Welcome to the forum   
Welcome Guest! To enable all features please Login or Register.

Notification

Icon
Error

Share
Options
View
Go to last post in this topic Go to first unread post in this topic
Offline thomas buckley  
#1 Posted : 12 April 2016 04:42:47(UTC)
thomas buckley

United States   
Joined: 04/01/2016(UTC)
Posts: 114
Location: California, warner Springs
i apologize in advance for i feel i am beating this dog to death... i asked about which decoder to use to convert this 3315 loco to digital. there were several answers and recommendations to use different numbered or brand decoders. does that mean any decoder i see on ebay will work? i mean 40-50 bucks is 40 - 50 bucks and i hate to play trial and error with purchasing unusable parts. if any one of these decoders, marklin or "esu" or "volkner" will work then i can make a decision based on features, huh? is installing a decoder using the supplied instructions a matter of the physical placement of the board and the soldering of wires in the hopefully detailed instructions? some posts i have read alluded to motor changes. are there hidden steps and part purchases going to come up as i begin the conversion process?
as an example, a 606942 (part number may be wrong) is listed as a 21 pin connector. another listing, same part number, includes "mfx DCC" in title. the box in pic looks same. are these the same thing? a 21 pin connector,wow, will i be using all those wires?! will , for example, by purchasing that marklin decoder in the box be all i need to digitize the loco? i am also ass u me ing that the decoder for my 3315 steam loco is different from say a decoder for my old 3154 german electric loco.
i will probably stick to marklin decoders, M train with M parts, to keep it less confusing. find a decoder that has sound that will work on 60653 system ...maybe one with no dip switches?

"forumers" included many different recommendations in the helpful responses to my first post. i have to guess that ESU and Volkner are products from non marklin companies that are compatible with marklin...?
i made inquiries to some independent marklin selling company(eckert) about there decoders they were selling and they responded they no longer work with digital, or something like that. so my detailed questions led to not.
i know i rambled on but hopefully my questions are specific, though, varied. thank you for all the help with my struggle to move into the 21st century with my train:)
Offline Iamnotthecrazyone  
#2 Posted : 12 April 2016 05:07:11(UTC)
Iamnotthecrazyone

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,044
I saw the other thread and did not say anything because there are other members that can give you better answers. If you have never done it you'll need to jump the boat and yes risk the 40 or 50 as otherwise you will never get experience. ESU is an independent company which is kept in very high regard included by myself. I think they told you the need to change the motor and you WILL have to. By far most decoders only work with DC motors.

I won't read now that thread to see what was discussed, I am sure the best advise is still there but if it wasn't mentioned. It is unlikely you have to use all the cables. You will find getting all the information you are requesting from someone selling you a decoder is going to be just about impossible because it takes a lot of time and the reply is guarantee to bring lots of new questions with no end in sight.

The other thing you should seriously consider is to pay a dealer to convert it for you and I don't say this lightly, I say it because it is very easy to blow decoders even for very experienced people. That means that if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing you could end up having a very expensive mistake. You will find that trying to have a decoder replaced if you blow it is not an easy task therefore paying may save you some money but if you do take risks and learn, in the long run might be cheaper as you may want to convert other locos too.
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Iamnotthecrazyone
Online H0  
#3 Posted : 12 April 2016 08:30:50(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: thomas buckley Go to Quoted Post
i am also ass u me ing that the decoder for my 3315 steam loco is different from say a decoder for my old 3154 german electric loco.
The decoder is just the same.
In case of a sound decoder, a different sound project will be uploaded to the decoder.
This cannot be done with an MS2, so it's best to order from a dealer who uploads the optimal sound project to the decoder for you.

Märklin offers sets with generic steam sound, generic diesel sound, generic electric sound. If you use them all decoders will have the same generic sound that will be inappropriate for many locos. With that approach, there is a different decoder ref. number for electric locos than for steam locos.
I prefer decoders with specialised sound projects.

