Life Like Proto 2000 GP7

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

LL8



This installation of TCS LL8 Decoder is for HO Scale Life Like Proto 2000 GP7 and was performed by A.G.

The three upper pictures show the beautiful LifeLike Proto 2000 GP7 with its shell on prior to the TCS LL8 Decoder Installation.
The three upper pictures show the beautiful LifeLike Proto 2000 GP7 with its shell on prior to the TCS LL8 Decoder Installation.
Grasping the shell by the solid area between the grills, lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis.
Grasping the shell by the solid area between the grills, lift the shell straight up and off of the chassis.
This picture illustrates the original light board with the DCC-ready plug.
This picture illustrates the original light board with the DCC-ready plug.
Lift the DCC plug up to unplug it.
Lift the DCC plug up to unplug it.
Close-up of the original light board after the DCC plug removal.
Close-up of the original light board after the DCC plug removal.
Unscrew the two screws to remove the original light board.
Unscrew the two screws to remove the original light board.
Place our LL8 decoder on the locomotive chassis, reinstall two phillips screws and plug the DCC plug back (as shown in the picture above). For more information on the pin designation please see the manual that came with the LL8 decoder. Make sure Pin#1 of the decoder is lined up with Pin#1 of the DCC Plug. 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.
Place our LL8 decoder on the locomotive chassis, reinstall two phillips screws and plug the DCC plug back (as shown in the picture above). For more information on the pin designation please see the manual that came with the LL8 decoder. Make sure Pin#1 of the decoder is lined up with Pin#1 of the DCC Plug. 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