Decoder for newer Atlas GP-38-2

[woodone]

Has the subject says: Looking for a decoder (non-sound) for this loco. this is one of the latest runs I think. Is DCC ready- Has a speaker mounted into the fuel tank area. The decoder would be a drop in I believe has it would be able to slide in place. 

[reinhardtjh]

Has the subject says: Looking for a decoder (non-sound) for this loco. this is one of the latest runs I think. Is DCC ready- Has a speaker mounted into the fuel tank area. The decoder would be a drop in I believe has it would be able to slide in place.

That would be the LokPilot 54650.  It had the same outline as the 73199 but was non-sound.  Unfortunately, discontinued along with the 73100 and 73199.  You might find some as new, old stock at some hobby shop.  ESU hasn't announced a successor, as far as I know.  You might be able to work a LokPilot V5 Micro and wire it onto the existing light board in the GP-38-2.  Take a look at the 59820 / 8-pin NEM652.  You can cut the 8-pin plug off the wires.

If you are okay with a Digitrax, they make a "slide-in" decoder.  The DN166I3. It's labeled for IM post-2016 but it's the same outline and function.
https://www.digitrax.com/products/mobile-decoders/dn166i3/

TCS doesn't seem to have anything similar.

[C855B]

...TCS doesn't seem to have anything similar.

Which, frankly, is disappointing. I alerted TCS to the new board profile when the Atlas C628/C630 and one or two other models were released three years ago, surprising many of us. Three years and nothing. I ended-up using the LokPilot 54650, which fortunately functions similarly enough to run lashups with the earlier Atlas release with the TCS AMD4.

Sorry to hear the LokPilot is discontinued. That adds to the frustration for those of us who buy new to support the manufacturers and operate DCC but have no interest in sound. Giant step backwards in forcing hardwired for us non-sound guys.

[peteski]

Sorry to hear the LokPilot is discontinued. That adds to the frustration for those of us who buy new to support the manufacturers and operate DCC but have no interest in sound. Giant step backwards in forcing hardwired for us non-sound guys.

It was discontinued because it was a V4 decoder (just like all the other discontinued V4 decoders). Hopefully ESU will offer the V5 version of this non-sound decoder soon.

[woodone]

Thanks John.
I don’t think I would have gone fishing for a decoder from Digitrax under InterMountain , that’s for sure.
I could hard wire but that would require re-working the original light board.
The Digitrax will save a bunch of work.

[Steveruger45]

Apparently, Yankeedabbler has some v4 lokpilots
https://yankeedabbler.com/54650-new-n-scale-esu-54650-lokpilot-v4-0-micro-direct-oem-nmra-dcc-decoder-part-esu-54650/

[reinhardtjh]

Thanks John.
I don’t think I would have gone fishing for a decoder from Digitrax under InterMountain , that’s for sure.
I could hard wire but that would require re-working the original light board.
The Digitrax will save a bunch of work.

If you use the Digitrax Decoder Selector, the DN166I3 comes up as a choice for the N-Scale, Atlas, GP38-2.  That's how I found it, but I had remembered that Digitrax had released  a decoder with the proper form factor. 

If Yankee Dabbler still has some of the ESU decoders, then I'd go for that.  At $29.99 it's in the same ballpark as the Digitrax and likely to have better motor control.

[C855B]

Apparently, Yankeedabbler has some v4 lokpilots
https://yankeedabbler.com/54650-new-n-scale-esu-54650-lokpilot-v4-0-micro-direct-oem-nmra-dcc-decoder-part-esu-54650/

Thanks!