Filling Your DCC Toolkit (83)

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed.

[@johntorres9941]

Dear Sir your videos are great good info and that loco brings back memories of old hook horn couplers and lots of switches things have changed for the better excellent video and easy to under stand I am a life member NMRA WOW keep up the great work you are doing regards to you Sir JOHN TORREs

[@TheDCCGuy]

Good to hear you are enjoying them. They are a labor of love for me to do.

[@peterjhillier7659]

Thanks Larry, some really good Tips especially the Warning about the Soldering Irons destroying the Decoders.

[@anthonymcmillan5881]

Larry "GREAT INFORMATION!" I had one of our club members send me this KZbin. Becouse of the Electrical and Electronical fields I work in, I take care of layout wireing and electrical training. It was so GREAT to see someone saying and showing the same things. Sometimes hearing it from a different angle helps prove I am doing items correctly. Your flux explanation was the best. This is the biggest debate I always have problems explaining. Many of my club members grew with Vacuum Tub's. Transistor Logic area brought better solder with flux. Your Clips, as heat sinks, was also a good example. I have always use alligator clip leads, the lead you have are also nice. Keep those videos coming.

[@TheDCCGuy]

Thanks for your comment and I hope it helps you. I remember back in the late 1990s when my club converted, we had guys killing decoders left and right because they would not use heat shrink tubing to protect splices, or just used plain old cellophane tape. It can be hard to get folks to change ingrained habits that arose in the days before transistors and digital products, all of which require different methods. Good luck with them-Larry

[@cprtrain]

Super video. Thanks.

[@mandbhomestead]

Larry, this was a great video on DCC tools. You had a lot of great ideas. I really like the idea of the black tack putty. I am looking on getting some. Thanks for sharing your expertise on this and stay safe out there. Ken

[@emmydrzal415]

I use thin plastic sheets to lay or mount on metal frames or weights to isolate the decoder. Part of my DDC tool chest

[@TheDCCGuy]

I have been doing that with some sugar cubes speakers. I put them on the plastic rectangle and then let them float on top of the truck. Atlas locos often have flat tops on the truck gear tower so works well. I also occasionally will tape a rectangle of styrene to the top of the motor and then attach the decoder to it. Lots of tricks with this one.

[@johndavies252]

Very helpful video. So helpful I went and purchased the Hakko FX-888D soldering station. I have never had a variable heat soldering iron. So what temperature(s) do you use? Out of the box the default was 750. Thanls...

[@TheDCCGuy]

My advice is to start with a low temperature just above the melting point of solder, say 400 degrees, and do some test soldering of wires and rails etc. As you get a feel for how things work then increase the temp if needed for a faster better joint. Too much heat can lead to melting of plastic ties and in electrical,circuits damage to delicate parts so don’t use more than you need.

[@johndavies252]

@@TheDCCGuy Once again thank you.

[@daveluehr8685]

Great video. To bad about the camera, heads up on the Canon. My last of many Canons a EOS Rebel T5i has issues with the auto focus, it is a simple fix that has to be done at the service facility but from what I have read it is only this model and I can't get an external mic to work but it might just be me. I have had trouble with the LePage super glue's cap keeps getting glued on, I have had good results with JB Weld's "Super Weld", it has a brush applicator and tips over fairly easily but the flow is slow enough I was able catch it before I glued everything on the work bench down.

[@TheDCCGuy]

One thing I forgot to mention with the Loctite CA is the little squeeze tabs on each side. Press these and a small droplet of CA comes out the tip making control much easier. No big globs or pools of CA all over the place. I need to get another bottle soon. I have a Canon 5D Mk II that has served me well for over 10 tears but their video capacity was just being developed back then so it is practically useless for that-the Coolpix is far better by comparison. Canon consumer level camcorders are about half the cost of the mid level Sony I have but I need to check more into the quality and options. I could have bought a Canon for what the repair on my first Sony cost me.

[@russberry5165]

To keep the super glue caps from gluing themselves onto the bottle tip, coat the tip and inside of the cap with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Don't skimp and reapply often.

[@gerryroncolato8895]

Larry, great stuff as usual. Particularly appreciate the pointers to different vendors that you use! One question. You show the Kapton tape and discuss its uses, but you didn't mention its insulating properties. I use it to insulate (N scale) frames when converting from DC to DCC. Do you use it for the same purposes as well? Also, because I work in N scale, the Scotch foam double-sided tape is too bulky. I found some double-sided scotch tape like stuff that also holds up well but doesn't take up the space. G

[@joeraderblackrockcentralrr]

great tips. thank you

[@ricter591]

Thanks Larry

[@johncann100]

Do you have a list of items and suppliers that would help ordering of these items ?

[@TheDCCGuy]

I think I mentioned that as I went through the video. Just Google the company I mentioned and voila!

[@KentMcBee]

Great video. How do you correctly spell ngeneering.com. My search’s were unsuccessful.

[@robby062]

ngineering.com

[@JohnHill-qo3hb]

Larry, those wire strippers you recommend are crap because if not adjusted correctly can nick the wire thus weakening it which makes the wire pron to braking. Also, after a few years of use, the adjusting screw will not hold its setting reliably. During my service career we used the Ideal wire stripper, this tool has precision ground cutters and does not harm the wire in any way unless you are a clod. I would also recommend that you check out the self adjusting wire strippers of which there are many. The first pair of wire strippers I ever owned were the type in your video, I got them with a Heathkit AM radio kit 55 years ago, they are better than your teeth but still crap.

[@TheDCCGuy]

I hear what you’re saying John, but I have one pair I’ve been using for about 20 years for hobby purposes and I have never had problems with them not holding the setting. I suspect that in professional use they might get 20 years of wear in one year. One reason I may not have a problem is I have several and keep each set on one wire size and don’t change that at all so they get no wear. Somewhere around here I do have a pair of the Ideal strippers but they are hiding from me right now. I have also used the self adjusting ones and they are very nice and you can find them on Amazon for anything ranging from

[@nicksanto882]

Take the screw and nut off and put it somewhere where you will never find it again. I’ve used one pair of these for many years on 12 to way up into the 30s gauge wire. There are none better than these for me!

[@LaughingLionMedia]

Thanks Larry