1

QSI TITAN DECODER FOR LARGE SCALE A review of QSI’s New Titan Large Scale Series DC/ DCC – Sound –Power- Wireless Decoders By Ronald Jarmuth

Manufacturer: QSI Solutions Inc www.qsisolutions.com Distributor: American Hobby Distributors http://amhobby.com/ 57 River Road, Suite 1023 Essex Junction VT 05452 (800) 671-0641 Email: info@amhobby.com In The Box: * Decoder * Reset Reed Switch * 16 page color instruction manual Versions: * Plug-in for Aristo with DCC Socket * Plug in for Bachmann with DCC Socket * Plug in for select USA Trains engines via custom adapters from Traintek http://www.traintekllc.com/Adapt-A-Board/products/468 * Generic – screw in terminals for any engine. * Each of the above available in 2 variations (1) 6 Amp (12 amp peak); (2) 10 Amp (20 amp peak).

2

Extra Cost Available Options: * Speaker Cable from -- QSI Aristo Speaker Cable Aristocraft (ART29608) * Cooling Fan (5v) * Wireless Receiver - GWire * DC Sound Controller 4 to 25 volt up to 2.5 amp Quantum Engineer 40 amp “Booster” for Quantum Engineer * Wireless Throttles: NCE ProCabR; CVP T5000. * Power “Sustaining” Capacitors: Lenz Power 3; Generic 35v 2200 uf (Radio Shack); Aristo Super Cap. Summary PRO: Very versatile. Stereo speaker support. High amp capacity. Powerful sound

output. Independently controls smoke unit and fan and other options. Support for almost any engine. Incorporates all the program features of the competition. Plug and Play for Aristo ®, Bachmann ® and some USA Trains ® .

CON: Adding sound, DCC Control, plus wireless is expensive relative to the cost of the

engine no matter which manufacturer’s equipment you use. Physically Large relative to the space available for installation. Possible heat issues if drawing high total current. Installation issues can arise from where engine manufacturers position their PCC board and how much space they provide.

QSI’s large scale wireless capable DCC sound decoder has finally arrived. Production of the previous version, called the QSI Aristo (or Magnum with a base adapter) ceased in 2010, although a few were still to be had through November, 2010. The wait was worth it. The price may look daunting but you have to consider that this is a DCC motor and sound decoder capable of handling high current demands of multi-motor engines. It delivers the advertised amperage. With the Quantum Engineer accessory it provides full sound capability in DC (analog) operation – and it does this with both Pulse Power and straight DC. While the base Titan version is rated at 6 amp steady / 12 amp peak, the more powerful version provides 10 amp steady / 20 amp peak power capability. High amperage capacity is needed to provide for stall current draw many times the run current of the engine – which could burn out the decoder if it doesn’t have sufficient capacity or an appropriate in-line motor fuse. QSI strongly advises that a cooling fan be installed with the 10 amp version. There is a 2 year guarantee. Alternative scenarios might include (1) a Digitrax motor decoder + their wireless Loconet

3

base unit + Digitrax Throttle + a “Soundbug”; (2) a Revolution Throttle / Receiver with a Dallee or Phoenix Sound Unit; (3) a CVP G2 decoder + T5000 Throttle (and a Phoenix or Dallee sound board). The QSI solution is appealing if you want all your functionality no matter what you encounter when running on someone else’s non-DCC layout (as does option #3 above). Another consideration is that many other decoders do not produce the state-state amperage capacity they promise. Having one decoder address for both motor and sound without having to program two decoders is worth something too. Comparing the Titan to the prior version (QSI Aristocraft and Magnum) there are some differences which raise installation issues. The Titan is approximately 3/4” tall, which is about 1/4” taller than the old Aristo. That space belongs to a sub board. Both boards use both surfaces for wiring and components. This decoder will not in some factory designated engine spaces – you have to move the PCC board. Installation The version I tested is the “plug and play” version for Aristocraft engines with a 12 pin active header (left) and a 10 pin unwired header (right). I used an Aristo (new style) Tender as an example because the PCC sockets can be reached by sliding a hatch open in the Tender – no disassembling of the tender or engine body.

