Athearn Genesis F3A

Scale:
HO Scale


This installation uses the following decoder:

A6X



This installation documentation is for the HO Scale Athearn Genesis F3A/B. This installation uses the TCS A4X Decoder and was performed by Benton Barlett.

NOTE: The image shown below features an outdated picture of the product.

This is a photo of the installation of an A1X (now the A6X) decoder in an Athearn Genesis F3A. The installation is very simple. The decoder installation in a B-unit is the same except no lighting to deal with. Athearn wire clips do not fit your board ( or probably anyone else's). Therefore I wound up soldering the leads to the decoder board. The A6X decoder includes an onboard 1.5V power supply, so inclusion of resistors is not necessary.

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