|
Comparison of Popular Decoders
by Don Fiehmann
The choices of DCC decoders available now may seem overwhelming ... so which decoder do you need? Ask yourself
the following questions, then review the table below.
1) What Scale?
2) What Amperage do I need? Here are some guidelines: N ½-1, HO 1-2, S 1-3, O 2-6, G 2-8 Amps.
3) What Features do I need?
Two or more functions, BEMF motor control, plug’n’play or hard wired, what size, special effects. Do you prefer a specific manufacturer?
4) Budget?
5) Locomotive Lighting?
High voltage bulbs, low voltage bulbs or LEDs? Low voltage bulbs (1.5 V) and LEDS require dropping resistors.
| Scale |
Brand |
Name |
Wired |
JST |
Brd |
NMRA |
PNP |
max |
peak |
nmbr |
specfx |
silent |
back |
feed- |
L |
W |
H |
MSRP |
|
|
|
|
hdr |
plug |
plug |
pnp |
Amps |
Amps |
func's |
|
|
EMF |
-back |
|
|
|
|
| Z/N/HO |
Digitrax |
DZ123 |
X |
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
0.57 |
0.38 |
0.13 |
$15.95 |
| Z/N/HO | Digitrax | DZ123PS | | | | X | | 1 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | 0.57 | 0.38 | 0.13 | $19.50 |
| Z/N/HO |
Digitrax |
DZ143 |
X |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1.5 |
4 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
.36" |
.55" |
.13" |
$34.95 |
| Z/N/HO | Digitrax | DZ143PS | X | | | X | | 1 | 1.5 | 4 | X | X | X | X | .36" | .55" | .13" | $37.95 |
| N |
Digitrax |
DN163A0 (Atl 4 Axle) |
|
|
|
|
X |
1 |
1.5 |
6 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
|
$34.95 |
| N | Digitrax | DN163A1 (Atl 6 Axle) | | | | | X | 1 | 1.5 | 6 | X | X | X | X | | | | $34.95 |
| N |
Digitrax |
DN163K0a (Kato P42) |
|
|
|
|
X |
1 |
1.5 |
6 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
|
$34.95 |
| N | Digitrax | DN163K0b (Kato F3 A+B) | | | | | X | 1 | 1.5 | 6 | X | X | X | X | | | | $34.95 |
| N |
Digitrax |
DN163K1b (Kato AC44) |
|
|
|
|
X |
1 |
1.5 |
6 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
|
$34.95 |
| N | Digitrax | DN163K2 (SD80/90) | | | | | X | 1 | 1.5 | 6 | X | X | X | X | 3.11" | .426" | .195" | $29.75 |
| HO |
Digitrax |
DH123AT (Old Athearn) |
X |
X |
|
|
|
1.5 |
2 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
.66" |
1.2" |
.25" |
$24.99 |
| HO | Digitrax | DH123D (Athearn RTR) | X | X | | | | 1.5 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | .66" | 1.2" | .25" | $19.95 |
| HO |
Digitrax |
DH123P/PS |
X |
X |
|
X |
|
1.5 |
2 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
.66" |
1.2" |
.25" |
$22.99 |
| HO | Digitrax | DH163A0 (Atlas, Ath Gen ) | | | | | X | 1.5 | 2 | 6 | X | X | X | X | | | | $29.99 |
| HO |
Digitrax |
DH163D |
X |
X |
|
|
|
1.5 |
2 |
6 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
.66" |
1.2" |
.25" |
$29.99 |
| HO | Digitrax | DH163L0 (LL GP/SD 7/30/60) | | | X | | X | 1.5 | 2 | 6 | X | X | X | X | | | | $29.99 |
| HO |
Digitrax |
DH163P/PS |
X |
X |
|
X |
|
1.5 |
2 |
6 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
.66" |
1.2" |
.25" |
$32.99 |
| HO | Lenz | LE1014-WH (Athearn RTR) | X | | | | | 1 | na | 4 | X | X | | | 1.3" | .63" | .14" | $22.95 |
| HO |
Lenz |
LE1014-MP |
|
|
|
X |
|
1 |
na |
4 |
X |
X |
|
|
1.3" |
.63" |
.14" |
$22.95 |
| HO | Lenz | GOLDJST-W | X | X | | | | 1 | 1.8 | 4 | X | X | X | X | 0.91" | 0.62" | 0.2" | $39.95 |
| HO |
Lenz |
