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What the!?

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Villa Park
  • 185 posts
What the!?
Posted by CMucha on Friday, May 23, 2008 7:38 PM

I woke up a few days ago and wanted to test my trains out on the new curve i laid down and my 2 year old digitrax Zepher was blown! I called digitrax and they said thell fix it for about $50. Anyone else have similar problems? Im not to happy at all.

 

Colin

Metra is the Real Way to fly!
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Friday, May 23, 2008 7:45 PM

How do you know the Zephyr is bad?  Maybe you have a short in your new track and the internal circuit breaker is turning it off to protect the electronics.  Connect the Zephyr to a piece of flex track that is not connected to anything else and see what happens.

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Friday, May 23, 2008 8:57 PM
Had any lightning storms close by lately? I had a lightning strike hit a tree near my trailer one time. The bolt jumped from the tree to the trailer and was mostly bled off to ground. It made itself remembered by blowing the you know what out of the wall wart for my Bachmann EZ system. Fortunately, I keep a few spares around along with a couple of spare controllers. The wall wart is now plugged into a large surge protector along with everything else. The outside service has a whole house surge protector on it but that handles surges that come through the line, not the frame of the home.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
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  • From: Villa Park
  • 185 posts
Posted by CMucha on Saturday, May 24, 2008 7:43 AM
 cacole wrote:

How do you know the Zephyr is bad?  Maybe you have a short in your new track and the internal circuit breaker is turning it off to protect the electronics.  Connect the Zephyr to a piece of flex track that is not connected to anything else and see what happens.

 

It wasnt plugged in to anything at all. It was just sitting on my train-table. The problem is the  screen isnt showing up

 

Colin

Metra is the Real Way to fly!
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vail, AZ
  • 1,943 posts
Posted by Vail and Southwestern RR on Saturday, May 24, 2008 6:18 PM

I hate to try the obvious, but does it have power?  For sure?

Jeff But it's a dry heat!

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Villa Park
  • 185 posts
Posted by CMucha on Sunday, May 25, 2008 6:13 PM
Yup, i know its shot know because it has that " fried electronics smell " if ya know what im talking about
Metra is the Real Way to fly!
  • Member since
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  • From: Northeast OH
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Posted by jktrains on Monday, May 26, 2008 6:11 AM
 Metra Kid 2 wrote:
 cacole wrote:

How do you know the Zephyr is bad?  Maybe you have a short in your new track and the internal circuit breaker is turning it off to protect the electronics.  Connect the Zephyr to a piece of flex track that is not connected to anything else and see what happens.

 

It wasnt plugged in to anything at all. It was just sitting on my train-table. The problem is the  screen isnt showing up

 

Colin

Is anyone else confused?  How does an electrical device become damaged by an electrical spike or anything else for that matter when "it wasn't plugged into anything at all" and now smells of fried electronics?  Did an electrical surge jump out of the closest outlet and into the Zephyr?  Such things don't just magically happen.

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Monday, May 26, 2008 6:25 AM
I think he's confusing the smell of fried electronics with the smell that seems to come from many plastic items.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Austin, Texas
  • 875 posts
Posted by jasperofzeal on Monday, May 26, 2008 7:22 AM

 Metra Kid 2 wrote:
Yup, i know its shot know because it has that " fried electronics smell " if ya know what im talking about

Anyone in your vicinity that may have used your equipment without your knowing or consent?  Small child, thouchy-feely adult, monkey (j/k).  Maybe someone not familiar with your stuff used it and messed it up.

TONY

"If we never take the time, how can we ever have the time." - Merovingian (Matrix Reloaded)

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • From: Hot'lanta, Gawga
  • 1,279 posts
Posted by Rotorranch on Monday, May 26, 2008 2:51 PM
 jktrains wrote:
 Metra Kid 2 wrote:
 cacole wrote:

How do you know the Zephyr is bad?  Maybe you have a short in your new track and the internal circuit breaker is turning it off to protect the electronics.  Connect the Zephyr to a piece of flex track that is not connected to anything else and see what happens.

 

It wasnt plugged in to anything at all. It was just sitting on my train-table. The problem is the  screen isnt showing up

 

Colin

Is anyone else confused?  How does an electrical device become damaged by an electrical spike or anything else for that matter when "it wasn't plugged into anything at all" and now smells of fried electronics?  Did an electrical surge jump out of the closest outlet and into the Zephyr?  Such things don't just magically happen.

I don't see how that can happen.

Is it plugged in? Good battery (if it uses one)?

Rotor

 

 Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...

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  • From: Charlotte, NC
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Posted by Phoebe Vet on Monday, May 26, 2008 3:32 PM

Be sure that fried electronics smell is not coming from the power supply.

Be sure that the surge protector is not tripped.

Be sure the fried electronics smell is not coming from your engine.

Be sure that you attached the correct power supply.

Disconnect everything, grab your volt meter, start at the outlet and work your way forward.

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Ontario, Canada
  • 180 posts
Posted by Ballantrae Road on Saturday, May 31, 2008 9:43 AM

You're not alone. About a year ago it happened to me. Plugged in the power supply into the Zephyr and it started smoking. Sent it back to Digitrax and they fixed it, but mine was under warranty. Yours must have shorted out the instant you turned it on or just before you shut it off the last time.

 

Tom

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