How do i use this DCC decoder

[Guest Oliver.M]

Hi, does anybody know who manufactured this type of decoder or how to wire it up, the photo is not very clear but it has green, brown and white wires

[TheWeatheringMan]

Hi, does anybody know who manufactured this type of decoder or how to wire it up, the photo is not very clear but it has green, brown and white wires

Hi,

Athough you havnt got the photo up I offer this.

 

There is not a Brown wire on modern DCC (non sound) decoders but there was on the very old Hornby Zero One decoders.

It could also be an Airfix MTC decoder - this was a rival but different system.

So I'm sticking my neck out and hazarding a quess that this is what you've got - I could of course be proved wrong when we see a photo.

 

If I'm right however the decoder has no use at all with a modern DCC system as it wont work and cant be programmed by pretty well all the modern systems bar one in the case of Zero One or not at all if its MTC.

 

Having taken a guess the outcome will be interesting

Regards

[GoingUnderground]

Brown is used for the Aux 5 output and Pink for Aux 6 on some decoders such as the function only Lenz LF101XF.

 

Are there any signs that there may have been other wires attached at any time? 3 wires is strange, as you would normally need 4 as a minimum for a motor decoder, i.e. 2 to the track and 2 to the motor if those are the only electrical connections.

[TheWeatheringMan]

Brown is used for the Aux 5 output and Pink for Aux 6 on some decoders such as the function only Lenz LF101XF.

 

Are there any signs that there may have been other wires attached at any time? 3 wires is strange, as you would normally need 4 as a minimum for a motor decoder, i.e. 2 to the track and 2 to the motor if those are the only electrical connections.

Hi,

Accepted - but in my defence i'll ad I've never set eyes on a function only decoder !.

 

Remember though that Zero One used a very different wiring system to what we use today for DCC and if my memory is correct I think ZO decoders could be wired with only three wires to the decoder - but its a very long time ago now so I might have remembered wrongly.

regards

[Phil S]

Zero-1 Decoders are quite distinctive, as are the other suggested option of an Airfix MTC decoder.

 

The Zero-1 used 3 wires, as stated, and this link to an (old/expiring) ebay page  http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/Hornby-zero-1 shows pictures of many Zero-1 components.

The wires were RED, GREEN and BLACK.  Only 1 side of the motor was isolated, and as a result, the system was not backwards compatible to analogue use, unlike the various systems which followed it. 

It relied on the alternating waveform of the track signal - by switching on 'forwards' ONLY when the polarity was correct for forwards, and similarly in reverse ... so the power was always PULSED at the low 50Hz (60Hz USA) mains based frequency ... and the control data was sent in a 3rd timeslot when zero power was being used for traction.  [dcc and MarklinMfx are also alternating square waves - but only to provide the data from the changes in polarity -ALL dcc decoders full wave rectify the track signal].

 

It took MANY years for the later, dcc decoders, to move away from the slow pulse rate of these early decoders, and use 'silent drive' (supersonic) instead!!.

 

The Airfix MTC system had 4 different decoders - each tuned to a different frequency, and then each could be one of a furhter 4 channels, to give the 16 in all. The decoders were NOT FLAT  but more 'cuboid'.   I cannot recall the wiring colours, or if it was 3 or 4 wires.  Much rarer, but not worth anything.  (I still have sevral Zero1 chips in their sealed packs, and spare controllers to feed my historical micromimic display ... but no plan to use them for locomotives having been dcc for 10 years+.)

[TheWeatheringMan]

Zero-1 Decoders are quite distinctive, as are the other suggested option of an Airfix MTC decoder.

 

The Zero-1 used 3 wires, as stated, and this link to an (old/expiring) ebay page  http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/Hornby-zero-1 shows pictures of many Zero-1 components.

The wires were RED, GREEN and BLACK.  Only 1 side of the motor was isolated, and as a result, the system was not backwards compatible to analogue use, unlike the various systems which followed it. 

It relied on the alternating waveform of the track signal - by switching on 'forwards' ONLY when the polarity was correct for forwards, and similarly in reverse ... so the power was always PULSED at the low 50Hz (60Hz USA) mains based frequency ... and the control data was sent in a 3rd timeslot when zero power was being used for traction.  [dcc and MarklinMfx are also alternating square waves - but only to provide the data from the changes in polarity -ALL dcc decoders full wave rectify the track signal].

 

It took MANY years for the later, dcc decoders, to move away from the slow pulse rate of these early decoders, and use 'silent drive' (supersonic) instead!!.

 

The Airfix MTC system had 4 different decoders - each tuned to a different frequency, and then each could be one of a furhter 4 channels, to give the 16 in all. The decoders were NOT FLAT  but more 'cuboid'.   I cannot recall the wiring colours, or if it was 3 or 4 wires.  Much rarer, but not worth anything.  (I still have sevral Zero1 chips in their sealed packs, and spare controllers to feed my historical micromimic display ... but no plan to use them for locomotives having been dcc for 10 years+.)

Hi,

Very worthwhile information for historic record.

Only problem is we still don't know what the OP's decoder actually is !!.

Regards