55020 decoder

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barryw

lgb/harz
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advice please i'm thinking of buying a mallet which has a 55020 decoder installed as this will be the first step in to digital will i be making a mistake or is it easy to change your thoughts would be appreciated thank you

barryw
 
Hi Barry,

The 55020 is quite an old unit, but provided it is working OK I don't see a problem; when you say "is it easy to change", do you mean to upgrade to (say) a sound decoder, or just to replace it with a more modern type? Either way, as the loco is already decoder-fitted that means it is a pretty simple job to change it up to something like a Massoth XL (or XLS if you want sound), should be just a matter of unplugging the old and plugging in the new. If it was an older loco that was purely analogue, THAT's when decoder fitting can get a little trickier (though even that is pretty straightforward once you've figured out what you're doing and got over the fear of dismantling gearboxes and the like!).

If the price is right, then I'd go for it! :bigsmile:

Jon
 
thank you Zerogee yes i did mean to change the decoder to a more up to date one my concern is i think i read somewhere this decoder makes the motor noisey i now see it has esu sound on board is this ok ?

barryw
 
barryw said:
thank you Zerogee yes i did mean to change the decoder to a more up to date one my concern is i think i read somewhere this decoder makes the motor noisey i now see it has esu sound on board is this ok ?

barryw
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Hmmm, that sounds a little bit odd if it has an ESU sound decoder AND still has the 55020 decoder fitted as well? Do you have a link to the details of the loco?
 
Sonds as if some onehas done an expensive sound conversion.
One word about ESU chips they seem very complex to programme.
Just read their instructions. Having said that they are a good sound
 
barryw said:
advice please i'm thinking of buying a mallet which has a 55020 decoder installed as this will be the first step in to digital will i be making a mistake or is it easy to change your thoughts would be appreciated thank you

barryw
Click to expand...
Of course you should buy it. It's a Mallet! :love:

One small thought. If it's a Mallet there should be two decoders, not one! If 2 55020s fitted, then the best thing to do is replace both with a single Massoth XL and sell the 55020s. You'll end up very little out of pocket and have a much better decoder onboard as a bonus. The 55020s don't have back-EMF (automatic compensation for constant speed running) and can give rise to a louder "buzz" from the motor, but they will work just fine.
 
What loco is it, Barry
 
barryw said:
whatlep said:
barryw said:
Zerogee not sure how to do ebay link but its on the german site at best part of 900e
barryw
Click to expand...

Is it this one? http://cgi.ebay.de/LGB-23851-Brohlt...dellbau_Modelleisenbahnen&hash=item4cf76cff6f

The price being asked is much higher than I would pay for a Brohltal. How about this one instead?:
http://cgi.ebay.de/LGB-221-G-LGB-23...dellbau_Modelleisenbahnen&hash=item27bafc190f
Click to expand...
seller says been build in workshop? i think and no chip
Click to expand...

Huh? Where do you get that from. I don't see any reference to workshops. The seller is a commerical trader who I've dealt with and is reliable. As to price, well yes you need to add one Massoth XL decoder (non-sound/sound) and an LGB 55026 interface cable (total £65!) (or a Massoth XLS, 55026 and a speaker if you go sound). Installation is a snip. So this one is 400 euros cheaper from Ebay against the cost of the add ons. Much cheaper overall. :thumbup:
 
whatlep said:
barryw said:
advice please i'm thinking of buying a mallet which has a 55020 decoder installed as this will be the first step in to digital will i be making a mistake or is it easy to change your thoughts would be appreciated thank you

barryw
Click to expand...
Of course you should buy it. It's a Mallet! :love:

One small thought. If it's a Mallet there should be two decoders, not one! If 2 55020s fitted, then the best thing to do is replace both with a single Massoth XL and sell the 55020s.
Click to expand...

I disagree with the comment of fitting the Massoth XL, as it already has a sound decoder fitted, why not use the ESU. Personally, I think the ESU is a better decoder anyway:thumbup:.
 
Whatlep thank you, i asked for more details its always difficult when you don't know the dealer so it seems i should take your advice thank you
barryw
 
Sounds very misleading. Think I'd give it a pass
 
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