Kato "DCC Friendly" Database

[EdF]

I don't know, but I'd guess it's the same as similar vintage TGVs. Which seem to be 6 pin ready.

Edited August 7, 2019 by EdF

[Kiha66]

12 hours ago, DavidT said:

Hi all, 

 

I just purchased an N scale Kato 10719-1 AVE Serie 100.  It is second hand off eBay and the seller is unable to advise if it is DCC friendly.   Was just wondering if anyone knows if it’s DCC friendly, and if so, which decoder should I use?  This is a photo of the box it comes in which may give some indication of age.

Thanks

 

I dont have this particular train, but according to this older thread it seems to use a similar chassis to the kato E units.  When it comes you can pop the shell off and we should be able to advise you on the proper decoder for it.  It should be a fairly simple installation. 

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Kiha66

[DavidT]

Great - thanks very much

[chadbag]

On 8/6/2019 at 12:55 AM, DavidT said:

Hi all, 

 

I just purchased an N scale Kato 10719-1 AVE Serie 100.  It is second hand off eBay and the seller is unable to advise if it is DCC friendly.   Was just wondering if anyone knows if it’s DCC friendly, and if so, which decoder should I use?  This is a photo of the box it comes in which may give some indication of age.

Thanks

 

I don't speak Spanish(?) but it does mention DCC right on the box!  (lower left).  I would assume EM13 but we can verify if you take a picture of the bottom of the powered car.  There should be a hatch on it removable.  Find and remove it and take another pic.  Post pics 🙂

 

ETA:  Or as some have said, maybe 6 pin ready.  Did it come with operating instructions?  DCC is mentioned on the box so we just need to figure out what sort of interface

Edited August 8, 2019 by chadbag

[DavidT]

I have been in touch with Digitrax and they advise either an DZ126IN or possibly the DN163K0A will work.  I did not even see that DCC text on the box otherwise I would not have posted the question here  - must be loosing it as I get older!!!

 

 

[chadbag]

21 minutes ago, DavidT said:

I have been in touch with Digitrax and they advise either an DZ126IN or possibly the DN163K0A will work.  I did not even see that DCC text on the box otherwise I would not have posted the question here  - must be loosing it as I get older!!!

 

 

 

We still don't know which DCC interface is intended so popping the shell would be interesting.

[Blackcaim]

Hi guys, my digitrax DN163K4a arrived. So we installed it, and it works. We followed mike fifer’s hobby supply video for the SDP40F train which also uses the DN163K4a as a guide. Below is a picture of the installed decoder. 

[EdF]

Thanks, database updated.

[jozasa]

Kato Odoriko Superview, ref. 10-1576 is NOT DCC-ready. You have to hardwire everything, motor car and end coaches for directional lights.

Done and tested.

 

[JanW]

On 10/5/2018 at 9:05 PM, EdF said:

New DCC Friendly list for Kato.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qRGTOaq-4F89xph3ZxL5iKxM5jptkeoNw77t3X-STY4/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

If you have new data or updates, please reply here and I will incorporate the changes

 

Please keep replies to just updates, if you have installation issues/questions, please start a thread for that model.

 

Thanks, Ed

Ed,

 

I have two updates for you: 

 

I found that a small company in Okayama (website: http://www.snjpn.com/ngdcc/indexj.htm) produces various boards for various engines including (not on your list):

EF56 (Kato 3070-1) with decoder board DE29x2_56K (http://www.snjpn.com/ngdcc/de29/de29x2_56k.htm) 

This board will also fit (it replaces the same lighting board) in my ED75-700 (Kato 3075-3).   This one is not on your list either. 

 

Note that Mr Shuhei Eimatsu also produces a board for the popular Tomix cleaning car. (Tomix 6425) 

Kind regards

Jan

 

[chadbag]

NGDCC is a great company to deal with.  I've ordered a few times from him (I think it is basically one guy).  I've only bought various function decoders but he is very helpful.

 

[samusi01]

Kato 10-1566 E6 Shinkansen Komachi is DCC-friendly, mostly... accepts the FL12 for head and tail cars and the EM13 for the motor car. Eventually I'll get a post up regarding items to be careful about (I destroyed an FL12 during installation). Kato documentation indicates the add-on set, 10-1567, accepts the FR11 decoder. I cannot personally verify the latter; no FR11s on hand.

