Anyone use them ?

I have just read an ad from DCC Concepts singing the virtues of their new "Zen" decoders - in particular, their "Blue +" and "ZEN Black".

Understandably, DCC Concepts say they'll do everything you'd need on every loco you're likely to have with any DCC system - and to boot, they're not particularly expensive……..

I wondered therefore, if any of our members use them, or have used them in the past ………………….. :roll:

 Are they as good as DCC Concepts claim or are they another re-brand of an existing manufacturer and are they worth having a go with ?

My current "go to" decoder manufacturer is Zimo - I tend to use their MX600 as a simple "cheapie" or their MX617 if I can learn how to connect a tantulum stay-alive without destroying the decoder !!  (I bought two or three at the same price as the MX600 but my soldering destroyed one of them and I haven't attempted to do another one yet…. :oops:)
 

Hi Peter,

for a long time the original DCC Concepts Zen Nano (Blue) was my "go to" chip. Main reasons were:

1. Local availability and support at Melbourne retail outlets
    
   
2. Prewired for and supplied with a (very modest) Stay Alive.
   They made a lot of fuss about the SA feature but they are of tiny capacitance, useful only for dirty track (for which there are better solutions!).
   The wires on the other hand were useful when I turned my hand to building my own Stay Alive control circuitry to add larger caps. I've several videos showing slow running with these Zen Nano DCC chips + my Stay Alives
    
   
3. Very compact and available plug in or harness

I have several still providing good service but have moved on to ZIMO and their stay alive products which are far better than anything I can knock together, especially as I've moved to much smaller locos. As a result I've no experience of their newer products I'm afraid


This shows an install in a very humble Hornby Railroad Class 2721 loco on my Insulfrog problem curved point. Zen Nano direct with my SA and Cap


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Stay with Zimo would be my advice. The MX600 can be fitted with stay alive by soldering the ground wire to the largest of the pads in a row of five on the back of the decoder. No need to try soldering between two smd's.

Thanks for the replies guys.  :thumbs

What caught my imagination was the fact that they're pre wired for SA plus their apparent tiny size.

I think the fact that you changed, and stuck, says it all Colin.

I'm pleased you both confirmed my feelings that Zimo take some beating.  They really do seem to be excellent decoders although I haven't used any other makes for ages so wondered if they (Zimo) might be resting on their laurels.

My main grouse with Zimo is that they haven't realised, or don't care,  that much of their market is English speaking and their translations from Austrian German often leave much to be desired. One needs a degree in lateral thinking to fully understand their instructions.

I face the same problems with with Lenz so maybe it's an "Austrian" thing…….but it really does annoy me when one considers how many totally fluent foreign language speakers there are today.  Employ one of them for Heaven's sake !!

Pete, you mentioned fitting stay alive to the MX 600 and just the other day, I'd read an article about doing just that so I'll give it a bash - the solder tab looks much larger than that on the MX 617 ……… :hmm

The mistake I made was to speak of a row of four solder pads. I've edited it to now correctly say "the row of five solder pads."

:thumbs

Thanks Pete - I would have checked the article again before attacking the decoder but, if memory serves me right, the pad I need is considerably larger than it's neighbours.

I am, as usual, a bit late I am afraid.
You have made the right decision to stick with Zimo. I find they invariably improve the performance of a loco. There is a noticeable difference between Lenz ,who are not too shabby themselves!

I share your dislike of soldering the ground wire. I get my SAs and Zimo decoders from Youchoos and they solder the ground for me for a nominal charge.

Good luck with your existing decoders- it can be done even by someone as ham fisted as me

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

I am, as usual, a bit late I am afraid.
You have made the right decision to stick with Zimo. I find they invariably improve the performance of a loco. There is a noticeable difference between Lenz ,who are not too shabby themselves!

I share your dislike of soldering the ground wire. I get my SAs and Zimo decoders from Youchoos and they solder the ground for me for a nominal charge.

