Aussie Fred Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 I am looking at getting a Ruston & Hornsby loco and of course a suitable decoder. I notice there is the Hornby R7150 standard 6 pin decoder and a Soundtraxx 851001 MC1Z102P6 DCC Mobile Decoder, 6-Pin Plug which is A$20 cheaper (A$65 compared to A$45). Does anyone have any experience with the soundtraxx decoder. I am also concerned that the latter has fixed 6 pins, whereas the Hornby has a harness which might fit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Man Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 Train-O-Matic also do a 6 pin with harness. I think they are cheaper but I can't remember by how much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 (edited) I now have my Ruston & Hornsby 88Ds and the recommended decoder which is R7150 and there is my problem. They are both 6 pin and while 1. is clearly marked on the decoder, there is nothing on the loco or blank, ( have studied them under a microscope and there is nothing there). The six pins on the decoder are 1. Brown 2. Grey 3. Red 4. Black 5.White 6. Yellow on the motor it is 1. Grey 2. Brown 3. Black 4. Red with 5. and 6. no wires attached. Can someone please explain? Edited May 8 by Aussie Fred Spelling error Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 Check out Brian Lambert in the useful links in the General forum and you’ll find all the standard plug/socket arrangements in his DCC pages, including 6-pin. I think you’ll find what you’ve said is brown is in fact orange, then red and black are the pickups and orange and grey the motor connections. White and yellow are forward/reverse lights with the common generated in the loco PCB, if you had lights which you clearly don’t. When you insert the correct way around, you will get red/black to black/red and orange/grey to grey/orange. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 Done, works OK on programming track, thank you Fishy. I was a bit panicky, because I found early thread which said the R7150 wasn't suitable for the 88Ds, but that Hornby were working on it, hopefully it will work OK when I put it on the main track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 (edited) Run my 88ds on the main track and worked like a rocket at full speed and crawl was exceptional. However (there is always a However or a But) does not move at all in reverse. I know it was a tight squeeze putting it back together and wondering if a wire might have come loose -any other thoughts before I pull it apart again. Edited May 14 by Aussie Fred Spelling error Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) On 14/05/2024 at 09:18, Aussie Fred said: Run my 88ds on the main track and worked like a rocket at full speed and crawl was exceptional. However (there is always a However or a But) does not move at all in reverse. I know it was a tight squeeze putting it back together and wondering if a wire might have come loose -any other thoughts before I pull it apart again. I hate to say it but forwards or backwards uses the same wires it is only lights if fitted that are separate wires. It is either a mechanical issue, like a wire jammed in the mechanism or possibly a fault with the decoder. If you have an issue in the future fitting the decoder, Zimo make a MX617 that is incredibly small that will source 0.8 amp. Edited May 15 by ColinB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 The simple way to prove if half the decoder motor drive H-Bridge has failed is to plug in an 8 pin decoder the wrong way round. If failed the loco will only drive the other way to before. Unfortunately reversing a 6-pin decoder simply means it will not work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted May 21 Author Share Posted May 21 Supplier just sent me a free return postage ticket to return the decoder. Might look for a Zimo, but have to source it from UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted June 11 Author Share Posted June 11 Got a replacement decoder in the post today, fitted it and after a few rearrangements of the decoder to fit in the limited space, I put it all back together, programmed its new number and it is now rocketing around the main line. Unfortunately, I committed the cardinal sin and lost one of the screws, so she only has 3 screws holding her together. I am hopeful the screw will turn up because I have no idea where I might get another one. Seems OK with only the 3 ATM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukedog. Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Buckambool Model Trains - The home of DCC N scale in Australia (bmodeltrains.com) is this any good for you Aussie Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted June 11 Author Share Posted June 11 Primarily N scale with a little bit of H0 - I am exclusive 00 and UK trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dukedog. Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 I ment for Zimo should have been clearer sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 I get most of my spare screws from China via EBay. There are the only ones that do small screws. Generally if it is parallel threw it is M2 or M3. Laptop screws are a good source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Man Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Yes, I got a mixed bag of laptop screws. Almost guaranteed to get the right fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted June 19 Author Share Posted June 19 Thank You Brewman and ColinB, I took you advice and ordered a box of 500 assorted laptop screws, I got the smallest size screws available and first selection out of the box was spot on. Murphy's Law now dictates I will find that missing screw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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