Hi folks, I have an older gp38 I want to put battery + rx inside. Can I use the airwire drop-in for my older gp38-2 with incandescent lights (not sure if they’ve upgraded to LEDs now?).
Also, I plan to run a gp-9 (powered slug) from this unit off the same 14.4v battery and Rx. Because of the added current draw, would I be better off with the standard G3 Rx instead?
http://www.cvpusa.com/airwire_dropins.php has an errata posting explaining how to do it on their website.
Thanks Donald,
The 120VA answers the power question…no problem!
I ended up ordering the decoder, despite not being entirely sure if the “guts” of my 1st generation USAT GP38-2 are the same as today’s.
USA Trains used a very dim led. Can not see the lights outdoors and are dim indoors.
I change out all the USA leds when I upgrade these engines to much brighter ones.
Hi folks,
I got my decoder in from Reindeer Pass last evening. (Super-fast shipping!).
The decoder was very simple to install mechanically. Unfortunately, the old version of the GP38-2 had completely different connectors for the lighting and smoke. Thankfully, I do not use the smoke feature,but I will have to figure out something for the lighting. My locomotive does not have LED lighting, but rather, small incandescent lamps, as seen in the older gp9s.
On the bright side, the decoder is easy to mount, and already easily connects to the trucks. I especially like the built in power switch and charging jack. Despite the problems with the lighting, the new features seem to make up for the minor issues.
So the moral of the story is…just buy a new locomotive for a new installation!
Airwire has a fix for the incandescent lights, see their website.
Thanks Steve!
Hope my lhs has those new style connectors.
I have drop-in’s in my two GP-7 and Gp 30. Very easy to install. I cut the body right behind the cab so I can remove the back to charge the battery. Didn’t like the charging jack under the engine.
Don