Genesis SD70, lights, Digitrax etc


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Genesis SD70, lights, Digitrax etc

Just to summarize so I dont make any more unfounded assumptions.

Genesis with old light board - has built in support for 1.5vbulbs - I hope obvious is correct

Genesis with new DCC ready board + plug - has built in support for 1.5v bulbs - I hope obvious is correct

Genesis With DH123 / 163 hardwired - lights blow unless suitable resistors added or bulbs converted to 12v or LED

Genesis with new DCC ready board + DH123 / 163 plugged in - Does this support 1.5v bulbs directly or must a mod be made?????

Genesis with TCS A6X - Works as a board replacement for Genesis should, supporting Genesis 1.5V bulbs directly

Unlike others, I dont find the Digitrax Zephyr manual too bad but the panel is like their docs(Greek?) - I guess display panels were expensive:confused:. However their docs on what specs the decoders put out or using with Athearn (a real minority manu) 1.5v bulbs nothing but confusing and wide of the mark in most cases. Digitrax Tech support has been IMHO little short of illiterate.

thanks ,,, ken
 
As long as you keep the original board and plug in a decoder, you will be fine. Depending on how the ditch lights are wired, you may or may not be able to have the ditch lights on separate functions or the ability to have them flash.

If the ditch lights are wired into function pads, get a DH163, take off the harness, and plug it directly into the 9-pin plug on the board. That way, all you need to do is program the functions. The rear ditch lights (if your model has them) do not come with bulbs so you'll have to install and wire them in yourself. Since the 9-pin JST can only handle 4 functions, you'd need resistors and would need to solder them to the decoder's pads.

If the ditch lights are wired to the headlight, then it is considerably more complicated
 
And ...........

Thanks Eric, and one more but I am sure not the last.......

Would a jumper plug from a more recent Athearn RTR DCC ready Dash9 be equivalent to the original jumper from an older DCC Ready Genesis SD70????
Running out of bulbs :confused::(

thanks ,,, ken

ps. couplers sent Wed noon from Blaine Wa.
 
I don't think Athearn changed the jumper plugs at all. The Athearn boards and jumper plugs are made by Digitrax who doesn't seem to be able to get out of the stone age.
 
TCS-A6X installed in place of Digitrax DH1650A0

TCS-A6X installed in place of Digitrax DH1650A0 .........JMHO.......

This is more in line with what I would call a board replacement decoder for an Athearn Genesis SD70.

The only difference required to support the Athearn 1.5v bulbs is to connect one wire from each bulb to a pad on the A6X, other than that it is pad for pad. Ditch lights would be similar.

The docs are better, not perfect but I think show a much more serious attempt at making them reasonably understandable by a wide range of users. This approach seems to be widespread throughout their websight.

Now to figure out headlight dimming and we shall see how great the docs are.;)
Easy it was!! Rather than replace the DH123D with a DH163D in the DCC ready SD70 (want the Ditch lights); I am going to pull the whole thing and put in another A6X!

take care ,,, ken
 
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