PCC Board in Aristo Tender

QSI makes another version which plugs into Bachmann DCC decoder ready PCC boards. These look the same but there are subtle differences. The Bachmann version has the same 12 pin header on the left, but the right hand header has 11 pins and some are active – most notably the speaker connection. In conjunction with Traintek, QSI sells adapters to bridge the Titan (Aristo) to specific USA engines. Details are at Traintek’s web site

4

http://www.traintekllc.com. The “generic” version is the Aristo version with the bottom protruding pins cut – off. Every pin has a screw terminal counterpart above it. The only socket on the Titan is for the G-Wire flat ribbon connector cable to the left of the large black capacitor on the top right of the decoder. The intent is to be generic by providing screw terminals to support all functions (and there are a lot of them) and accessories whether or not they have “through the pin” connectivity (the motor and track power is via the pins on the left “J2” barrier strip but is also present at the screw terminals).

The “old style” QSI Aristo to PCC speaker connector cable

When providing a Titan for an Aristo engine QSI no longer includes the sound cable to connect the Titan to Aristo’s built – in speaker via the 3 pin socket Aristo provides on their PCC board. There are screw terminal outputs for two stereo speakers on the Titan, on Jack 2 (10 screws / pins on the right) with terminals 1 and 3 for the front or only speaker and terminals 4 and 5 for the rear speaker. On the Bachmann version Pins J2-1 and J2-3 are “active” and lead directly to the built in speaker. If you add a second speaker in the Bachmann you still have to run it from the J2-4 and J2-5 terminals. Instead of cutting Aristo speaker wires and running jumpers to the J2-1 and J2-3 screw terminals on the Titan, my suggestion is to buy the cable from Aristo (ART29608; includes a sound board power cable as well) or from a QSI dealer (“QSI Aristo Spkr Cable”). Use the 3 pin plug on one end to plug into the Aristo PCC socket and screw the other end’s wire leads (cut the mini-plug off) to J2-1 and J2-3. For at least a limited amount of time the cable in the picture above is still available through QSI dealers (cut the 2 pin end off). If you implement stereo you should check whether the speaker outputs are “in sync” by comparing volume with one of them wired first one way and then the other (much as you might do for a home stereo setup) – before you close up the engine. The QSI “Chuff” cable ends in a 3 pin (female) micro connector with wires to pins 1 and 2. It is smaller then the 3 pin (female) micro connector with wires to pins 1 and 3 that plugs into the Aristo PCC board’s speaker socket. The connectors look alike in a catalog but they have different sizes and are wired differently. Buy the correct connector. If you look at an Aristo PCC board there are three white sockets on the right – two with 2 pins and one with 3 pins. The 2 pin sockets provide power to a sound board. The 3 pin

5

socket is wired to the built in speaker. The jumper cable above used (on the old QSI board and on some sound boards from other manufacturers) to go between the 2 pin speaker socket on the QSI (old) “Aristo” and the 3 pin speaker jack on the Aristo engine’s PCC board. Some Aristo PCC layouts may have the 3 pin speaker socket elsewhere (such as on a daughter board, as in the RS-3). The steam engine chuff trigger jack, the auxiliary light jack, the volume reset / reed switch jack) and the general board reset (J1-7 to J2-6) now connect through screw terminals. With the Titan you can independently run a 2.5 amp smoke fan and (separately controlled) a 2.7 amp smoke generator (heater). This is a great capability if you want to “blow smoke” but don’t want to have to keep refilling the smoke generator. Turn it on and off via DCC and use your smoke fluid just when you want to. There are provisions for up to 12 LED’s, each independently controlled via DCC. Most of the functions can be controlled when running using DC – by using the optional Train Engineer.

