Ll P2k Gp-7 Dcc Ready????


I just bought a new LL GP-7 online and was about to put a sound decoder in it and noticed the red wire is screwed onto the frame? That cannot be good. Every loco I have bought todate was in fact DCC ready so I have no expeirience with this scenario. On the Litchfieldstation website it has some sound installation info and they had a LL S-1 that they said was supposed to be DCC Ready but due to a wire screwed to the frame it was in fact not. The article went on to say if the frame ever comes in contact with a rail the decoder will blow. which is why i am posting this msg. I am hoping someone can fill me in on this and if it is in fact not DCC Ready how does one make it so. For the time being I will obviously hold off on installation. And as a side bar. I also bought a new LL P2K FA1/B1 powered set from the same vender and found out it was the old version which I thought was kind of weird. Soundtraxx doesn't make the decoder for this version anymore. So I guess when you purchase a loco on line even though it is new it doesn't automatically mean it is the latest version?? Sorry just rambling. Ramble done. Guess I better head for the train room and get ready for yet another Hurricane!!
Terry :confused:
 
Tks SM. Still not sure how I would check the pole to frame? I know what the frame is but what is the pole? I suppose it is part of the motor. Is there a wire coming off the pole that I can use to check continuity between frame and it with it disconnected?
Terry :confused:
 
scubaterry said:
Tks SM. Still not sure how I would check the pole to frame? I know what the frame is but what is the pole? I suppose it is part of the motor. Is there a wire coming off the pole that I can use to check continuity between frame and it with it disconnected?
Terry :confused:

The pole is the tab where the wire connects to the motor. Obiously there are two of them. You want to disconnect the red wire and see if there is continuity from the pole to the frame. Ideally, there is not.
 
SM - OK I will remove the red wire from the frame and take a resistance measurement from the frame to each of the motor contacts. Both should read open.

NWR - Yes thanks I might go ahead and put in LEDs while I am at it. If I have to put in a resistor anyway might as well.

I guess I better hurry WILMA is at the moment a cat 5 hurricane and is making land fall just north of us. Who ever said the Florida Keys was a tropical paradise must have been talking to the gaters and lizards.
Terry
 
I have at least 3 LL GP7's and a GP18. I covered the the entire metal frame where the decoder sits with an insulator tape. They have all been running now for a couple of years without a problem. I also changed the headlights to 12v bulbs, although I am considering LED's as they burn cooler with 1k resistors.
 
Bob - Do your 3 LL GP-7's have the red wire screwed to the frame? Just curious.. I definately will cover the frame with heavy duty tape. I noticed the speaker solder pads on the decoder go all the way thru the PCB and would certainly short if I didn't use an insulator.
Terry
 
Yes they do. That was one of my complaints with LL. BTW I also had to replace the wires leading to the trucks because they were too thin and will break easily.
 
Sounds like you bought an older version. It's DCC-ready if the existing board on top of the weight has that dummy plug in the 8-pin socket. Some of the blue-box P2K locos didn't have this board in them, so that's not necessarily the best way to tell how new it is.

I have a couple of GP18s in the olive-colored box, and those are even older....

Kennedy
 
Kennedy - yes it has the 8 pin socket and the box says DCC ready but when I saw the red wire screwed to the frame it got me thinking. I bought all three of these units (FA1/B1 and the GP-7) from wholesaletrans so they must have had a bunch of old stuff lying around.
tks for the info.
Terry
 
Well, don't know what to tell you then. I have a whole pile of FA/B-1s and GP7s sitting on the shelf, waiting for decoders. They're all of the runs that should have the 8pin socket. I don't recall seeing any of the ones I did way back when that had the red wire screwed into the frame.

BTW, they're sitting because a) ran out of decoders, and b) got tired of swapping light bulbs. Actually, there's a c): ran out of light bulbs!

Kennedy
 
All of the older units have the board with the 8 pin socket. If you look at the board,the Red wire ran from it to the frame where it is screwed down. Life like uses the frame just like the Old Athearn models did for the ground wire. If you are just putting a regular decoder in, Digitrax and NCE both make decoders to just plug in to the 8 pin connector.. You still have to change the bulbs. If you are going to put in sound, you are going to have to do you own wiring. You could probably make the frame contact somewhere else on the frame.
 



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