I have a Challenger loco. Can anybody give me some help on what decorder to buy, where and how to install it? Thanks Waiting for a HOT responce.

-- Lawrence Hannahan (lhannahan@aol.com), November 19, 1999

Answers

Lawrence,

A lot depends on the actual Challenger locomotive. A Bowser HO Challenger with the big open frame motor will be different than a Rivarossi unit or one of the fine brass units. The key is the motor current. With most decoders the stall current will be the primary governing selection. With the Back-EMF units (ZIMO 61/N, LENZ LE130, or Digitrax DN121) and the new LE080 Lenz quiet drive decoders, then constant current will be (generally) a better sizing. Picking a location for installation is based on the size of the space available. Some Bowser units can have the smaller decoders mounted on the motor in the boiler area. Most modelers will choose to install the decoders in the tender and hook up the wiring to the engine. Doing an install can be very different pending a lot of issues. I choose to handwire all my installations (no plug module) and sometimes use little connectors between the tender and engine - other times just wire it all in permanently.

-- Ed McCamey (emccamey@cheerful.com), November 19, 1999.

Larry,

-- michael cronin (michael cronin@gm.com), March 10, 2001.

larry, Is the challenger a rivarossi? if it is the decoder install is really easy just folow allen's tips the additional things to do there is a secondary weight attached to the upper boiler at the sand dome I shaved some of the lead off this weight to provideadditional space for the headlamp wires. I attached the decoder with two sided tape and every thingfits fine. make sure you replace the stock headlamp with a grain of wheat and add electrical tape under it around the boiler weight to prevent it shining thur the frame

-- michael cronin (michael cronin@gm.com), March 10, 2001.

please i would like me to send me the way i can download a mp3 decorder

-- stgiova (stamatiagiova@msn.com), May 24, 2002.