Friendly Fryer Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 A simple ask. what direct fit DCC controller have members put in their H Class that does not involve mucking about drilling holes and mucking about with this lovely model? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 I assume you meant to write"what direct fit DCC decoder have members".It certainly would be a feat of engineering to fit an Elite or a Select inside a loco ... 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Although I have two H Class loco's, I have yet to open them up. I would guess that a TCS DP2X-UK would fit. It is a direct fit decoder - no harness. There are of course other decoders, but I have fitted this decoder into a Hornby M7 - which was a very tight fit. Do not mistake this decoder for the DP2X - this one fits into the loco in the "landscape" position - it sits across the loco, whereas the DP2X-UK fits in the "portrait" position, which in most cases is ideal BB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 I don't have one of these but if Hornby made it and it is latest release then a Hornby decoder should fit it. I spent ages trying to find a small decoder to fit into my Oxford Adams loco, I even contacted Oxford and they gave me the name of some obscure decoder that you cannot get in the UK. Eventually I found that the coal load in the buker was removeable and underneath there was the area for the decoder. You could tell because there were cooling holes below it, obviously the design person didn't tell Customer Service. I found a standard Hornby decoder fitted perfectly, in the end I used a Zimo as I like them better. So in your case examine around the same area there will be space somewhere. If all else fails Zimo do an incredibly small decoder, but it is expensive. If Hornby found room in the Rocket to fit a decoder, there is definitely space in this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Hi Colin - I think it depends very much on the loco as to whether the decoder with a harness will fit. You say you have the Oxford Adams and that the Hornby decoder fit perfectly (R8249?) - I have the Hornby Adams Radial, which also has a removable coal load - there is no way that the normal (R8249) decoder will fit. The Rocket and Peckett both have new smaller decoders (4-pin?), whereas a majority of Hornby products are designed for 8-pin decoders. I wish Hornby would produce the R8249 decoder as a direct-fit decoder - it would save so much time and hassle. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 I have easily plugged in a Zimo MX600R decoder with harness & 8 pin plug. For £20 a very capable decoder.......HB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 @Friendly FryerAny slim 8 pin decoder with harness (like the standard Hornby R8249) should fit like this.......I doubt that an 8 pin Direct will fit because the ones I have used have been too wide........the body is very easy to remove.........HB/media/tinymce_upload/c9f5d84337c2c707185acef0c6ad7b23.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 @bulliedboy When I was doing my Adams I found as I have with many other locos that the direct fit decoders are too wide. I did try the gaugemaster and I have tried many of the others, generally they always were just slightly too wide or slighly too tall, the only locos I found where they fitted well in, were the unrebuilt West Country and of course any loco where it fits in the tender. Any loco where it tapers they just didn't fit. In the Adams I think it was too tall as well. In the Rocket I used a standard 6 pin Zimo device, for it to fit the device has to be one on a lead, not a direct 6 pin "plug in", which I think is what Hornby recommended. The Hornby DCC decoder is slightly smaller than a Zimo MX600R so if one of these fits I am sure a Hornby one should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 A quick picture of the direct-fit decoder (DP2X-UK) in the Class H - and I promise the body does go back on without any problems - https://flic.kr/p/2iVX5qM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 I think a thread has already been made on here about the Adams Radial! Mine is now boxed and hidden in the back of the cupboard, hopefully never to be seen again. It was one of the early models where the socket had been incorrectly wired. With both the direct fit decoder and the Hornby R8249 the model runs beautifully - the slow running is very impressive, however, or should I say "BUT" that is with the body off - refit the body and if it moves an inch that is saying something. It really is a "dog" of a loco, which at the moment I have given up on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 It must be something about Adams Loco, my one after it took me ages to find how to fit a decoder managed to fry an inductor on the circuit board. Once I had a replacement board from Oxford,it managed to fry 3 decoders. Eventually I found that on bends there was a big blob of solder on the motor that on bends was shorting against a wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 @BBThat's very useful information about the TCS DP2X-UK decoder, will fit where others won't. Cost is £30.......HB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 @BBThat's very useful information about the TCS DP2X-UK decoder, will fit where others won't. Cost is £30.......HB TCS now have a shop in the UK (Bromsgrove) - the DP2X-UK costs £22. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Thanks, BB, even better......... 😀...........HB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 Yes, that was the decoder Oxford recommended. At the time I could not find anyone that had one and they were £30.00 at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 For the last eleven years I have spent May in Florida - I should have been flying out today! The local model railway shop (in St.Pete's) sold TCS decoders, and I usually bought half a dozen every year. So almost all of my loco's have the DP2X-UK fitted - I have not had any problems with them - and they do come with a lifetime guarantee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friendly Fryer Posted May 2, 2020 Author Share Posted May 2, 2020 @Howbiman thanks for the great answer 😀. However I tried fiting a decoder like this - 8pin plug ona 21 pin loom - it was a DCC Concepts Xen black mini and I couln't see there was enough room above the engine to do that, so I will try again. I do have the SR Green version but that has a prfessionaly fitted loksound (sadly the speaker is in the cab) so for this own I wanted to not change the model at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friendly Fryer Posted May 23, 2020 Author Share Posted May 23, 2020 All what I ended up doing was taking off the 8 pin dcc harness and cutting down the posts holding it up so high off the motor housing. The I could still screw down the harness with some shorter screws as there is some thread left and the harness is still clear of the motor housing so no chance of a shrot. This gave me an extra 3mm of height for a decoder (Gaugemaster DCC 29 omni decoder)) without cutting into the cab etc. So thanks for all the tips job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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