As I sit here in the quiet solitude of my test and programming track, eager to install the 20 decoders the mailman just delivered. The wife is off with the baby and the house is peacful and tranquil for the foirst time in months. I open up the package, the shell is off the locomotive and the Kapton tape is being wound off...... What do I see...... There is a decoder board that is missing the chip on the end. It is a Digitrax DN163K1C with a missing processer chip. This is just not my week for decoders. This will go into the return bin and next week it will be sent back to Digitrax along with a few others that do not seem to be up to snuff. Perhaps I should be playing golf today instead...... Whine off!
Fortunately, all the other 19 decoders went in without another incident. Now I jsut have to program them..... Also, the golf went much better, though I only played 9 holes due to inclement weather. Just 1 over par for the first nine.
With only a 5% decoder failure rate and shooting a 1 over I think you lead a blessed life my friend!! I may be calling you for advice regarding both hobbies. :-} Brian
I'll second the Bad week for decoders! Installed one DN163AO...... DOA! Installed another that I had bought at the same time,Same thing! Got one out from a different run and it works perfectly. Two down one more to test...... I'm not hopeful. So, I'll be stuck with at least 2 dead decoders out of three.:tb-hissyfit:
Well I spoke too soon, A couple more had some bad behaviour. I have three decoders that will only go in reverse. Will not go in the forward direction at all after addressing them to a 4 digit address. I feel my headache coming back again.... So total bad decoders on the day - 4 Total bad decoders for the week - 11 I think I will just play golf in the rain tomorrow.
Two bad DN163K1B's right off the bat this morning. They didn't even light up the decoder tester. Thats like hitting a dozen ProV-s right into the lake! Mark
Of course, those of us still in the Dark Ages with DC power don't have problems with decoders . . . Regards, Pete Davies
I'll deal with decoder headaches anytime over the wiring and operational headaches of DC on complicated trackwork and animation.
I recently bought 5 of those and installed 1 so far. Need to install the other 4 to make sure they work.
I think the magic smoke left the factory decoder in my Bachmann 70-tonner (N scale) last night. I was running it and suddenly the lights got a bit brighter and it jumped around for a second and then it ceased all cooperation. I am trying to decide whether to send it in for warranty repair (I have had it two weeks by now) or just put in a different decoder.
Decoders If the motor current at 12 volts DC is under the max rating of the decoder, say 0.75 amps for a 1 amp decoder, I check with driver slipping, the motor contacts isolated, only a orange wire and gray wire on them, wired according to NMRA specs, resistance check for shorts, all solder connections covered, no loose wires, no pinched wires with shell in place, tried out first on the program track with DCC controller, which can protect miswired decoder, there should not be an issue unless you have a defective decoder. Do not try first with a DC power pack. Rich
Defective decoder Did you do a DCC reset or did you smell/see smoke? If you did, I woulld send back to Bachmann. I have done that. Rich
Well it continues, a couple of other decoders that will only work going in one direction and 3 more DOA. I contacted the manufacturers and all of them will be replaced when I send them back, and I will be refunded my postage. So I will wait and see how the replacements fair.......
Rich, I did not see or smell smoke. I have been searching for Bachmann decoder reset procedures. Bachmann didn't think to include them in with the loco. For Digitrax it's often CV 8 to 8. Adam
