder pad where the purple wire was attached to ensure that there are no wire remnants remaining that could touch and short on other nearby decoder pads and/or components.