Engine Brand and DCC Brand Compatibility

[daknife56]

I have a Bachmann starter set that came with a DCC controller. I recently bought an Athearn steam engine that is DCC ready. The engine came with a chip that has 9 wires running into a ribbon type connector. Is there any certain brand of decoder that I have to use to convert to DCC? The engine has a ribbon type connector but most of the decoders I look at have a pin type connection. Will these pin type connectors work?

 

[dennis461]

Post up the model number of the loco.
and
Call Athearn

 

[DanRaitz]

1.5 Amp Economy HO Scale Wired Mobile Decoder

.672” x 1.074” x .259” 17.08mm x 27.28mm x 6.6mm Digitrax Easy Connect 9 Pin Harness 1.5 Amp/2 Amp Peak Current Rating 2 FX3 Functions, 0.5 Amp Total Function Current Rating

www.digitrax.com

Just unplug the attached wiring harness and plug decoder into engine 9 pin connector.

Dan

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Most decoders will have a harness plugged into it. If ya look at the actual body of the decoder, you'll see the white plug on one end and the harness running from that. Look even closer and you'll see that it's a plug and that the harness can be detached from it leaving just the decoder. That is where your harness will plug in.
Look closely at it so you get the proper orientation.

 

[daknife56]

Great. Thanks for the replies. Can i use any brand of decoder with my Bachmann starter DCC Controller?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

As long as it's DCC, should be fine.
DCS, Argentinian Hugela op code, Russian RDC, Ethiopian PITA code and Sony TV remote code just won't work.

 

[daknife56]

Thanks!!