DCC Fitting to a MTH Dash 9 (HO Gauge)

[GEOEng03]

Hi, 

just wanted to ask some advice on installing a chip into a DCC Ready Dash-9 by MTH.  Quite straightforward until you see that the number boards and ditch lights require separate wires pushing to them.  YOu can leave them on permanent within little clips, but it would be good to independently control these for use when running either in a consist or in differing directions. 

 

So, the issue is that most decoders come with the purple - additional function wire and when i use this for say the number board, it is independently controlled and can be turned on and off.  The instructions state that the green wire can be used and cut to fit as well, which i am fine with.  My issue is that the instructions i have seen, suggest that a brown wire needs to also be used from the decoder - most decoders don;t have the additional 10th Brown wire - the TCS 6X does, but i am wondering if standard 4 function decoders can be used.  It may be that a 6 function is needed because of the two needed for the ditch wiring, one for the number boards and two for forward and back lighting (5 functions).  I am happy to but the TCS decoder and may plump for the TCS WOW, but have a few questions 

 

1) can any of the other wires be used to replace the brown wire as indicated on the TCS website

2) does having the two separate wires (green and brown) to the ditch lights, allow pro typical flashing as would be seen when approach crossing etc... 

3) Does the unit need a 6 function decoder, not the 4 function decoder shown with in the picture. 

 

4) does the WOW Sound decoder just deal with this for me.  The price difference is in the order of £30, minus the speaker, so it may be better investing there.  

 

Dash9-1 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

 

Dash9-2 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

 

On a final note, the MTH Dash-9 is a fantastic detailed model and given the price i paid for these from the US, knocks the socks of some of the UK models that have been released in recent years - appreciate i got slow selling models for a good price, but plumped for the DCC Ready versions, for ease.  I'm sure that the AG2 will make these look less detailed in due course. 

Thanks