Factory Installed Decoders

[Ali Kenneth]

A question for all you DCC fans out there......

Do you buy locos with Factory Installed Decoders or fit your own to the basic model?

I have done both in the past but, with funds short this year, am erring on the side of only buying Factory Installed locos as they do work out cheaper.

Alasdair

[John]

Not a big fan .. usually cheaper, less capable, older technology.

[Frank Amato]

Same here -- I like the Digi and NCE drop-ins.

[Dave V]

Ah, well...  It's only been the last few years that some N scale locos have come with DCC installed!

Depends on the loco.  I have a pair of Atlas GP9s that came with decoders.  I have a Kato E8 and some ER Sharks that I put drop-in decoders into; that's real easy.  Lastly, I hardwired the decoders into my steam engines.

If they'd have all had the DCC-euipped option, I'd have done it.  But alas, such was not the case.

Good luck!

[TiVoPrince]

I'm usually
looking for a feature set not found in basic decoders.  That said, I have a few basic decoders in locos but they will be limited to mid consist duty...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I decided to go factory installed a few months ago after I had to fight with the dreaded Atlas brass contact "fingers" on a DN163A0 installation.

However, since then, I've had one factory installed decoder fail spectacularly (there was smoke and charring on the chassis and shell) and two go quietly (just not responding).





As much as I hate monkeying with Atlas decoder installs, I'm going to go back to buying separate decoders.

[Denver Road Doug]

I buy Atlas locos with the decoder, with the full knowledge they will be replaced with Digitrax.  But it's never immediately, and it's nice to be able to test/run the loco right out of the box using DCC.  For the $20 delta it's just not really a decision.  (I don't buy that many locos...my roster is less than 30 and pretty well finished)

Other locos receive Digitrax decoders.

[Bob Bufkin]

Recently purchsed a Kato E-8 factory installed and a couple Reading Trainmasters.  For what I'm doing they are fine with me.  Alco had Lee do some work on some others and I've placed decoders in some Atlas GP-7-9's.  I really don't like how Atlas decoders go in.  More than once I've had to put the whole damn mech back together after loosing the screws too much.  Also have lost a couple of the nuts on the floor and haven't found them yet.

[Powersteamguy1790]

I install the decoders of my choice in all loco's. I will not buy an Atlas diesel with the factory installed basic decoder. I prefer decoders with the BEMF option for the long grades on the JJJ&E.

Stay cool and run steam.......

[bsoplinger]

Another buy it without vote here. The only locos I bought with decoders were the VO 1000's because for the longest time nobody made a drop in for them.

[pnolan48]

I do both, and it's a matter of the size of my layout. It really depends on what I plan to do with each consist. And I usually buy consists, rather than engines. My grades sometimes are 30 feet or more long and very consistent at 2.5%, so back EMF isn't too important--engineers should be able to adjust throttles, and there's a lot of time between trains, usually more than a minute.

So I'll go with inexpensive TCS-1s in hardwired Life-Like FAs. If there's a plug-in, I'll usually go with it. I've gone with Gold Lenz on others. Part of the fun is deciding which capabilities you need for each engine and each consist.

[sundowner]

I use to buy the factory install Atlas decoder equipep locos. But last year I replaces the stock Atlas Lenz decoder with a  Digitrax 163Ax decoder in a couple of my Atlas GP40-2. The running differece was so great that I replaces all of the Lenz with the Digitrax and stop buying dcoder equip locos.

[POVC]

I always buy my Atlas locomotives without decoders and then add my own.  Usually the price is a wash; price delta between the two locomotives is $30 at my preferred provider and the Digitrax decoders are about $29.  I usually buy the decoder at the same time as the locomotive, but could hold off if money is tight.

I have only bought two locomotives with decoders; my PCM E-7 (with sound) and my Bachmann Acela (which only comes with a dual mode decoder).

Tim

[Chulvis]

I have four factory installed decoder locos from before I learned how to do it myself. So far they are fine. No problems. That said, I don't buy them anymore as I'd rather have the BEMF for the 4% grades at my club. I will at some point swap out my factory decoders for another brand with BEMF.

[Big4Man]

I have had mixed results with the factory decoders. Primarily, the lack of power required to program them. This happeded with the PCM sound decoders as well as some of the Atlas factory non-sound jobs. I have since invested in a "Power Maxx" module for ~$50. Problem solved! I am selective and research a little prior to throwing down the cash for factory installs. One instance that comes to mind was the Atlas FM 16-44. It has the special effects class lights. Another was the VO-1000. Memories of the Life-Like SW influenced that decision.  ;D

Good Luck!

Dan