Does this fit the "learn the hard way" group? To refine the running gear on my 0-4-0, I turned it upside down and connected my DC powerpack to the motor leads to run it. I did not disconnect the decoder leads. Would this fry the decoder?
If the decoder was installed properly, and of a recent design, then it should be just fine. Whether the motor would turn would depend on the setting of CV29, but it wouldn't fry the decoder.
EDIT: Oops! I missed the part where you said you connected it to the motor leads. I was thinking that you had put DC power to the rail inputs, not the motor outputs.
You fried it, unfortunately.
Robert Beaty
The Laughing Hippie
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You say you did not connect the decoder leads. Do you mean the decoder is disconnected from the motor? If so you shouldn't have any problems because there are no leads from the decoder connecting to the DC current.
On the other hand, if you connected the DC current to the leads that go to the motor which are also the leads that come from the Decoder then you may have damaged the decoder.
Bill
Bill, I did connect the DC leads directly to the rear of the motor, the same tabs that the decoder leads are soldered to. Thus your second paragraph is exactly what I did. Is there any alternative other than getting a new decoder?
Art,
If it is a TCS decoder they will replace it free. If not you're out of luck.
The one thing with these decoders, they work fine until they are wired wrong. Basically when you hooked the DC power pack to the motor leads it was as if you wired the decoder backwards.
From what I read the only company that has a no fault guarantee is TCS. The next decoders I buy will be TCS for that reason. I've only had one go bad (Digitrax). It blew up when the loco derailed. The next thing I saw was smoke coming out the tender.
Sorry for your loss and good luck on the next one.
Simple Question:
Well does it work when you put it back on the DCC program track? Does the DCC command station see it? Have you tried the reset commands and see if it worked? Does it run after you tried resetting it?
Simple answer:
If not, then you fried it.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
There are times when I feel so smart in this hobby. And then there are times like these. It acts fried. What I did should have fried it. I should have known it would fry it. But I had to try it to be sure, I guess. Off the the LHS to get a new one. This time I will get the mechanism right before I connect it.Thanks for being kind to me.
ARTHILL There are times when I feel so smart in this hobby. And then there are times like these. It acts fried. What I did should have fried it. I should have known it would fry it. But I had to try it to be sure, I guess. Off the the LHS to get a new one. This time I will get the mechanism right before I connect it.Thanks for being kind to me.
Yes, that would have fried it. You are inserting DC voltage into an output, not an input. Make sure you disconnect at least one of the motor feed outputs before doing this in the future. You'll have a similar experience if one of the decoder output leads touches one of the input leads. I wonder how I know this ?
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
What you did will fry the decoder every time, I don't care how good it is. Garbage that decoder and install a new one.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
This is pretty much what happens when you have a motor that isn't properly isolated - power gets in the output side. Sorry to say, it's dead, Jim.
If you haven't set CV29 to disable DC operation, you CAN apply DC power to the decoder INPUT and spin the motor just fine.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.