Kato EMD SD90/43MAC

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:


This installation of TCS DP2X or TCS DP5 Decoder is for HO Scale Kato EMD SD90/43MAC and was performed by A.G.

The engine showed up at TCS as a courtesy of Robert Jensen.

Pictures of Kato EMD SD90/43MAC with its shell on prior to the TCS DP2X and TCS DP5 Decoder.
Pictures of Kato EMD SD90/43MAC with its shell on prior to the TCS DP2X and TCS DP5 Decoder.
Grasping the shell at the center top of both sides (being careful not to crush the grills), lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis. Picture of the locomotive with its shell removed.
Grasping the shell at the center top of both sides (being careful not to crush the grills), lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis. Picture of the locomotive with its shell removed.
Close-up of the original light board with 8Pin NMRA socket.
Close-up of the original light board with 8Pin NMRA socket.
Make sure you put some isolation (electrical or Kapton tape) on the top of the metal screw to prevent it from shortening to the decoder. Plug the TCS DP2X into the socket so that the pin#1 of the decoder (check the decoder manual for pin designations) goes into pin#1 of the socket.
Make sure you put some isolation (electrical or Kapton tape) on the top of the metal screw to prevent it from shortening to the decoder. Plug the TCS DP2X into the socket so that the pin#1 of the decoder (check the decoder manual for pin designations) goes into pin#1 of the socket.
As an alternative, we recommend using our TCS DP5 - 5 function drop-in decoder that will fit this engine perfectly and will give you option of extra light functions! 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.
As an alternative, we recommend using our TCS DP5 - 5 function drop-in decoder that will fit this engine perfectly and will give you option of extra light functions! 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.

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