bigal10 Posted December 17, 2016 Share Posted December 17, 2016 Hi folks, I recently purchased an excellent DJM J94 from the box-shifter in Liverpool, quickly followed by a Zimo 6-pin sound decoder from Digitrains, with Pauliebanger's also excellent "active" sounds ! All is well, except for the running characteristics, but I think that might be the fault of my layout, in my loft, which at this time of year in the UK is not the driest of locations! Ergo, I've come to the conclusion, that like all short wheelbase locos, the J94 would benefit from stay-alive. When I bought the Zimo decoder, in that wonderful shop in Lincoln, they had just done the same install but including a capacitor for stay-alive. - Obviously that won't work on the 6-pin, but I've been wondering if a standard MX645 would fit, and is there room in the tender for a SC68, for example. I have noticed on a link from Bromsgrove Models DCC install guides, which redirects to John Gymer at YouChoos, that an earlier product from Dave Jones Models has the wiring for a speaker in the tender already wired from the 6-pin socket in the boiler! Has anyone taken a screwdriver to the body of a J94, and how easy or otherwise would a speaker or alternatively an SC68 be to place in the tender of the J94? - All assuming that an MX645 would squeeze in the boiler ! Thanks in advance for suggestions.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 You can wire a stay-alive to any Zimo decoder, the MX648 is no exception. But, you have to attach wires to solder pads on the edge of the decoder. The topic is covered in Zimo's manuals. Depending on how far you want to take things, there are a couple of articles in my blog (link below) which may help with fitting stay-alive into smaller spaces - there is bags of space in a 4mm scale J94. - Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted December 22, 2016 Share Posted December 22, 2016 You can wire a stay-alive to any Zimo decoder, the MX648 is no exception. But, you have to attach wires to solder pads on the edge of the decoder. The topic is covered in Zimo's manuals. Depending on how far you want to take things, there are a couple of articles in my blog (link below) which may help with fitting stay-alive into smaller spaces - there is bags of space in a 4mm scale J94. - Nigel Re stay alive . Can these be used on DC only or any suggestions welcome. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted December 22, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 22, 2016 You can wire a stay-alive to any Zimo decoder, the MX648 is no exception. But, you have to attach wires to solder pads on the edge of the decoder. The topic is covered in Zimo's manuals. Depending on how far you want to take things, there are a couple of articles in my blog (link below) which may help with fitting stay-alive into smaller spaces - there is bags of space in a 4mm scale J94. - Nigel Agreed Nigel, mine is running fine with an MX648 installed over the motor, this leaves room for a more than adequate home grown capacitor pack (cap, resistor and diode) then the sugar cube speaker just behind the smokebox door .... No need to take the loco apart - just position the decoder with a pair of tweezers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 The one Digitrains had done with stay alive was one of mine. There are now four and I've run out of DJM J94s. https://youtu.be/6IaJ9w4Zg4k The yellow peril. Note the invisible fireman shovelling... https://youtu.be/eotJkZTp15Q 71515 Two of them in action. 71515 I had fitted with the wrong whistle- it actually has a hooter (at least in preservation- I never heard it used at Swalwell) so I had to have the file reblown with the correct whistle. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigal10 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 Phew, just done it! Thanks to advice from Jeremy at Digitrains at York show, you don't actually need the other bits, just an electrolytic cap, so long as it is a higher voltage than the track voltage. My ECoS is set at 14.9v so that all my Zimo decoders work OK with caps. So I put a very slim 1000mf at 25v cap in, and magic ! The DJM J94 now runs (and chuffs and Whimberry Whistles) all day long without stalling (well, not much) I am going to look for a larger mF value in the same slim case. Regards, Alan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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