LifeLike Proto 1000 F3A DCC Ready

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

LL8



This installation of TCS LL8 Decoder is for HO Scale LifeLike Proto 1000 F3A DCC Ready and was performed by A.G.

The locomotive is shown here as a courtesy of Larry Kolbe.

The two upper pictures show the beautiful LifeLike Proto 1000 F3A DCC Ready with its shell on prior to TCS LL8 decoder installation.
The two upper pictures show the beautiful LifeLike Proto 1000 F3A DCC Ready with its shell on prior to TCS LL8 decoder installation.
Using phillips screw driver, remove the front coupler. Gently unsnap tabs from circles above fuel tank on both locomotive sides. Grasping the shell at the center top of both sides (being careful not to crush the grilles), lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis.
Using phillips screw driver, remove the front coupler. Gently unsnap tabs from circles above fuel tank on both locomotive sides. Grasping the shell at the center top of both sides (being careful not to crush the grilles), lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis.
Picture of the locomotive with its shell taken off and original light board.
Picture of the locomotive with its shell taken off and original light board.
Remove the original light board by unscrewing two phillips screws.
Remove the original light board by unscrewing two phillips screws.
Unplug the small PC board and remove the large light board as shown in the picture above.
Unplug the small PC board and remove the large light board as shown in the picture above.
Use a piece of double sided tape that will fix the decoder to the motor.
Use a piece of double sided tape that will fix the decoder to the motor.
Place our LL8 decoder on the motor as shown in the picture above.
Place our LL8 decoder on the motor as shown in the picture above.
Plug the PC Board so that the Pin#1 of the decoder is lined up with Pin#1 of the PC board.
Plug the PC Board so that the Pin#1 of the decoder is lined up with Pin#1 of the PC board.
Here is a picture of completed TCS LL8 decoder installation.
Here is a picture of completed TCS LL8 decoder installation.

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