QSI Engineer

The optional QSI Engineer is wired between the DC power pack and the track thus the power for everything drawing power from the track goes through it. The Engineer can supply 2.5 amps and will shut down if more is drawn through it. It can run a typical engine easily. But -- add a lot of lights and turn the smoke on -- and you have overloaded the Engineer unit. At that point add the “Booster” which can pass up to 40 amps through (it is not a “booster” in the sense that DCC “boosters” are), superimposing signals for the Titan over the DC power. The downside for all of this is that every engine on that circuit will read and respond to the same instructions. I found that if I take my QSI Engineer to someone’s DC layout where you run one train per track anyway and keep passenger car lights off it’s great to sound the bell or blow the horn at opportune moments, or trigger crossing gate sound sequences coming into stations . In an operating session it is possible to use realistic “engineer to conductor” whistle sequences. The Titan will auto-sequence default sounds in DC and in DCC, which can be changed through CV’s for both DC and DCC modes. This versatile functionality in DC together with sound is what really sets the Titan (and the Aristo before it) apart from other sound / motor decoders. If you have two or more of the same engine with the same sound file you can vary the pitch of the sounds (“pitch variation”) so that they each sound different

6

despite their use of the same sound file. As an alternative you could select a different horn, bell or whistle for each engine. QSI strongly recommends that an optional cooling fan (which they sell at minimum cost) be used for the 10 amp version when drawing more than 6 amps, and for the 6 amp version if you expect that it will frequently draw higher stall currents. This is an issue common to decoders from any manufacturer capable of satisfying large current demands. A more basic user problem is providing for hot air in the engine shell to escape and fresh air to enter. QSI states that this fan should be mounted to blow air from the long (terminal strip 3 side) side but this is physically impossible in most engines. Placing the fan at one end or the other with airflow over the board should suffice – if provision is made to ventilate the engine interior, otherwise you are just blowing the same hot air around. In the Aristo RS-3, for example, a fan can be mounted under the forward fan exhaust in the long hood. The Titan manual is dramatically improved from the one that came with the “old” Aristo. There is extensive information on the function of each terminal and suggested CV settings for various scenarios. A simple test procedure is explained which allows testing the new DCC controller prior to installation to verify it works. This uses a 16 volt bulb and an 8 ohm speaker. QSI cautions to use great care when applying power from for the test because it is easy to apply track power to a function output and thus damage the decoder. There are 25 variables which can be set to control the volume and balance of various sounds. “Balance” reflects the relative volume of a particular sound in the front or rear speaker. This is a stereo capable DCC controller. There are further opportunities to control how the Chuff responds to engine performance and what automatic sequence of sounds occurs when the engine starts and stops. The sound file that comes pre-loaded into the decoder intended for steam engines contains 33 chimes, whistles and horns; 5 alternative steam generator sounds; 17 bells; 5 chuff variations; and pump sounds. One can change the personality of an engine by altering CV’s without downloading a new sound file into the engine. One can, however, do that. For the Diesel variation the same CV numbers perform different tasks when it comes to sounds. There are 21 different volume settings for such things as air let off, brake squeal, or generator volume. There is a provision for “crew talk”, and there are balance settings (front / rear speaker) for the sounds. The decoder can be triggered, in both DC and DCC modes, to tell you, through the speaker, how fast it thinks the Engine is going in scale miles per hour. This can be very useful for calibrating speed tables and for matching engines for consists. QSI boasts that their decoders perform well in “ultra slow” speed situations and in getting the engine to start and stop smoothly. I observed that the default settings are such that the engine will realistically slow down or enter a start up sequence despite extremes of throttle settings – in DCC mode. In DC no power means abrupt stop. In DC mode when you