Originally Posted by: thomas buckley Go to Quoted Post
i have to guess that ESU and Volkner are products from non marklin companies that are compatible with marklin...?
It's even more complicated.
From 2004 through about 2011 Märklin used ESU decoders in their locos - amongst other decoders. Then they stopped using ESU decoders as they had found a cheaper source.
In Trix locos Märklin used decoders bought from D&H for several years.

60932 was an ESU decoder in a Märklin box. 60942 is a discontinued Märklin decoder, now replaced by 60972.
It is difficult to stick to "Märklin only" as Märklin is a reseller for many other brands.
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
thanks 4 users liked this useful post by H0
Offline thomas buckley  
#4 Posted : 13 April 2016 00:14:26(UTC)
thomas buckley

United States   
Joined: 04/01/2016(UTC)
Posts: 114
Location: California, warner Springs
Thank you for the wealth of information! when i finally come down to the actual purchase of an upgrade kit, my last concern is the instructions. Are they pretty basic, written in something other than english or detailed with not much ambiguity so as long as i check/verify twice and solder once, i am good? my train and i are located in remote mountains, the nearest dealer is literally hundreds of miles away but i enjoy a challenge with positive learning potential, whether the results blow up in my face , something comes out of it , right? you mentioned blown decoders, is the cause of that unfortunate result from excessive heat from soldering or crossed wire syndrome ? (explaining my constant inquiry about instructions)
the sole reason i began this quest for digital knowledge is the electronic reversing unit on the loco was fried and i figured i would be doing rewiring and soldering anyway why not digitize?:) i am pretty determined to go forward with the conversion, mainly thanks to the patiently supplied help from the forum. (no patronizing here, this is a great knowledge base!)
Offline franciscohg  
#5 Posted : 13 April 2016 00:59:42(UTC)
franciscohg

Chile   
Joined: 10/07/2002(UTC)
Posts: 3,266
Location: Patagonia
Hello, well you are about to plunge in a fascinating world!!!! Analog modelrailroad is great, but digital is simply an endless universe. I was just like you some years ago, ok, time flies, more than a decade than i have get digital. IMHO there are two ways you can proceed:
1.- Stick Marklin, convert your universal engine to a DC one, you can use a permanent magnet, but later you will find that a 5 pole kit replacing the magnet and anchor will give you the best results. Then get a Marklin mLD kit, why? Because its Marklin....lol, no in the kit you will find a platine with a 21 pin interface, a holder, and a decoder, just solder the cables of the platine, put the holder ( screw included ) where the reverse unit was, put the platine in place and then pin the decoder...voila!!!! later you can always change the decoder for another one with the 21 pin interface.
2.- The poorest performance but the easiest way in my point of view for your first conversion ( and cheap ) get a decoder that can handle your motor as is, there were several options before, now the only one available is the Uhlenbrock 76200, you will find that is surpringsily easy to have your loco running!!!

I have an old guide also that was sent to me by Mr Kurt Miska in that days, very detailed and with step by step instructions in how to digitize locomotives, but it is buried some where, perhaps an old stored PC, will take a look so maybe i can find it.

Regards
UserPostedImage German trains era I-II and selected III, era depends on the mood, mostly Maerklin but i can be heretic if needed XD, heresy is no longer an issue.. LOL
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by franciscohg
Offline franciscohg  
#6 Posted : 13 April 2016 01:28:01(UTC)
franciscohg

Chile   
Joined: 10/07/2002(UTC)
Posts: 3,266
Location: Patagonia
Digital%20convert[1].pdf (115kb) downloaded 41 time(s).

Found it, very old, very basic, but i think this is what you can need right now
UserPostedImage German trains era I-II and selected III, era depends on the mood, mostly Maerklin but i can be heretic if needed XD, heresy is no longer an issue.. LOL
Offline thomas buckley  
#7 Posted : 13 April 2016 19:15:37(UTC)
thomas buckley

United States   
Joined: 04/01/2016(UTC)
Posts: 114
Location: California, warner Springs
awesome! i love step by step well written instructions!
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by thomas buckley
Users browsing this topic
Forum Jump  
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.

| Powered by YAF.NET | YAF.NET © 2003-2024, Yet Another Forum.NET
This page was generated in 0.582 seconds.