DCC newbee question

[eja]

Just took the plunge into DCC.  Purchased an NCE Powercab and some Digitrax decoders including a DN163K0a  for a KATO P42. 

My question is do most experienced DCC'ers rely on the plastic clip to hold the motor contact strips in contact with the decoder or do you solder them to the circuit board ? 

I am asking as the clip seem to provide  a tenuous connection at best.  Suggestions for other options welcome too.

Thanks

the new DCC friendly eja

[jdcolombo]

My advice is to solder everything you can.  It makes disassembly more difficult later on, but insures against electrical contact problems that always end up intermittent and that then drive you crazy.

John C.

[peteski]

The new Digitrax decoders have motor output pads duplicated on the bottom of the circuit board.  I simply reroute the motor pickup leads into the small slits in the motor cradle, then bend them to contact those pads on the decoder.  Then the plastic clip provides positive pressure to the entire assembly.

This way no Kapton tape is needed (I never liked depending on the tape separating the motor leads from the truck pickup strips).


I'm actually planning on writing an article about this modified install, but I haven't gotten around to it.

[eja]

The new Digitrax decoders have motor output pads duplicated on the bottom of the circuit board.  I simply reroute the motor pickup leads into the small slits in the motor cradle, then bend them to contact those pads on the decoder.  .

That is true for the ones for my on the Atlas B23-7 and GP 40.     My question is specifically about the Kato P42. That darn little plastic "thingee",  for lack of a real word,  that holds the contact strips and the decoder board connected just looks like a major problem down the line                                                                             

[peteski]

That is true for the ones for my on the Atlas B23-7 and GP 40.     My question is specifically about the Kato P42. That darn little plastic "thingee",  for lack of a real word,  that holds the contact strips and the decoder board connected just looks like a major problem down the line                                                                           

As long as you don't depend on it to press the motor leads to the top pads on the decoder, it should be ok.  I admit, that I would have expected a better designed system from Kato, but It does work.

[trainforfun]

That is true for the ones for my on the Atlas B23-7 and GP 40.     My question is specifically about the Kato P42. That darn little plastic "thingee",  for lack of a real word,  that holds the contact strips and the decoder board connected just looks like a major problem down the line                                                                           

I made many conversions on P42 and I used solder , I reinstalled the grey plastic "thingee" just to hold the decoder boeard but really it was not necessary once the contact strips from the motor were soldered .