7

reduced the throttle the engine crawled smoothly at slow speeds. QSI suggests using an (extra cost) Lenz Power 3 “Super Cap” for track power situations to cure “resets” which occur when there is DCC signal loss from dirty track or going over a non-powered switch frog. The Lenz Power 3 is a “next generation” successor to a “plain” capacitor across the track power terminals. DCC signals tend to get received by a decoder even when the engine is on a dirty track or even a track gap to include an unpowered switch frog. These are radio signals carried over the track. The problem is that when there is a power loss the decoder itself turns off from lack of power and can’t “hear” the DCC signal, and when power is restored, even after a short interval, the decoder thinks it has been “reset” and behaves erratically, to include beginning a startup sequence. [In a start-up sequence the engine is not moving; it generates a variety of engine start sounds and then begins to move.] The large capacitors continue to supply enough power to the decoder to continue to “hear” the DCC signal so that a reset does not occur. The Lenz Power 3 and it’s progeny have special circuits that keep the unit from causing a current surge when charging and regulate the outflow as well. The Lenz Power 3 is approximately 1” x 1.3: x 0.5”. The number of seconds that the Power 3 (or some other “fly wheel capacitor) will “keep the decoder alive” depends on the draw of the engine and it’s accessories. For the Power 3, this “keep alive” time is 8 seconds with a 1 amp draw, 4 seconds with a 2 amp draw, and 2.6 seconds with a 3 amp draw. This is defined by Lenz as the time at which the output of the Power 3 drops to 5 volts. This “keep alive” time is a significant improvement from Lenz’s older model, the Power 1, which had a 1/20 second “keep alive” time at a 1 amp draw.

Lenz Power 3 has micro-control circuits and an “extra” charge lead

These units are NOT connected to the track input power of the decoder. They are wired to Terminals J1-7 (Brown wire to minus / ground); J1-6 (Blue wire to 18v unregulated positive) of the left (12 pin) (J1) terminal strip. The Lenz Power 3 has an additional lead, the regulated charge lead and it is Pink. It gets connected to Terminal J3-12 of the rear 12 position (J3) terminal strip (which has no pins the bottom of the board). Do not confuse the Pink lead for the positive power lead (which is Blue).

8

In addition to an 18v unregulated output, which drives the smoke generator and engine front and rear headlights, there is a 5v regulated power circuit to drive the function controlled auxiliary lighting.

QSI G-Wire Receiver

Control. Since the Titan is first and foremost a DCC controller which conforms to NMRA standards, engines in which it is installed can be used with DCC throttles from other manufacturers which use track power to transmit the signal to the engine. In DC operation it will utilize those start up sequences and sound effects that have been programmed for analog operation. It does this well in both pulse power and “flat” DC operation. Control over many decoder functions can be achieved in DC, as was mentioned before, by using the QSI Engineer (and “Booster” if needed). Particularly useful are the

9

labeled buttons on the Engineer which control lights, bells, horn, braking, squeal, volume, and speed report through the speaker (plus other). QSI sells a “G-Wire” wireless receiver which plugs into the Titan through a flat ribbon connector. This is used in conjunction with either CVP G-Wire throttles of NCE’s G-Wire compatible ProCab-R. Successful use of the G-wire receiver requires reprogramming of CV-Values and is not “plug and play”. The programming may have to be re-done if it is necessary to reset the decoder.

CVP T5000

For the G-wire to work you have to program the QSI decoder with either the QSI Programmer in conjunction with a computer or with a DCC track throttle in conjunction with a DCC system (such as Digitrax’, a scenario familiar to HO users) to reset CV29 to one of four values which relate to 28 or 128 step speed tables and 2 or 4 digit engine addresses. If you do not choose one of these (hex 02, 03, 22, or 23) the G-Wire will not work and your engine will ignore the wireless throttle. You can use your NCE wireless throttle in conjunction with “over the track” NCE DCC equipment or your CVP T5000 in conjunction with CVP’s “Easy DCC” System. Any DCC throttle connected to the track through a compatible booster will work. QSI’s “Quantum Programmer” has some unique software which relates CV’s to actual functions (such as iconic “slide switches” to balance stereo or set values and you don’t have to invest in over-the-track DCC equipment. A point to remember is that when running the QSI Titan via G-Wire you are running in DCC mode, no matter what the power source on the track is or whether you are powering the engine with a battery. This is comparable to using the Aristo Revolution. A word about the USA Trains engine compatibility. This is achieved through a

