Installing a sound decoder - 2
handling and even wrapping the engine in plastic sheeting such
as Saran Wrap while working on it, any paint job should with-
stand installing a decoder with minimal touch-up.
(B)
Open-frame motors are not suitable for use with a decoder
– they arc too much at the brushes and usually draw too much
power. If your engine has an open-frame motor, replace it with
a good can motor.
I have had excellent results with the Alliance “Helix-Humper”
motors, and have also used them in my own engines with
decoders, but there are plenty of others on the market to
choose from. Just be sure to do a “stall current test” to make
sure it does not draw more current than the decoder can han-
dle. You can do this on the bench using a multimeter with a
regular power pack before you install it the motor your engine,
as described in the decoder instructions.
(C)
It helps if the tender comes apart! Surprisingly, there are
many Vanderbilt tenders out there that are completely sol-
dered together, and “breaking into them” can mean resorting
to brutal measures. I have had to cut large holes in the bot-
tom of one-piece Vanderbilt tenders to install a decoder and
speaker, and this tested my metal-working skills to the limit.
(D)
Lastly, your engine must be tested on analog DC power
before starting the decoder install. Clean all the wheels and
make sure it runs smoothly and quietly, with no binds, stalling
or shorts. It is much easier to troubleshoot an engine on analog
“Open-frame motors are not suitable for use
with a decoder – they arc too much at the
brushes and usually draw too much power.”
MRH-Dec 2013
