BLI RSD-15 Wire Colors?

[C855B]

Does BLI adhere to any standard for chassis wire color-coding, and if so, what? With the models not in front of me at the moment, I've been comparing my photos of the RSD-15 guts to Mark's @spookshow photos of the BLI SD40-2 guts. At this point I'm drawing the conclusion that their standard is no standard at all and I'll need to trace everything before replacing the Paragon 4 decoder. Not a big job, but in this case an annoying one, and I do hope the others I have adhere to the same scheme.

For instance, on the RSD-15 (or at least the first one I've opened up), left rail is gray (NMRA standard is black), yellow appears to go to the speaker (standard is rear headlight), and there are light tan wires (WTF?).

Anybody have any clues?

[bbussey]

One of the many negatives regarding their decoder electronics — they don’t follow industry standards on the wire colors.

[peteski]

I believe their wire color coding standard is "whatever is in stock".  I have around 4 of BLI locos and looking at the Baldwin Centipede (because I have that one in pieces), it is mostly black, tan or pink? (almost too close to brown to tell them apart), brown, and white. Speakers and LED headlights use black and brown, track pickup (both rails) is black.  That's ok, some others (like IM Cab Forward) use all black wires. 

At least I think their connector pinouts are kept the same (but don't quote me on that).  Those BLI factory-equipped-sound locos (the only type   they sell) sure are lots of fun to mess around with.   

[C855B]

[...sigh...]

Thanks, guys, my fears confirmed, apparently. It's like they're thumbing their noses at everybody. 

[mu26aeh]

Their attempt at scaring people away from ripping their decoders out and "living with " the paragons

[peteski]

Their attempt at scaring people away from ripping their decoders out and "living with " the paragons

Interesting hypothesis.  You might just have something there.   

[C855B]

That thought has crossed my mind. I've run across this kind of product thinking in my own travels, "We have this market niche [integrated sound] in our back pocket, so what's the point in following somebody else's rules?" The lack of compatibility in general is another symptom of that; there is a 9-pin JST standard for DCC, and they're using an 8-pin JST and NOT making available any documentation of basics like pinouts.

Their "our sound or nothing" approach strikes me as a little bit arrogant, but, clearly, it is a successful business plan given BLI is churning out multiple models on relatively short schedules while the rest of the industry is struggling to eek-out a bare trickle of truly new releases.

[Truthfully? It's this kind of situation which gets my technical dander up and I quickly learn tools and methods to breach the fortress they built thinking they were protecting their better mousetrap. In fact, I made a career out of it. In this case it would be an adapter board. But I'm too old to mess with it now and have more pressing things to do. Then there's the patent side of the Paragon product line, and the DMCA, which would give them the right to throw lawyers at me for any reverse engineering effort.]

[wvgca]

i am just glad that i don't have any of those weird contraptions around !... lol

[Jim Starbuck]

Tracing out their wiring isn’t bad and there’s nothing more gratifying than cutting out a Paragon.
From BLI’s perspective though it’s like “who cares?, you still paid for our decoder and now we don’t have to do warranty on it.”

[CBQ Fan]

I just wish there was a to replace the DCC board with a good ole DC board.

[wazzou]

I think this is douchebaggery to be honest.
I haven’t delved into this whole realm, to be honest, but why make it harder than it needs to be?
At minimum, there should be a Standard, much like those of the NMRA, for instance.
I think there is some ego at play here, much as there has been before, with technology changes.

[Kentuckian]

Does BLI adhere to any standard for chassis wire color-coding, and if so, what? With the models not in front of me at the moment, I've been comparing my photos of the RSD-15 guts to Mark's @spookshow photos of the BLI SD40-2 guts. At this point I'm drawing the conclusion that their standard is no standard at all and I'll need to trace everything before replacing the Paragon 4 decoder. Not a big job, but in this case an annoying one, and I do hope the others I have adhere to the same scheme.

For instance, on the RSD-15 (or at least the first one I've opened up), left rail is gray (NMRA standard is black), yellow appears to go to the speaker (standard is rear headlight), and there are light tan wires (WTF?).

Anybody have any clues?

Be sure and take a few before photos before cutting out the Paragone. Work slowly and you will be fine.

[Steveruger45]

….. Paragone….

I see what you did there.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I wouldn't assume that BLI is intentionally being difficult, it's just that they have never really considered the use case.

[CBQ Fan]

How much of it could be allowing the factory to do what is easier for them?  Path of least resistance to get products timely.  You always hear stories of companies fighting with China on little things.