10

partnership with TrainTek, which has commissioned the design and production of “Adapt-A-Board” inter-boards which you plug the straight forward Aristo version into and which then fits specific USA Trains engines. Like the Bachmann units, these use the functionality of the 10 pin terminal strip to the right of the Aristo decoder. While the Aristo PCC socket has nothing connected to the 10 pin plugs, the Adapt-A-Board takes those signals and uses them, where appropriate, for USA Trains engine functionality. These boards support decoders from other manufacturers, and combinations of motor control decoders and sound only decoders, such as the Phoenix. The full list of these are at http://www.traintekllc.com/Adapt-A-Board/products/468. When this evaluation was written these boards were scheduled for retail sale beginning in September and continuing through October. Retail prices (street) were projected at $40 and $65, depending on the model. SOUND QSI starts with a basic sound file which has a lot of sound samples (options) and from the available sounds pre-selects those appropriate to an engine type. So, from a single master file which contains different bells, whistles, engine sounds, brake squeals, etc., QSI has pre-configured sound setups for the more common steam and diesel engines. QSI provides a very flexible sound editor which allows you to create your own custom train personality by picking the sounds you prefer. In addition you can add sounds you obtain from other sources to the sound library on the decoder for use in your engine. This requires a personal computer hooked up to a decoder programmer such as the QSI “Quantum Programmer” which hooks up between the track (with the engine to be reprogrammed on it) and the computer. At the present time QSI has 6 series of sound files: Diesel; RDC; All-Electric; general steam; Articulated Steam; and Gas Turbine, totaling 16 sound files . It is important to recall that each master file has sounds from many specific engines and you can steal sounds from other sources to augment or replace sounds in a master file. The decoder has provision for 64 sound “channels” in memory which can be used alone or in combination through programming to functions. OPERATION on an Aristo Pacific Engine: DC / Analog Mode: I first controlled the engine in Analog (DC) mode with a combination of the Quantum Engineer between an Aristo Pulse-Power Supply and controller, powering just the engine because of amperage limitations in the Quantum Engineer. Powering up, the engine made respectable “steam up” and idle noises. Increasing the throttle, the engine slowly and smoothly came up to speed. The chuff synchronized nicely to the speed without an engine mounted chuff switch. It did this by detecting changes in the motor’s “Back EMF” (“BEMF”) voltage detected by the decoder – something that a

11

separate “sound only” decoder can’t do. BEMF is proportional to speed, not motor input voltage. A “chuff” input is provided to connect a chuff switch built into your steam engine (if it has one) to the decoder (in which case the chuff is triggered by the engine’s chuff switch, normally related to driver wheel rotation). The chuff rate can be controlled by several CV’s and is not “fixed”. If you desire precise synchronization of chuff to driver rotation without a mechanical chuff switch in the engine, QSI provides a table relating “real world” driver diameters (2 foot to 8 foot in 1 inch increments) to appropriate CV values, plus mathematical formulas to fine tune this even more. By changing CV values you can choose any desired number of “chuffs” per driver rotation and accurately synchronize chuffs to driver rotation. Technical details are in QSI’s DCC Ref Manual v 5_0_2 which is called the “Full DCC Reference Manual For All QSI Decoders” on QSI’s web site, http://www.qsisolutions.com. Lamps were at a constant illumination. The bell, crossing sequence, whistle, alternate whistle, automatic braking noises, and steam down were realistic sounding. I then switched to an Aristo Revolution with wireless control – and no Engineer. Lights were turned on and a string of rolling stock hooked up. Related sequences were recorded on video. The slow speed operation, acceleration and deceleration were smooth, pulling a respectable length train. Chuffs at the default volume setting were not intrusive sounding, although some users may want to increase the chuff volume for a sense of presence. Pressing or commanding the “Status Report” at idle reported load settings and throttle mode. When running this key / command caused the decoder to speak the estimated speed (temporarily reducing volume of engine sounds for clarity), Pressing “Grade Crossing” engaged a sequence of horn and bell sounds. When sounding the horn through the Engineer I got a Doppler effect through the Doppler key. Other key accessible sounds were the wheel flanges and coupler noises. The load effect keys caused the engine to sound like it was working harder (or less). Choosing the “Apply Brakes” while running slowed the engine down without touching the throttle, and “Release Brakes” slowly brought it up to speed. This effectively gave smooth starts from barely running. When using this the throttle is left as is and when the brakes “are released” the engine will return to the speed set by the throttle. “Shut Down” at idle brought a respectable set of appropriate re-programmed steam engine sounds. These are typical of the old Aristo operation. Function Key Assignments. (Toggles means it latches on or off): F0 Toggles group lighting selection F1 Toggles bell F2 Blows horn; Blows alternative horn after triggered by F11 F3 Plays coupler sounds F4 Toggles steam blower F5 Changes chuff and rod clank sounds F6 Initiates start up sequence when halted; applies Doppler to all sounds when running

