RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion

"DCC Ready" locos: Use or ditch the OEM board?

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Espeelark:
So, my one-and-only LM-3S install to-date has been in an Athearn "DCC Ready" GP40X.
Not knowing any better (or otherwise) I simply plugged the LM-3S module into Athearn's factory board. However, to be able to get the loco shell back on, I had to make the module sit down as close as possible to Athearn PCB board. There is an 8-pin female connector block soldered to the factory board making this difficult. I had to push the LM-3S module forward to get in front of this connector to get it to sit down and at the same time I really had to bend/fold the 9-pin connector wires over on themselves to make everything fit and still it was a tight fit.

My question: what is everyone's preference here, especially for "tight" loco installs. Do you,
A) simply use the OEM factory board and squish everything to fit?
or
B) remove the factory board and hardwire everything using your own 9-pin connector?

Just trying to get a sense of "best practices"!

Alan:
B

nodcc4me:
I’ve done it both ways. I’ve found that sometimes the module doesn’t work exactly as expected when connected to the factory board and sometimes there just isn’t enough room for the module and speaker.

faithie999:
I take the boards out.  the only reason I can see for leaving the board in place is if I ever wanted to convert back to DC, which I would never do. normally, space inside the shell is at a premium and every cc is precious.

ken

Gibs:
While I'm yet to receive my RailPro bits an bobs (still waiting on the mailman) I have however only brought DC Loco's wherever possible on the understanding that I would be putting in a "module" of some kind or other. This I started to do way before I had even heard of RailPro. My plan was and is, to make sure that all of my Loco's would/will have the same brand of Decoder (now RailPro). That plan has not changed and I don't see the need too on any account to keep whatever PCB is in the Loco's from factory if your/I'm going to install an entirely different module/decoder than what the factory has deemed the "correct method" to "DCC" a Loco!
In fact I'd even go as far as to say I'd also remove all the factory wiring so as to make the LM-3S more of a native fitment to the Loco.

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