Good luck with your existing decoders- it can be done even by someone as ham fisted as me

With my H2 class Atlantic "south foreland' I'd fitted a Lenz 21 pin decoder while waiting for the MX645 to be returned from Austria.. still waiting for it to arrive there, but that's another story.  It ran like a three legged goat. Yesterday I found an MX631 and decided to fit it instead. Performance transformed!  I'm not knocking Lenz because others have said how they can adjust them for smooth stops and starts etc, but the zimo ran perfectly out of the box.

Speaking of being late on parade ……………………………………. :oops: :oops: :oops:

I do recall you telling me YouChoos add a ground for you before dispatch John - something I'll ask about next time I order from them.

I very much like Paul Chetter's sound projects so tend to buy my Zimo decoders from Digitrains in Lincoln.  Paul used to install the whole thing for me but I think other demands on his time prevent him doing this for me now.

I did purchase a Zimo chip loaded with an N7 sound project from YouChoos a few months ago.  They pre soldered the speaker and 2 Tantalums to the decoder and loaded the file for me so all I had to do was pop the assembly into the loco bunker.  Obviously I can't compare their project with Pauls but I'm very happy with it. 

There is however, an intermittent problem in that the sound drops out and I have to wait some time with the loco unpowered before it comes back.  I read somewhere that it's either an overheating problem or something "decoder related" which Zimo either have, or are about to resolve.  The point is, it's not a YouChoos related problem but is both annoying and unique to that loco.

Is the decoder still in it's original heat shrink? I don't know the layout of this loco's innards, but if there's not enough air around the decoder..

It certainly sounds like a heat problem, but maybe disconnect the tantalum's temporarily to see if it still happens.

Pete,

In my experience, Youchoos when making mods, typically replace the original thicker ZIMO covering with Kapton tape which is ultra thin. Also, I suspect Peter M meant that the Stay Alive components were wired to the DCC chip rather than "soldered on" to it.

FWIW I've had several tight fittings where DCC Sound and the SA pack were sat one atop the other in a tight space without issues. Then again, it might well depend how much load both physical and audio is being placed on the decoder and hence heat being created. My little chuggers hardly count in that regard  :shock:

Easy enough to test by physically separating the SA and Decoder with no body shell in place. Something I do before committing everything to a final install.

Colin

[user=2170]Colin W[/user] wrote:

Pete,

In my experience, Youchoos when making mods, typically replace the original thicker ZIMO covering with Kapton tape which is ultra thin. Also, I suspect Peter M meant that the Stay Alive components were wired to the DCC chip rather than "soldered on" to it.

FWIW I've had several tight fittings where DCC Sound and the SA pack were sat one atop the other in a tight space without issues. Then again, it might well depend how much load both physical and audio is being placed on the decoder and hence heat being created. My little chuggers hardly count in that regard  :shock:

Easy enough to test by physically separating the SA and Decoder with no body shell in place. Something I do before committing everything to a final install.

Colin

 

Hi Colin,
Yes that's what I said. unsolder one wire and see if that helps. Kapton tape is what I use too and I've not had any overheating problems… I shouldn't have that, it's inviting trouble.  :)  Another thing is if there's pressure on the decoder from it being a tight fit. They really don't like being squashed.

I'll have a dig around for the discussion about the shut down - I think it was on a Zimo forum and seemed quite a complex matter so my other working brain cell closed down…….

Yes Colin - you're  right about the decoder having its factory covering replaced by kaptan tape and also the Tantalums being "wired" to the decoder - it's  the wire that's  soldered ……. :roll:.

My N7 ought not to pull too much current either Colin - it's  hardly been asked to do much although all the sound equipment is a snug fit in the bunker and there's  little, if any, ventilation in there.

Having said that, something somewhere tells me this is a specific problem that has cropped up elsewhere with this decoder (MX 645 I think….) and Zimo know about it ………

Peter Mac,

I'd agree that the known tech issue is most probable cause given your light usage. Eliminate that angle first before more intrusive actions would be my suggestion.

PeterM

Sorry, I was referring to the other Peter's comment about the Tantalums, now clarified.

No problem Colin. Too many Peters. I wonder if my MX645 which is, I think, travelling to Austria by donkey has a manufacturing fault. Fingers crossed.