12

F7 While moving smoothly reduces speed; F7 while coasting applies brakes and slows faster. F8 Mutes sounds F9 Engages or disengages load sounds and heavy chuffs and other load effects. F10 Status report through speaker, including engine speed while running. F11 Toggles between primary and secondary horn / whistle F12 Toggles another lighting group The above are the standard NMRA functions which all throttles should support. F13 Reduce Volume F14 Increase Volume F15 At halt – steam blow off; when running grade crossing sound sequence F16 – F25 User mapped to extra decoder outputs such as smoke generator, fan, etc. F26 Fuel (Coal or Oil) Loading sequence F27 Engine Maintenance sound sequence. F28 Water loading sound sequence; while moving “water scoop: sounds. My personal opinion is that F0, F3, and F12 are prime candidates to map to control the smoke generator and additional lighting features. Options added on the Titan which are separately controllable through a Function are: * 12 LED’s in addition to front and rear headlights, all controllable for special effects such as MARS lights. * Smoke Fan * Smoke Unit * Cooling Fan * Front and back volume balance. Conclusion: For most of us who have made the decision to install a DCC decoder and sound, the Titan is a cost effective solution to doing so compared to obtaining separate motor and sound decoders. Once a decision to buy a Titan has been made you should preview the sounds (available on line) and select the one you think is most appropriate for your engine. Most users will be satisfied with the default selection “out of the box”. As you get more comfortable using DCC, the customizable capabilities of the Titan is the beginning, not the end of the adventure.

13

Titan in an Aristo RS-3 I installed a Titan in an Aristo RS-3 (newest version) with an Alco sound setup. The key point here is that because the Titan’s engine floor (weight) to decoder top height is 1-3/4” and because the Aristo PCC board is directly beneath the factory installed speaker, you are approximately 1/2” short of the required installation height. In addition, Aristo has a PCC “daughter board” mounted in the long hood and the “braided” connector cables occupy a lot of the space between the daughter board in the long hood and the “mother” PCC board on the engine floor.

Aristo RS3 with QSI Titan and G-Wire

For test purposes the RS-3 was run with a loose hood. With the exception of the sound scheme, results were similar to the Pacific steam engine. INSTALLATION The RS-3 I used was bought directly from Aristo earlier this year – it should be their latest production run. The engine was supplied with the weight / floor board electronics reverse from where it should be. The floor is “bilaterally symmetrical” which means that the measurement from one end to the motor location and the hardware is identical for each end. The weight attached to the floor with a machine screw at each end. To install the Titan my suggestion would be to remove the RS-3 weight board and electronics and flip it 180 degrees. This involves unsoldering and reconnecting the MU wires, disconnecting and unbraiding the cable between the daughter and mother PCC

14

boards; un-plugging and re-plugging in the motor leads; and likewise the voltage regulator and heat sink.

Aristo RS-3

From left on the hood: A good location for an exhaust fan below the fake exhaust. The speaker. The daughter board with braided cable. From left on the main board: Voltage regulator mounted on mounting screw. Motor connector. PCC Board. Large open space. Motor connector.. Mounting Screw. The objective is to move the Aristo PCC board 3 inches towards the cab (rear-ward). The only new wiring will be the speaker cable and reset reed switch cable – which just plugs or screws in and is required anyway. Carefully remove the RS-3 rail stanchions and the rail (wires) prior to dis-assembly. It is almost impossible to properly cradle the RS-3 without doing so. Carefully remove the long hood / cab / short hood by first removing the fuel tank. There is a hold down screw centered under where the tank goes. You have to rotate motors to get at some screws. When re-assembling if you have an extra screw it is that center screw under the fuel tank.

