employment ?

[woodone]

Can a person who does DCC install work find a job?
And what is to going rate for doing this kind of work. Per hour- piece work?

[mu26aeh]

I'm not sure you're going to find a 40-hour/week job, but good for side money.  I've seen places/people from $25-40 per install plus cost of decoder

[woodone]

WOW! only one reply and NO JOB OFFERS.  LOL.
Guess there is not much of a demand for this type of work.

[jdcolombo]

There's demand.

E-mail me privately; I may have a lead for you.

John C.

[peteski]

WOW! only one reply and NO JOB OFFERS.  LOL.
Guess there is not much of a demand for this type of work.

Can a person who does DCC install work find a job?
And what is to going rate for doing this kind of work. Per hour- piece work?

If you opened up someone's post and read the above message would you think that it is something which would directly result in job offers?  To those 2 sentences seem to me like very specific questions about whether this type of job is viable and what are the rates. I don't see it as a direct solicitation for employment. It is more like someone is just looking for info.

[woodone]

Guess that I was not really that specific with my question.
I thought the subject covered that, my bad!

[Philip H]

Guess that I was not really that specific with my question.
I thought the subject covered that, my bad!

I would t worry too much - no one ever gets it right.

My two cents - if you do decoder installs and want the chance to earn some money off us that way (!) post the details of a couple of tough installs you have done in the dcc forum.

[MVW]

I've got a few projects I'd farm out to the right person at the right price.

Jim

[peteski]

Guess that I was not really that specific with my question.
I thought the subject covered that, my bad!

"employment?"  To me that was vague too.  In combination with the text inside the post I really don't see that as an offer of you doing DCC installs for customers.  But what do I know...

Like others said, showcase your past work and I'm sure offers will come. I know for a fact that there are people on TRW looking for a quality installers.

[Mike C]

 So far Jerry  (woodone) has done has done 5 sound installs for me in steam locos and I an very satisfied with his work .  And I still have at least 2 more to send his way . ......Mike

[woodone]

There's demand.

E-mail me privately; I may have a lead for you.

John C.

Thanks John- sent an PM to you

[woodone]

"employment?"  To me that was vague too.  In combination with the text inside the post I really don't see that as an offer of you doing DCC installs for customers.  But what do I know...

Like others said, showcase your past work and I'm sure offers will come. I know for a fact that there are people on TRW looking for a quality installers.

Well here goes- I have been doing DCC installs for over 10 years. Hard to installs- The Atlas N scale Shay first runs- Lights are a PITA. Have done many.
A few photos of a N scale Kato PA unit with a SoundTraxx Econami sound decoder installed, machined frame and all. PLUS note that the decoder is minus the heat shrink and the plug in sockets where the wires go! This is necessary to fit the decoder into the room that is available.
I have done the Kato F-3/7 units the same way
To date I would guess that I have installed over 2000 decoders-Worse locomotive to do to date- Kato GS-4's. 
Some brass units have given me some problems but most were cured via putting in additional pickups.
Hope that sheds some light on the original post.

[MVW]

OK, now we're talking. So do you have rates in mind?

Jim

[woodone]

I have been working on a flat rate pricing. This is for N scale only. Diesel non sound install $50.00 unless it is a drop in ($30.00)
Sound install is $85.00. Plus any machine work, $15.00 per install. These prices are for the labor only, no decoders & or extra parts.
Steam non sound $60.00. Steam sound install is $95.00. I have not run into any steamers that need machine work. BUT there are a few that cost more. Like the Shay (non sound only) $75.00. Got a Vanderbilt tender add $20.00 to the install price. The GS-4 Add $20.00. I remove the motor and wire the decoder direct to the decoder in the tender. I do not use the draw bar for the motor contacts. I have had way too many failed decoders with this install with out doing the install this way!
This includes two lights- If I replace light bulbs with LEDs there is an extra fee plus the parts. Again this is for labor only no decoders & or extra parts. The sound installs require a speaker and will run in the $10.00 range.
Got any questions, please PM me and I will try to give you an answer.
find two more sound install photos. Kato MP36 HP units.
     

[peteski]

Nice work Gerry!

I suspect that the problems with the GS-4 installs were that they were from the initial run which has a flaw with the frame design (the draw-bar was not the problem).  The wheels would short directly to the sub-frame to which the motor leads were connected.

I also recommend that when you attach pictures to the post select "Inline full-size image" and not "End-of-post expandable thumbnail" so the photos show up full size in the post (no clicking is needed to expand each photo).  I think by now everybody has fast enough Internet connection so that the size of a photo is not a problem. Forum also resized all uploaded photos to 1024 pixel width anyway.