Decoder recommendation

[Rong61]

DCC decoder recommendation please for a Hornby R2021 Hunt Class 4-4-0 (tender drive - ringfield). Hornby standard? Hornby Sapphire? Lens? other? Although old in years, the loco runs beautifully in DC, having apparently only having been on display since original purchase. Thanks

[RFS]

Given it has a ring-field motor, I would not recommend the Hornby R8249 as it's only 500ma and emits blue smoke when you exceed that. My preference would be the Lenz Standard+ which has 1A output and also has short-circuit and overload protection. You will no doubt need to hard-wire the decoder so the first task would be to check how much space there is in the tender for a decoder. The Lenz is fairly large but one-sided. A Zimo MX600R would be another good choice. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by RFS

[WIMorrison]

Go with Zimo, I am gradually getting rid of the Lenz chips I have in favour of Zimo and I see much better running  after changing 

[Rong61]

Thank you for your recommendations, looks like the Zimo has it.

[JST]

I am also a great supporter of Zimo decoders. However, I have also converted a number of older locos to DCC and have encountered the "blue smoke" syndrome. I would recommend you nail down what amperage the loco is pulling and fit a decoder which will handle it. Despite careful fettling of one or two older locos they still insisted on pulling 1.5 amps on a stall test so I fitted Digitrax decoders which are rated at 1.8 amps and all has been fine since.

[Geep7]

My usual go to manufacturer of chips is NCE. Most of their standard decoders are rated at 1.5 amps (2 amp stall), so are usually fairly robust. The D15SR / D15SRP is available with or without an 8 pin plug (the SRP being with plug, the other just the wires.)

 

It would be nice if NCE were to introduce a 21-pin decoder, but I guess it's not used much by the US manufacturers.

[RAF96]

On 26/09/2019 at 18:39, WIMorrison said:

...gradually getting rid of the Lenz chips...

 

Is the world famous gold standard in bombproof reliable decoders tarnishing then.?

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On ‎26‎/‎09‎/‎2019 at 18:39, WIMorrison said:

..., I am gradually getting rid of the Lenz chips I have in favour of Zimo and I see much better running  after changing 

 

19 minutes ago, RAF96 said:

Is the world famous gold standard in bombproof reliable decoders tarnishing then.?

Not with me. On modern mechanisms of good intrinsic mechanical performance Lenz does the job beautifully as the 'least money for high grade performance' decoder.

 

Bottom line, Lenz still marginally cheapest even though Zimo now have the economy '600 series' of products, (and I will take any saving going for what I regard as a utility). Where Zimo now score is offering the convenience of much more than just the 8 pin option from Lenz. Seeing how neat the Next18 socket was in the Bachmann V3 I splashed the extra £2 for  the convenience of the Zimo 618. A little decadence out of curiosity as much as anything else regarding this connector's mechanical integrity.  Will Lenz respond?

 

I have long used Zimo as the 'beast tamer' for cudgelling coarser mechs into line, thus the 'agree' against RFS suggestion for a Zimo to make Hornby's Ringpiece motor perform as well as possible; as this awful old thing needs every bit of electronic help it can get, and Zimo are the class act in the 'adjustments available' department.