New class 87 DCC fitting.

[ColinB]

Now it seems like I am always moaning but this is amazing. I took delivery of a new class 87 City Of Glasgow. I check it DC and then decide to open it up to fit a DCC decoder. I look all over the PCB, can I find a PCB anywhere, no, so I look at the instructions. It is mounted on the underside of the PCB. So when we live in an age where manufacturers are making life easier to fit DCC, Hornby have made it a lot harder. So you lift off the PCB very gingerly because it is hardwired to a lot of very thin wires that are not really long enough and there on the underside is the DCC socket. Added to which my LaisDCC decoder won't fit unless I remove its heat shrink wrapping and possibly file the edges down. Good one Hornby. Yes I will have to buy a new decoder, obviously one not covered in heat shrink. Also it is not good engineering practice to have a PCB hanging upside down totally supported by its connector.

[Going Spare]

If I am interpreting service sheet 436 correctly, your experience is at variance with the exploded view of the chassis - perhaps your loco was an assembly aberration?

[ColinB]

Unfortunately Going Spare service sheet 436 refers to the old class 87 where you are absolutely right an 8 pin fits exactly where it says. I imagine the directive went out to accommodate the new style Bluetooth decoders, so I assume it wouldn't fit in the available space. So they positioned it where they did. I think if they had replaced it with a standard 21 pin DCC decoder it would have probably fitted in the original position but the new Bluetooth ones are higher so it probably didn't fit. To me not a real issue I used to work in micro electronics, I will just buy a Zimo one when they start making them again. From the company's point of view a dumb idea as it is so difficult to see what you are doing with it being upside down and stressing so many wires.

[Aussie Fred]

I think the rule now is if it is only "DCC Ready", don't buy it as it may prove very difficult to fit the new decoders, especially sound.

[ColinB]

I must admit that is the way I am going, if I can get it with DCC sound then I pay the extra. Usually if it is already fitted it is slightly cheaper than doing it yourself. A lot of the Dapol locos I buy generally don't come with sound but they appreciate that most users want fitting of DCC to be easy, so that seems to be what they aim for. I ordered this loco in January 2021, I assumed it would have an 8 pin decoder. To give credit to Hornby they have tried but if you can't make it work then don't bother, leave it to the next retool. As I say I expect fitting of DCC to be easy, I definitely don't expect to start removing circuit boards. Sam would have a field day with this one.