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OPERATION – DC (SILENT)
If your F7B/F9B locomotive is not equipped with a sound decoder, it should function
like most other HO scale locomotives. The gear ratio is 14:1 so it should MU (multiple
unit) with your existing fleet. Put it on the track. Give it some juice. Watch it go.
Wheeeee!
In DC, none of the lighting features work. That's right, none of them. If you want
to have the front and rear switching lights work, then you might want to consider
upgrading to DCC. We know, we know, you are tired of people telling you to
upgrade to DCC, to buy a solar-powered calculator, or to upgrade to a colour
television set.
But if you want to make all those cool locomotive features work (yes, all two lighting
features), you will need a DCC system. (And by the way, radios come in FM as well
as AM now, and they work UNDER BRIDGES!!!!! Isn't technology wonderful?)
INSTALLING A SILENT DCC DECODER
The F7B/F9B contains an ESU-designed motherboard which is connected to the
track, motor, and lighting outputs. It is located in the roof. A blind plug is attached
to the motherboard using a 21-pin connector. To install a decoder, you will need to
open your F7B/F9B, remove the blind plug and install a 21-pin decoder. You must
use a 21-pin decoder rather than an 8-pin or 9-pin decoder. This is clearly written in
Rapido's laws and statutes, section 43, subsection 122, paragraph 2175b.
We recommend the following 21-pin decoder:
• ESU #59619 - LokPilot V5 DCC with 21MTC
The necessary resistors are included on our motherboard, so you don't have to futz
around with resistors. Just plug in the recommended decoder and you have DCC.
ESU has made an F7B/F9B function mapping which can be downloaded into their
non-sound decoder so that the function buttons and motor control are the same as
our factory-released sound versions. This is available for download on the F7B/F9B
page in the Support section of our web site. You will need an ESU LokProgrammer to
write the function mapping to the silent decoder. If you don't have a LokProgrammer,
you can adjust CVs in the usual way.
You know, if you want silent DCC it's a heck of a lot easier to just order the sound
model and turn off the sounds. If you're known for mashing buttons on your controller
errantly and want to avoid sound altogether, open your F7B/F9B and either remove
the speaker or simply snip the wires to it. There, done! At any rate, after you've
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