Athearn Genesis SD70M

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

A6X



This installation is for HO-Scale Athearn Genesis SD-70M uses TCS A6X Digital Decoder and was performed by A.G.

Shown with the shell on, prior to decoder installation.
Shown with the shell on, prior to decoder installation.
Front of the locomotive.
Front of the locomotive.
Back of the locomotive.
Back of the locomotive.
Unscrew the back screw that holds the coupler pockets to the chassis.
Unscrew the back screw that holds the coupler pockets to the chassis.
Unscrew the front screw that holds the coupler pockets to the chassis and remove both coupler pockets.
Unscrew the front screw that holds the coupler pockets to the chassis and remove both coupler pockets.
Grasping the shell by the solid area between the grills, lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis. Be careful not to break the wires for the lights.
Grasping the shell by the solid area between the grills, lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis. Be careful not to break the wires for the lights.
Here is a picture of the original light board.
Here is a picture of the original light board.
Desolder all wires that come to the original light board, remove the original light board.
Desolder all wires that come to the original light board, remove the original light board.
Using the manual that came with A6X decoder solder wires to the decoder's pads.
Using the manual that came with A6X decoder solder wires to the decoder's pads.
Hold the shell in one hand and the chassis in your other hand. Lining up the front of both pieces, lower the shell onto the chassis, keeping the lower edge of the shell parallel with the chassis. Do not forget to attach both couplers. For the ditch lights we used Green and Violet function. Following values were programmed into the A6X decoder: CV51=42 CV52=43 CV36=4 CV63=12 CV117=5 • To have ditch lights operate in forward direction only, select CV 51 and enter 10 and select CV52 and enter 11. • To get both the ditch lights to turn on with button 1, select CV 36 and enter 4. CV35 should already be a value of 4. To get both the ditch lights to turn on with button 3, enter 16 in both CV35 and CV36. • The ditch lights will flash when you push button 2 or 5. • The ditch light blink holdover time is preset for 1 seconds. Select CV 63 and increase or decrease the time. A value of 12 equals 1 second. • The buttons that control the ditch lights ( CV35 and CV36) can be remapped to any button using our Function Remapping table.
Hold the shell in one hand and the chassis in your other hand. Lining up the front of both pieces, lower the shell onto the chassis, keeping the lower edge of the shell parallel with the chassis. Do not forget to attach both couplers. For the ditch lights we used Green and Violet function. Following values were programmed into the A6X decoder: CV51=42 CV52=43 CV36=4 CV63=12 CV117=5 • To have ditch lights operate in forward direction only, select CV 51 and enter 10 and select CV52 and enter 11. • To get both the ditch lights to turn on with button 1, select CV 36 and enter 4. CV35 should already be a value of 4. To get both the ditch lights to turn on with button 3, enter 16 in both CV35 and CV36. • The ditch lights will flash when you push button 2 or 5. • The ditch light blink holdover time is preset for 1 seconds. Select CV 63 and increase or decrease the time. A value of 12 equals 1 second. • The buttons that control the ditch lights ( CV35 and CV36) can be remapped to any button using our Function Remapping table.

Important Soldering Tip

Please do not use any flux either liquid or paste on the mother board. Over time, the acidic properties of liquid or paste flux will begin eating away at the fiberglass PCB and will damage it. Use only Rosin-core solder or no-clean flux approved for electronics use.

TCS recommends the use of Kester "44" Sn63 Pb37, .015" diameter Rosin-core solder. Kester part number 24-6337-0007.

You can order this solder from the following retailers:
Digikey - PN:KE1110-ND
Techni-Tool - PN:488SO6775

Other solder tips

When stripping wire, only strip a tiny little bit of the insulation. Strip no more than a 1/32 of an inch. When the wire gets tinned with solder, the insulation will shrink back more. Try to not expose any more wire than half the length of the solder pad at most. In no case should solder or exposed wire wire ever be outside the boundary of the the solder pad you are attaching a wire to.
Click here for important information on properly Stripping and Tinning wire