Plug n Play decoders.

[bulleidboy]

I'm not sure whether 'Plug n Play' is the correct description, but I have seen it used many times. Most of my loco's have the TCS DP2X-UK 8-pin decoders fitted - they seem to work well, and of course with no harness and plug attached, they just plug directly into the socket. However they are now costing about £30 each. I see that both Hattons and Gaugemaster do something very similar and cheaper. Have any of you used these decoders and are they ok?
I hope to be in Florida in May, and can usually pick up the TCS DP2X-UK for about £21 - so I may be able to get some more, but in the meantime! BB

[Hound Dog]

Hi,

For general use I have been buying the occasional Gaugemaster DCC27 decoder, which is a “both“ an 8 & 21-pin 4-function 1A (1.8A peak) small OMNI decoder........ if I subsequently upgrade to a sound decoder then I still have more opportunities to use it on something else and I try to always keep one spare so I can easily check out any new loco purchase...... the last one I bought from Hattons a couple of months ago was £18 and I have never had any problems with this type.

Hope this helps - cheers Richard

[Steve M]

Barry, I have used the Hatton’s direct plug in decoders almost exclusively (unless a particularly small decoder is needed) and have never had an issue. Of course as fittings other than 8 pin are becoming more popular it can cause havoc with the budget.

[dtb]

I have also used both Hattons and Gaugemaster direct plug decoders and can confirm they are used frequently without any issues at all.

[bulleidboy]

Thanks everyone - looks like an order going in to Hattons. Barry/BB

[bulleidboy]

On the Hattons site, it says these decoders don't always work well with "some" Hornby controllers. I have a Hornby Elite - has anyone used these decoders who has an Elite?

[RAF96]

On the Hattons site, it says these decoders don't always work well with "some" Hornby controllers. I have a Hornby Elite - has anyone used these decoders who has an Elite?

Likely to be out of date that statement as latest Hornby controller firmware is tested with all sorts of decoders to make sure all is well. As a rough guide if the decoder is listed in the Railmaster pull down list at CV7 then it has been tested. For those wondering what this is about - if RM does not recognise a decoder when reading it, you can right click CV7 and force it to use a decoder from the drop down list seen.

[bulleidboy]

Thanks everyone and Rob - I Googled the question and got all the answers, including many that were years old - everything appears to have moved on for the better. Thanks. BB

[Chris]

I use the Hattons direct 8pin decoder in most of my loco and like them. They work well with Hornby E-link

[bulleidboy]

I bought five of the Hattons 8-pin direct plug-in decoders. I have yet to try one, but on a trial fit in the Hornby Adams Radial, which is a real pig of a runner, I noticed that the pins on the Hattons decoder are not central, as on the TCS DP2X-UK. So when fitted rather than sitting centrally over the socket, there is more "sticking out" on one side than the other. The Adams Radial has a space fractionally bigger than the decoder, so the TCS one is fine but the Hattons one, without some butchery, will not fit. Not a problem, I'll use them elsewhere.

Just a quick point on the Adams Radial, I rewired the socket as Hornby got the wires muddled up on some models (mine was one of them), on the rolling road, with the body removed , with both a Hornby R8249 decoder and the TCS one, it runs beautifully - the slow running is brilliant. As soon as the body is refitted it's a pig, it moves about an inch at a time - so to say it ran jerkily would be an understatement. I have yet to find a description of anyone fitting a Hornby decoder into this loco without surgery - the space under the coal bunker is too small. It looks as though it's going back in its box and placed at the back of the cupboard.