DIY N scale Decoders

Hi All

Being a cheap bugger (LOL! Limited $$$$ made me into one!!!!) I am looking at building my own DCC system from the various information out on the web. Primarily I will be using information from the MERG site. However, I have been unsuccessful at finding any info on N scale decoders (the MERG ones are HO). A couple of the links that I did find are now dead or the info is missing.

Does anyone have a source of information for DIY building N or Z scale DCC decoders? I would appreciate anything anyone has.

Cheers
Bruce

 

I found this info in my folder of train stuff hope it's helpful

This is a site I saved ages ago and is no longer where I had booked marked it so I've uploaded it to my FTP so u can see it

N Scale Decoder

Decoder.zip

(If the owner of this pages wants me to take if off I can do that )

 

Thanks 31

This is great! Sth Oz huh? Another Aussie - even better - LOL!

Cheers
Bruce

 

Yup SA

 

Guys, I'm all about DIY and being cheap, but with a street price of $14, the Digitrax DZ123 might be something you want to look at.

 

Racedirector,
At one time, I looked into building my own power supply for my DCC system. After I priced out all the parts, etc , it was just as cheap, in fact cheaper, to get a commercial one.

You might be able to build your own DCC system, but with the tiny technology you'd be working with, you might consider buying commercial decoders.

 

Thanks guys but we are talking Australia here.

For example a Lenz Set 90 & 100 are AUD$700 and $850 respectively and an N scale decoder is AUD$54.00. I haven't priced out the cost of parts for the DCC system, including decoder yet but will post a comparision when I do.

Cheers
Bruce

 

Bruce,

Try Tony's Train Exchange (?).

Personally, I wouldn't consider building a decoder from scratch. With the current exchange rate to the US$ I reckon you wouldn't be able to come close in cost, notwithstanding being able to get the parts readily. Factor in your time and effort on top...

Using $14 street price as quoted above and the current exchange rate:

AU$18.95 plus postage (int'l letter) of AU$7.10 (US$5.25) for a total of AU$26.05 if individually imported. When you buy 5 or so at a hit your postage cost per unit reduces proportionally, as possibly does your decoder cost (bulk buy) and you're still under the customs limit if they show full purchase price on the declaration.

Mind, plug and play decoders are more expensive than the free-wired units.
Potentially, you could be getting something upwards of 2.3 decoders ordered from the US to one ordered from Australia.

There's being cheap, and then there's creating more trouble than it's worth.

 

Hmmm...

You may have a point there Gary, especially put like that. Even with the dreaded GST it still wouldn't be bad ($1.90 on each decoder). My thinking was maybe customising each decoder to fit into each type of loco - that way some of 'em wouldn't need machining. Still, based on the Aussie prices for the other equipment (which I am not saying ar wrong, just I can;t afford them) I will still look into DIY'ing that stuff.

Cheers
Bruce

 

Can't speak for Oz, but I bought a lot of my model stuff (including DCC from Tony's) from US suppliers. Even with carriage, import duty and sales tax piled on, it was generally 10 to 20% cheaper than buying the stuff 'locally'. (And then I either wouldn't have had the choice of stuff, or I'd have had to wait while the dealer got it from the US.)

 

I agree with the concept of it being cheaper to order from overseas, being an aussie, but theres one very important thing to consider. Support. If you're little shipment of 5 or 6 decoders gets squished by the caring, sharing, warfies / cargo handlers or something, you're SOL for a return...it certainly WONT be insured for that price. But it in Aus, or make it yourself, and you only have one person to blame if you squish em.

 

Racedirector,
Being in Canada, we too here have to deal with a higher price due to dollar conversion. I think our dollar is a little better than yours, but not by very much. So when I want a decoder for my N scale SD90, I'm looking at an expense, considering I have 4 SD90's.

I don't cross border shop as the support I get here is worth the extra but I would if that weren't the case.