Direct plug 8 pin - RAILS or Gaugemaster?

[Adrock]

Hi All,

 

I need to purchase a couple of decoders to replace my TCS direct plug in my Bachmann 00 pannier tanks. There is very little room in there so I’m insisting on another direct plug. I think my main options are either:

 

RAILS CONNECT DECODER, 8 PIN DIRECT 4 FUNCTION NANO DECODER

 

Or 

OMNI DIRECT PLUG DECODER (8 PIN) DCC29

Does anyone have any experience of either of these, and maybe in a Bachmann 57xx/8750? Are they smooth runners?

 

many thanks in advance. 

[WIMorrison]

Get a Zimo decoder - much better than either of the options you list

[Adrock]

21 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

Get a Zimo decoder - much better than either of the options you list

Yes I know, I use them in all my other locos. They just don’t do a direct plug unfortunately. What’s the issue with the two that I have listed?

[SamThomas]

The GM Omni's are not bad - I have no experience of the RoS decoders.

FWIW I generally use Lenz

.

[Sir TophamHatt]

I managed to put in a Zimo or Lenz on my Bachmann Pannier.

Can't remember which but I think it was a squeeze.  BUT if it's the last chip you plan to put in, route the wires nicely and hope for the best.

[BromsMods]

Why do you need to replace the TCS decoders?

[Adrock]

16 hours ago, BromsMods said:

Why do you need to replace the TCS decoders?

The speed table is all over the place and I’ve spent hours already trying to improve it. No other decoder I have is like this, so it’s easier to just replace. 

[BromsMods]

I assume you have tried resetting the decoder back to its defaults.  How old is the decoder?

[Adrock]

14 hours ago, BromsMods said:

I assume you have tried resetting the decoder back to its defaults.  How old is the decoder?

Hi, yes I have as I’ve just recently bought a new controller. Both chips have always been like this, i bought them ~2011/12 ish, couple of years of light use and then in storage within the locos until this year. I never considered it at the time but I’ve found this article suggesting some of them were faulty:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60802-tcs-dp2x-uk-in-a-Bachmann-pannier-setting-up-for-shunting/page/2/

 

 

[RFS]

1 hour ago, Adrock said:

Hi, yes I have as I’ve just recently bought a new controller. Both chips have always been like this, i bought them ~2011/12 ish, couple of years of light use and then in storage within the locos until this year. I never considered it at the time but I’ve found this article suggesting some of them were faulty:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60802-tcs-dp2x-uk-in-a-Bachmann-pannier-setting-up-for-shunting/page/2/

 

 

 

I had a few DP2X-UK decoders bought at roughly the same time but found they had quite a few issues. In a couple of Bachmann locos (eg Standard 3 tank) they just did not run smoothly at low speeds despite all attempts at tweaking the CVs. Turning off Back EMF meant the locos would run smoothly but minimum speed was about 15 mph. Eventually tried the locos with a Lenz Silver decoder and performance was completely transformed.

 

Perhaps by now TCS have improved the firmware with the latest chips, but I decided to stick with Lenz and replaced all my TCS decoders with the Standard+ version. 

[JST]

I have used a DCC Concepts 8 pin direct decoder in my Bachmann Prairie and it worked fine. I don't, know but the Rails decoder may in fact be a re-badged DCC Concepts item.

[BromsMods]

12 hours ago, Adrock said:

Hi, yes I have as I’ve just recently bought a new controller. Both chips have always been like this, i bought them ~2011/12 ish, couple of years of light use and then in storage within the locos until this year. I never considered it at the time but I’ve found this article suggesting some of them were faulty:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60802-tcs-dp2x-uk-in-a-Bachmann-pannier-setting-up-for-shunting/page/2/

 

 

 

Not so much faulty but had a glitch in the speed curve.  You might find some decoders from other manufacturers have the same glitch.

 

Anyway, if you would like to return one of the decoders you have tried and I will send you two of the latest DP2X-UK offerings FOC if you let me know how they compare to the originals.

[Adrock]

2 hours ago, BromsMods said:

 

Not so much faulty but had a glitch in the speed curve.  You might find some decoders from other manufacturers have the same glitch.

 

Anyway, if you would like to return one of the decoders you have tried and I will send you two of the latest DP2X-UK offerings FOC if you let me know how they compare to the originals.

This is a much appreciated gesture and yes, it will allow me to do a direct comparison and hopefully answer this question conclusively! I will video the comparative performance too. 

Edited May 16, 2021 by Adrock