[OldAthearn87]

Ok all you DCC heads out there I need some help. I'm converting all my locos to DCC and one of them is the Athearn F59PHI Utah Front Runner. It says it has a nine pin quick plug and play socket which it does, so I plugged in a Digitrax DH123D decoder which was recommended to me by my LHS (local Hobby shop). I can't get it to move a centimeter on a MRC Prodigy Advanced2 or a Digitrax system, Ive heard others have had the same problem around my area but no one can seem to figure it out. I did some research and noted that NCE has a decoder for Athearn Qucik Plug Play locomotives is this a better decoder? I would really love some help, thanks so much everyone

OldAthearn87

 

[tankist]

are you sure it is the decoder? can your system read the values? you also might want to try and reset it to factory settings just in case. do you have any other decoders and tried them in?

 

[OldAthearn87]

I'm pretty sure its the decoder, but I havn't tried any other decoders in the loco as of yet since I have not currently. I suppose it could be the system however we have used a lot of various Digitrax Decoders on the MRC Podigy Advanced2 as well as the Digitrax system. I'll have to try another decoder, I'm new to DCC so its a crash course for me lol. Thanks for the suggestions

 

[tankist]

prodigy Advanced 2 is able to read SV values. does the decoder respond at all?

 

[OldAthearn87]

Tankist, the decoder does not respond at all, maybe the DH123D is not compatible with the loco? Do not know. It also does not respond at all with the Digitrax either.

 

[tankist]

did you try to reset it?
if its toast, i guess you will need to contact the manufacturer to see what they want to do. but in worst case, yo out 15$...

 

[sbracher]

I went through 3 decoder before finally taking the circuit board apart.... and there I found the bug: One of the soldering connections of the 9PIN connector in the front connected two wires. Solution: Complete removal of the 9PIN connector in the front, connect the decoder to the 8-Pin connector and the thing is working!

I am actually quite disappointed by Althearn. Such manufacturing errors should get noticed. Also the couplers of the train set need to be exchanged to be coupled to the loco...