[JanW]

16 hours ago, samusi01 said:

Kato 10-1566 E6 Shinkansen Komachi is DCC-friendly, mostly... accepts the FL12 for head and tail cars and the EM13 for the motor car. Eventually I'll get a post up regarding items to be careful about (I destroyed an FL12 during installation). Kato documentation indicates the add-on set, 10-1567, accepts the FR11 decoder. I cannot personally verify the latter; no FR11s on hand.

I had something similar with my A700 Shinkansen. I could not get the FL12 installed. I ended up taking the entire car apart and carefully re-assemble the whole thing with the decoder sandwiched between the copper strips and the LED printed circuit. It was the only way to do it. Took a few hours. However for my Keikyu line, it worked like a breeze.  

To summarise, installing decoders in Kato trains is not for the faint hearted.. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by JanW

[chadbag]

Interesting.  The only FL12 problems I have had is either putting it in upside down or when sliding it in, the brass strip slides or bunches.  I've burned one or two out that way but have started to hold stuff in place with my needle nose while sliding it in.  (This is from memory as I have not done one since last year).

[Raymond]

Can Kato 10-1144 be added to the list?

 

Eidan Chikatetsu Series 6000 Chiyoda Subway Line (Add-On 4-Car Set) (Model Train)

 

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10261540/20/1
 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10261540

[EdF]

6 hours ago, Raymond said:

Can Kato 10-1144 be added to the list?

 

Eidan Chikatetsu Series 6000 Chiyoda Subway Line (Add-On 4-Car Set) (Model Train)

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10261540

Do you know if it csn take EM13/FL12s?

[bill937ca]

6 hours ago, Raymond said:

Can Kato 10-1144 be added to the list?

 

 Do you realize there is no motor in that set?

[cteno4]

It’s the 10-1143 main set that has the motor car

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10261539

 

jeff

[chadbag]

According to the link that one (the main one) is normal KATO DCC compatible (EM13, FL12, FR11)

 

[Raymond]

I'm looking at the Kato 10-1522 which is the 4 car basic set including the motorized car. This one actually has the PDF assay list. As this document is in Japanese I was trying to become more familiarized with the icons and terms. Has anyone put together a guide to show what each of these means? It does appear to be DCC Friendly based on the product guide. Which I believe could be updated in the database. But I was also wondering if someone could provide more information on the characters and terms used. I thought it might be useful for future readers getting into cross checking these. 

 

The specific product page states "DCCフレンドリー対応。" next to DCC. Sadly when I use the translate page on the Kato site it does not translate that section. I'm curious if the characters "フレンドリー対応" mean something specific that would be on multiple products. When using Google translate it shows as "friendly correspondence", which i'm assuming means DCC friendly. If that answers that then the other text i'm most interested in is shown in the uploaded image. The characters that fall in-between DCC and PAT. It is much shorter than the line that translated to DCC Correspondence. 

 

Thanks in advance

 

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/kato-model/schedule/pdf/201911291703525de0d0e83e52d/353kei.pdf

 

https://www.katomodels.com/product/n/e353

[chadbag]

Hobby Search does not list the decoders as optional parts (FL12 / EM13).   Their translation also says "DCC Friendly Corrrespondence".   They must use the same machine translation.

 

The footnote 2 is just a definition of DCC.

 

It appears that it is DCC compatible as this section from the info/instruction sheet you linked here describes all the decoders you need (thanks to the handy camera translator from Google)

 

[Madsing]

Confirmed. I have the Kato 10-1522 set (Series E353 Azusa Kaiji). Installed 1x EM13 for the motor, 4x FR11 + 11-212 for the interior lights, and 2x FL12 for the head and tail lights. No problem.

[Takahama Trainwatcher]

Thanks for maintaining the database. I can confirm (having installed and run) that the following do take EM13 and FL12 decoders:

10-1294 Tokyu 5050-4000 Series - Shibuya Hikarie

10-1401 Seibu 40000 Series

10-877 Tokyo Metro Series 16000

10-283 E531 Series (Joban Line)

10-570 E531 Series (Joban Line)

[jozasa]

Kato E-261 Saphir Odoriko, refs. 10-1661/10-1644 is NOT DCC-ready. You have to hardwire everything, motor car and end coaches for directional lights.

Done and tested with an ESU Loksound for the motor car and two Lenz Silvermini+ in bipolar configuration for the end coaches.

It is a bit tricky in the motor car since the copper strips have an exact factory position and if you don't keep it, they will touch the metal frame and cause a short-circuit.

Necessary to drill small holes in the metal frame and/or plastic base in order to pass wires to the decoder

 

A really beautiful train!

 

Edited April 23, 2021 by jozasa

[EdF]

This make me sad.