GOLDJST-MP |
|
X |
|
X |
|
1 |
1.8 |
4 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
0.91" |
0.62" |
0.2" |
$39.95 |
| Z/N/HO | Lenz | GOLD Mini-W | X | | | | | 0.5 | 0.8 | 4 | X | X | X | X | 0.43" | 0.35" | 0.11" | $54.95 |
| HO/G |
Lenz |
LE1835-W |
X |
|
|
|
|
1.8 |
na |
4 |
X |
X |
X |
|
1.5" |
.69" |
.16" |
$39.95 |
| HO | Lenz | SILVER-MP | | | | X | X | 1 | 1.8 | 4 | X | X | X | | 0.91 | 0.66 | 0.12 | $31.95 |
| HO |
NCE |
AtlasS1-2 |
|
|
|
|
X |
1.3 |
2 |
2 |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$29.95 |
| HO | NCE | P2KSR ( LL GP/SD 7/30/60) | | | X | | X | 1.3 | 2 | 4 | X | X | | | 1.9" | .63" | .12" | $29.95 |
| HO |
NCE |
KRSR (Kato RS2/Others) |
|
|
X |
|
X |
1.3 |
2 |
4 |
X |
X |
|
|
1.9" |
.65" |
.12" |
$29.95 |
| HO | NCE | SW9/12 ( LL SW's) | | | | | X | 1.3 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | | | | $29.95 |
| N |
NCE |
N12A1 |
|
|
|
|
X |
1.3 |
2 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
2.65" |
.37" |
.12" |
$25.95 |
| N | NCE | N12A0 | | | | | X | 1.3 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | 2.65" | .37" | .12" | $25.95 |
| N |
NCE |
N12SR |
X |
|
|
|
|
1 |
1.25 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
.34" |
.70" |
.12" |
$34.95 |
| N | NCE | N12SRP | | | | X | | 1 | 1.25 | 2 | X | X | | | .34" | .70" | .12" | $29.95 |
| N |
NCE |
N14IP |
|
|
X |
|
X |
1.3 |
2 |
4 |
X |
X |
|
|
1.0" |
.38" |
.13" |
$29.95 |
| Z/N/HO | NCE | Z14SR | X | | | | | 1.3 | 2 | 4 | X | X | | | 0.57" | 0.34" | .13" | $34.95 |
| Z/N/HO |
NCE |
Z14SRP |
|
|
|
X |
|
1.3 |
2 |
4 |
X |
X |
|
|
0.57" |
0.34" |
.13" |
$39.95 |
| HO | NCE | D13SR | X | | | | | 1.3 | 2 | 3 | X | X | | | 1.6" | .67" | .13" | $19.95 |
| HO |
NCE |
D13SRP |
|
|
|
X |
|
1.3 |
2 |
3 |
X |
X |
|
|
1.6" |
.67" |
.13" |
$24.95 |
| HO | NCE | D13SRJ (Athearn RTR) | X | X | | | | 1.3 | 2 | 4 | X | X | | | 1.68" | .63" | .25" | $19.95 |
| HO |
NCE |
D14SRP |
|
|
X |
|
|
1.3 |
2 |
6 |
X |
X |
|
|
.90" |
.63" |
.13" |
$29.95 |
| HO | NCE | D15SR | X | X | | | | 1.3 | 2 | 5 | X | X | | | 1.08" | .63" | .27" | $29.95 |
| HO |
NCE |
DASR (Atl,Ath, Kato Dsl) |
|
|
|
|
X |
1.3 |
2 |
4 |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
$24.95 |
| O/S/G | NCE | D408SR | X | X | | | | 4 | 8 | 8 | X | X | | | 2.25" | 1.20" | .35" | $89.95 |
| O/S/G |
NCE |
D808SR (USA Trains) |
X |
X |
|
|
|
8 |
30 |
8 |
X |
X |
|
|
3.75" |
1.45" |
.063" |
$129.95 |
| Z/N/HO | TCS | M1 | X | | | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | .565" | .35" | .125" | $29.95 |
| Z/N/HO |
TCS |
M1P-MH |
|
|
|
X |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
.565" |
.35" |
.125" |
$25.95 |
| Z/N/HO | TCS | MC2 | | | | | X | 1 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | .71" | .41" | .19" | $26.95 |
| HO |
TCS |
A6X(Atls, Ath Dsl w/Res) |
|
|
|
|
X |
1.3 |
2 |
6 |
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
$25.95 |
| HO | TCS | DP5X (LL GP7,30) | | | | | X | 1.3 | 2 | 5 | X | X | | | .85" | .68" | .165" | $29.95 |
| HO |
TCS |
T1 (Athearn RTR) |
X |
X |
|
|
|
1.3 |
2 |
2 |
X |
X |
|
|
1.0" |
.68" |
.25" |
$19.95 |
| HO | TCS | T1P-MH | | X | | X | | 1.3 | 2 | 2 | X | X | | | 1.0" | .68" | .25" | $19.95 |
| HO |
TCS |
T4XP-MH |
|
X |
|
X |
|
1.3 |
2 |
4 |
X |
X |
|
|
1.0" |
.68" |
.25" |
$35.95 |
|
