Yup...but if installed upside down...the worse you get is a "No response from locomotive" on JMRI. I had to flip mine too...but it works fine now. Just gotta figure out why when I put the shell back on...I get a coffee grinder....grrrrrrrrrrrr.
Wish I had these pictures of taking off the shell last week. I took my undecorated one to be painted. He had to use liquid mask because he could not determine how to take it apart. Now have it back paint in B&O colors.
I have tried to add both of my S-2s to the roster, but even though they show up, I am not convinced all the CVs were read. I am trying to determine how to get the horn set the same for both. I have one set on a horn I like, but NCE Power Cab does not allow CVs to be read, so have to do JMRI - Decoder Pro to learn the settings. Worked okay before the most recent version..... This is really more appropriate for the NCE or JMRI forum.
Your all welcome. I am glad the pictures and explainations are helping with this really nice locomotive.
My Atlas S2 / EUN651 refuses to run as slowly or as smoothly as my other Atlas / TSC locos. I can't tell if the loco is geared taller than the others, the motor is weak, or the decoder is flakey. I expected it to run as well as my VO1000. Am I asking too much?
I own two Atlas S2s, they run super slow and very smooth. So there has to be something wrong some where.
I just got my S2 last week and got the decoder installed. For a simple remove and replace decoder, it was a bit intense. Disassembly was tricky. My light board had zero slack in the sires, so moving it around to get to the plug was interesting. Mine was also finicky about programming. I finally successfully got it to reset and got it programmed. Mine had motor leads wired backward so I had to deal with that. My decoder also hung over on one side slightly and made refitting the shell difficult. The LokPilot is slightly smaller and I might try one in another S2. Mine too does not creep as well as I would like. All in all I like it, but the install was way harder than it should have been. Trey
Wow, I'm a newcomer to DCC and thought the install was easy. It is one of, if not the best running N scale locomotive I've seen in the years (and years) I've been in N Scale. Don
I've improved the running of multiple locomotives by using a Zimo MX622N decoder. It won't solve a mechanical problem but from the DCC side of things, I've really enjoyed the slow speed control of the Zimo.
Interesting responses. I think I'll just put up with it for the time being and later when I acquire another switcher, the S2 will make an interesting rebuild project. Thanks for all your input. Chalk
Since I originally posted the pics and the install process I used I was told by someone that the cab interior is a seperate piece !!! Take it off and plug the decoder right in the back of the board....no need to fiddle with the wires etc.. Taking the hood and cab off the first time is still a PITA !
Well, I was wrong. I can't put up with my S2 - EUN651 combo. I stripped it down today and replaced the TCS board with a Soundtraxx AT-1000 that I use for "undertable" sound. I've had no experience with the motor control side of Soundtraxx, so I didn't know what to expect, but with just a couple of minor adjustments, the AT-1000 was powering the S2 more smoothly than the EUN651 had. Since, I can only get the body on with another NEMA 6 pin decoder, I took Ryan Wilkerson's advice and ordered a Zimo. I'm impressed with their adjustability - hope I can learn to take advantage of it.
The Zimo decoder arrived today and was quickly installed in my S2. I set a few basic CVs and on the first test run it performed better. Just a couple of quick tweaks and the S2 was running almost as slowly and smoothly as the VO1000. Couldn't be happier with Zimo. Well, that's not entirely true; I would be happier if I could figure out how to set up reverse dimming of the leds. I hope to find the secret in past posts if I dig deep enough. In all fairness to TCS, I think I received a dud decoder. Until now I had never used anything but TCS and I never had a complaint with their performance. I suppose it's even possible that I may have damaged the EUN651. I was also pleased with the smaller size of the Zimo compared to the EUN651. It's a much better fit for the cramped S2 hood. Chalk
?????????? The Atlas S2 has a 6 pin socket at the back. You dont change the board. You simply take out the 6 pin DC chip and plug in a 6 pin DCC chip. You dont need any more 'room' under the hood. The process is fast and easy. JMO...thnxs
I have been using the Zimo decoders for years. They are just an awesome decoder. You can set the lights, I will have that shortly. My JMRI is acting up right now.
Sorry if I was a little vague George. I had a decoder in the socket and the loco refused to run as well as I thought it should. In trying to isolate the problem, I pulled the 6 pin NEMA decoder and hardwired a Soundraxx decoder (HO) into the S2 because it was the only test piece I had on hand. Since that solved my problem, I concluded that I needed a new 6 pin decoder to plug into the S2 power distribution board. Hence, the zimo decoder which is not a chip, but rather a board with several chips on it and of course the six connector pins. Some have said their TCS 6 pin decoders are almost too wide for the hood of the S2. The Zimo is smaller.
