Author Topic: BLI SW7 ESU Install  (Read 587 times)

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GM50 4164

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BLI SW7 ESU Install
« on: May 24, 2023, 11:03:55 PM »
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For those of you that have swapped the Paragon 3's and 4's from BLI's little switchers, which ESU Loksound decoder did you end up using? I plan to swap mine out at some point and feel like the Nano would work but have not looked into it yet.


Benjamin H

Jim Starbuck

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Re: BLI SW7 ESU Install
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2023, 03:23:16 AM »
+1
I’ve done two. The first was a v5 Micro and second was a Nano. I used the stock speaker in both. I also used the stock light boards as they were convenient. I would also recommend adding an Iowa Scaled Engineering Run-N-Smooth or the new TCS KA-N1 keep alives. The new electronics bring out the full potential of this very nice model.

Jim
« Last Edit: May 25, 2023, 06:56:45 AM by Jim Starbuck »
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skytop35

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Re: BLI SW7 ESU Install
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2023, 07:55:48 AM »
+1
I totally agree with Jim. I have done a couple as well with the Nano and a keep alive.
Bill Denton

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crrcoal

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Re: BLI SW7 ESU Install
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2023, 07:50:33 PM »
+1
Bill/Jim do you guys have any photos of the install you could post? TY!

Jim Starbuck

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Re: BLI SW7 ESU Install
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2023, 08:37:15 PM »
+5
This is the v5 Micro but the Nano would be very similar. Actually kind of a sloppy install. I used stacked capacitors but that was before the commercial powerkeepers were available. I would highly recommend using one of those instead.
It’s pretty straightforward. I think I clipped off the mounting posts for the stock decoder to make a flat surface. The trucks are hardwired and the motor and speaker wires all come up through the chassis so you really don’t have to take anything apart.
Just cut the wiring off the Paragon, trace which wires are which and connect them to the appropriate decoder locations. I think the toughest ones were the motor and speaker wires because each one has a red and blue wire. Just watch carefully which goes where.
The light board on the cab end snaps up into the cab roof.

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« Last Edit: May 26, 2023, 05:32:37 AM by Jim Starbuck »
Modutrak Iowa Division
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