Which Decoder should I use???

[William Hawkes-Reynolds]

Hi all I have the R3062-PO Class D49/2 4-4-0 222 "The Berkeley" in LNER Green and want to convert it to DCC.... the box says its DCC ready so I'm confident I can do this, even though it will be my first time.... but what I want to know is how do I know which decoder to put in the loco to make it work successfully?

 

Secondly is this a loco I could put a sapphire decoder into?

 

Thanks for any help you can offer me!

Bill

 

[jane1707819582]

hi 

either the 8249 or the sapphire will do the job .

the sapphire will give you the coaling /water timing features ,as its a steamer 

you may not need the lighting functions you can programme 

[NormanQ4]

Hi William

Welcome to the forum.

With the loco being DCC ready, all you need do is pull out the blanking plug and push in the decoder.

Before doing this take note where the #1 pin is located.

If the loco doesn't run correctly, just turn the decoder around end for end.

Either of the decoders that you mention will do the job with the sapphire having more features and therefore being more expensive.

In that particular loco you may not need the additional features.

Personally I prefer to use 8-pin direct plug decoders from another manufacturer which do not have a wiring loom attached and therefore are easier to fit inside a loco.

[William Hawkes-Reynolds]

Thank you both for such wonderful responses! I have to say since returning to this hobby after some 40 years I have found fellow railway modelers to be nothing but helpful and courteous people... and such is the case here helping out a rank amateur modeler!

 

Thank you both again!

 

[Flashbang]

Please note that you do not have to use a Hornby decoder! 

Other makes often with better specs are available and should work with any Hornby DCC console if that is what you use as a train control system. 

[William Hawkes-Reynolds]

Please note that you do not have to use a Hornby decoder! 

Other makes often with better specs are available and should work with any Hornby DCC console if that is what you use as a train control system. 

Ahh, superb ok.... so what sort of specs should I look for? I know there is one HUGELY expensive brand, but are they any better???

[96RAF]

Zimo are seen as well featured and reliable decoders and represent good value for money.

Lenz are usually seen as bombproof.

Shop's own rebranded decoders can be cheap but may be worse than useless, so best avided in my opinion.

[Michael_A]

The basic one is poor value for what it does. The minimum I look for is the ability to adjust the loco max speed so I can limit to a realistic scale speed, which means CV5 and CV6 have to be writable. The basic decoder and the TTS decoders don't accommodate that. The Saphire is the other extreme, expensive but actually not bad value for what it does. On the other hand if you don't need fuel and the stop / start / shuttle functions, you may be paying more than necessary.

I have never paid more than 20 pounds for a non sound decoder, and I have 35 locos that have decoders in that cost me less than 10 pounds. People knock that particular brand, but 'proof of the pudding' and all that. I only use more expensive ones with coreless motors and if the loco doesn't behave properly with the cheapo ones, which is quite rare.