Author Topic: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?  (Read 1282 times)

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Kisatchie

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Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« on: February 15, 2016, 09:39:41 PM »
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I'm looking at a Lifelike N scale Sw9/1200 on eBay. How hard is it to add a decoder? I wouldn't do it, for sure!


Hmm... I'd use a crowbar...

« Last Edit: February 16, 2016, 09:11:35 AM by GaryHinshaw »
Two scientists create a teleportation ray, and they try it out on a cricket. They put the cricket on one of the two teleportation pads in the room, and they turn the ray on.
The cricket jumps across the room onto the other pad.
"It works! It works!"

mu26aeh

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2016, 09:52:56 PM »
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http://n-scale-dcc.blogspot.com/search/label/Loco%3A%20Life%20Like%20SW9%2F1200

I have one of my own to do, and possibly one or two for @Blazeman  to work on.  Hopefully the smoke detector won't go off  :facepalm:

Kisatchie

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2016, 10:07:39 PM »
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Looks like I'll pass on the SW9/1200. It would probably cost more than the loco just to have a decoder installed. Ouch.


Hmm... I just bonked
Kiz on the head with a
baseball bat. He seems to
be unconscious. I hope I
didn't kill him...


Two scientists create a teleportation ray, and they try it out on a cricket. They put the cricket on one of the two teleportation pads in the room, and they turn the ray on.
The cricket jumps across the room onto the other pad.
"It works! It works!"

Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2016, 11:19:12 PM »
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I've been really tempted to look for cheap MTL SW1500s and use them to more easily decoderize them.

nickelplate759

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2016, 12:03:53 AM »
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I did one.  Only took me three tries to get it right (!)  First two times it ran backwards (when on DC).
I used the Digitrax decoder sold for the MT SW1500.  I don't recommend that one if you are to to run the locomotive on DC sometimes.
[ adding a little more ]  The installation was more than a little fiddly - getting the board to sit in the frame and make proper contact took a little doing. My experience might be specific to the Digitrax decoder.

George
« Last Edit: February 16, 2016, 09:15:07 AM by nickelplate759 »
George
NKPH&TS #3628

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

Upstate Gator

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2016, 12:28:23 AM »
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You could get an NW2. That has a drop in.
Ben

Kisatchie

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2016, 03:11:35 PM »
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You could get an NW2. That has a drop in.
Ben

Thanks! I'll look into that. I see Brooklyn Locomotive Works has some in stock.


Hmm... bet they sell out
before Kiz orders one...


Two scientists create a teleportation ray, and they try it out on a cricket. They put the cricket on one of the two teleportation pads in the room, and they turn the ray on.
The cricket jumps across the room onto the other pad.
"It works! It works!"

sizemore

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Re: Is It Hard to Add a Decoder to a Lifelike SW9/1200?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2016, 05:59:54 PM »
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Use the TCS decoder in the Kato NW2 way better performance than the Digitrax decoder.

The S.