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Which DCC decoder brands are compatible with which make of engines?
In theory, all decoder brands conform to the same standards so should be compatible with all locomotives (providing the pins match).
If you are pondering which decoder to purchase to upgrade a locomotive from DCC ready to DCC, which brand of decoder to choose is not a huge issue. Go for a brand that you recognise and are comfortable with or one that you have heard good things about, but you must make sure that whichever decoder you choose, it has the correct number of pins for your locomotive otherwise it will not physically fit.
Although others exists, the most common types of DCC ready locomotive sockets are 21 and 8-pin. Which type your locomotive has should be clearly identifiable from either its box or somewhere in the instructions. Both 8-pin and 21-pin decoders are readily available from a range of manufacturers so sourcing one should not be a problem.
Where you may wish to be a little more choosy, is when deciding on how many functions or programmable CVs your decoder has. These will determine how many other things (apart from movement) your decoder can handle as well as how much you can tweak characteristics such as realistic acceleration etc, but once again, that is not so much an issue of brand and more a consideration of capability.
Posted in: Power and control
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