15

RS-3 PCC “Main” Board on Engine Floor

Note the MU connector wires solder to the PCC Board. The front most connection on the left is “straight through” wired to the front most connection on the right. Mark these wires. Also mark the front most of the two plugs in the braided cable so you can reinsert the two plugs where they belong, later. The motor and track power connections are in the board’s rear. You will release the MU and motor / track wires from the white hold downs. Unbraid the cable so that it is more flexible – tie it together at several points with wire ties or tape so that later it folds into the hood neatly.

Voltage Regulator on Hold-Down Post (left)

Unscrew the wire hold down clamp from the left mounting post followed by the voltage regulator. The sequence is “nut – hold down clamp – nut – voltage regulator heat sink”.

16

Unscrew the mini-boards (2 screws) over the motors and unplug them from the motor / track power leads.

Aristo “dummy” 12 pin plug

Remove the dummy plug from the 12 pin end of the PCC socket. My dummy plug didn’t have the usual plastic cover so you can see how Aristo has wired the dummy plug – the end 4 pins are wired together so there is no “right or wrong” way to plug this in. These are the track power / motor leads meaning that with the pin inserted, track power is wired directly to the motors.

Voltage Regulator removed / MU wires marked

Remove the shrink insulation sleeves from the solder joints in the MU cables. The factory soldered these to the PCC Board leads with “lap” joints. Mark the wire (set) that goes to the front MU solder joint on the PCC board at each end (I use white out) prior to

17

unsoldering. This guarantees that you won’t cross the wires when you reverse the board. When you resolder, first put new heat shrink tubing on the board end wires, push it away, Unsolder the wires to the MU Cables at the left and right hand engine ends.

Clear Plastic Insulator under PCC Board

Unscrew the PCC board and notice the clear plastic insulator that goes under it. Unscrew the wire hold – down lug from the mounting post at the right of the weight board (nut / lug / nut sequence). Unscrew and unplug the motor / power mini-board on the right. If you unplugged the braided cable you should be able to lift the weight board off the engine floor and rotate it 180 degrees and replace the weight over the mounting posts.

PCC Board now lines up under the daughter board.

After first placing the shrink wrap insulation (about 1”) over an MU cable end, resolder being careful to connect the marked wires to each other. Place the plastic PCC Board insulator over it’s new location and reattach the board with the 2 screws through the insulating plastic. The white patch in the center of the long hood is Velcro for the G-Wire.

18

Tuck all wires in to hold downs. The braided wires (PCC to daughter board) gets flipped so it goes UNDER the speaker. When you plug the motor / track power mini-boards in you will have slack on the left and BARELY enough wire on the right. A second / stereo speaker could go in the long hood under the vent. I ran the reset reed switch to the front (inside) of the short hood and attached it with Velcro. You should test the engine out on a test / programming track prior to replacing the hood. I was thrilled that it all worked the first try. I marked the under-side of the switch cover with a removable label with the frequency number set for the G-Wire. If you forget the frequency you will have to try (up to) all 8 until you get it right. As in all DCC operations, you have to decide on decoder number for the decoder (I follow the tradition of using the marked engine number). Carefully replace the hood / cab assembly. The wings on the short hood get screwed in last. You have to watch for stray cables trying to get under the hood edge. Take it out to the main line and have some fun. --------------------------------------- An Alternative: If your desire is to enjoy engine sounds without controlling any engine functions, there are sound – only alternatives which synchronize engine sounds to engine speed, and whose horns / whistles / bells can be triggered through track magnets. These are available from Dallee and Phoenix Sound in ascending cost order. MRC also sells a generic diesel sound and motor decoder and a generic steam sound only decoder.