# Building a decoder tester



## nemo (Aug 20, 2011)

Has anyone built a mobile decoder tester? Like to attempt to build a test digitrax decoder.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Why? Do you want to pre test them before install?
I've installed more decoders than I care to count. And I can say that I've run into so few bad Digitrax and NCE decoders that it's not much use to pretest them.
Now I do have a a setup to power up and listen to sound decoders to be able to pre program them with the right sounds before install.


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## nemo (Aug 20, 2011)

Yes, I like to pretest before install!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

OK then set up a circuit board with LED's and a motor with wires and Alligator clips and pre test!


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

NIMT said:


> OK then set up a circuit board with LED's and a motor with wires and Alligator clips and pre test!


Just use a locomotive to test it in. then if it works, put it in a locomotive.

Oh, wait a minute ...

The point is, it's so easy to put in, why even bother with a test bed?


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

NIMT said:


> OK then set up a circuit board with LED's and a motor with wires and Alligator clips and pre test!


Or instead of alligator clips use a miniature terminal block. Then it is easy to insert the decoder wires and tighten the screw.
Some like this:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/dksearch/dksus.dll?vendor=0&keywords=ed1520


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Or you could take a standard HO scale 8 and 9 pin wiring harness with all of the leads and have the what would normally be track pickup be to just the command station bypassing all the track, then have the motor go to a real HO engine motor with the light leads going where they belong into a standard led or filament bulb with the proper resistor. That way you can have it all run as if it was in the engine without it being in the engine but that still does not seem useful since all of the decoders even most of the sound ones are just connected to wire harnesses so if the decoder goes bad just replace the decoder and not all of the soldering work. That is the beauty of the DCC decoders they literally just plug and play.


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