8 pin DCC socket loose

[ColinB]

I took delivery of a Hornby King today it was perfect until I added the DCC TTS decoder, it wouldn't do anything. Anway after a bit of debugging I eventually tracked it to the 8 pin DCC socket, it was one of those with individual socket pins. I thought it was a bit loose when I fitted it. One of the sockets must have been broken inside because if I pushed hard enough it would make contact, which is probably why it worked on DC, the pins were slightly longer. Fortunately I had a 8 pin socket from my messing around fitting DCC to my old models, so I desoldered all the individual socket pins from the DCC socket and soldered in my one. So I wondered, I keep reading on this site of DCC decoders suddently stopping working and wondered if there may be more than one duff socket out there. Anyway I told Hornby and asked if they would send me a new socket, as although what I did works, the holes I soldered into are far bigger than the 8 pin socket pins. 

[Fishmanoz]

One more to add to a long list of reported socket problems on here Colin, including working fine on DC but not DCC due to miswiring. I don't remember this particular one previously, add to the list as I said, thanks for sharing. 

[ColinB]

I have complained about these before, but it sounds like I am moaning which I am not, is just annoying all that hard work by Hornby to be let down by something pretty insignificant. Those sockets could easily be redesigned to be a more modern design, the PCBs themselves seem more like 1980's technology, the type I used when I first started in electronics. I have bought many of these separately for conversion of my old locos to DCC and quality is very variable. Very many of them are difficult to solder to, the solder just doesn't run freely and it is not my soldering. I really wonder where they get them made, a modern circuit board coming out of China (for this size board, for pennies) are usually much better quality. Those indidivual sockets were always an issue, I can see why you would use them, low profile mainly height, but in my experience best avoided.

[96RAF]

Low and ultra-low profile DIP sockets are available and much more reliable than the separate socket pins on a cheapo pcb.

https://images.app.goo.gl/tNuhoVSsX2u2jQAv8

 

If neccessary the decoder plug pins could be trimmed to length. In fact I am surprised no one has come up with a crimp on side entry 8-pin plug, although this 10 pin one is close designed for a flat ribbon cable.

https://www.eve-electronics.com/din-41651-dip-plug-10-pin-low-profile-pitch-2-54-mm-lpv10g.html

[ColinB]

@RAF96 I know we used to use all this stuff in the radio section I worked in 15 years ago, hence my frustration. You can't say it is cost, anything that went into one of our radios was super cheap, when you are building for automotive you save on anything you can (we even changed the colour on something because the dye was cheaper).  I assume Hornby must have a patern on the design as I am surprised somebody has not copied it with an improved design with a PCB with plated through holes (they used to be expensive, but thanks to China they aren't anymore). That way you could solder the wires top or bottom which would make their production easier. There is a guy on EBay that sells ones, but although his quality if far superior they are just too wide. The joke of it is I have bought some 8 pin Hornby DCC sockets from Peter's Spares with the low profile socket fitted.

[96RAF]

I have modified some of mine to use the DIP socket as the separate pins on the ‘orrible original board fell out when soldering wires on for lights.

[ColinB]

They also move while you are soldering wires on, so they are half in/out. After I had a few fall out, I now always put a DC header in to stop it happening.