In one of my posting about decoder woes, some one said there was a company that offered a no fault warranty. I think the company was called TSI, does that sound right?
Let me know who the manufacture is, links where to buy them and if you have there stock, sell it now!
BBQ Ken, smoke them if you got them.
I hate Rust
Hi Ken,
That's TCS.
It was a TCS rep at a train show that first introduced me to DCC with a live, hands on demo. As I enjoyed running locomotives independently, I became careless and crashed an HO Broadway Lmited GG1 into an Athearn SD40-2 on the same track! That was as prototypically realistic as it could get! It was time to call the NTSB on me.
Here's the warranty info:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/warranty.html
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
TCS,I believe.
Ken:
Let me just add to the others that TCS really means what they say. I had to return a faulty decoder to them and they replaced it with no questions asked and the replacement arrived in about a week.
Joe
Train Control Systems.
They are good decoders as well Ken, I have several of them in different locos. K-10 has a few in stock, though they looked a bit old to me.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Ken
TCS new decoders have Back EMF motor control. Great decoders and excelent lighting FX. They have been known to take a beating and keep on going.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Lenz offers a similar warranty for the first year. (It used to be for ten years)
http://www.lenz.com/support/index.htm
NCE has a deal where they will send you a new decoder for any manufacturer's damaged decoder for $10.
Martin Myers
mfm37NCE has a deal where they will send you a new decoder for any manufacturer's damaged decoder for $10.
Martin, now you tell me! I have been throwing them away! Do you have a link for NCE? I still have 5 BBQ ones. 5 decoders for $50.00, that I can afford.
To be fair to the decoder manufactures I bought a new DCC system today.
Simon, I was sure I saw some at K-10, but on the phone he told me he did not have any. I had to pick up a Digtrax DZ126PS for the new RSD-15.
Cuda Ken
cudaken Martin, now you tell me! I have been throwing them away! Do you have a link for NCE? I still have 5 BBQ ones. 5 decoders for $50.00, that I can afford.
http://www.ncedcc.com/
Martin, sorry I missed the link, use to looking for them in Bold Type.
Thanks for all the help folks, if it was not for this site I may have gave up by now.
A small word of caution about buying TCS decoders from a hobby shop ....
If they are the decoders with BEMF, you are good - but if they are the "pre-BEMF" version, there were a few batches that had inherent problems with them and will ultimately need to be replaced. I purchased (gambled) on five A4X decoders at a train show recently, and sure enough, within a week all five developed an internal short and had to be returned.
Best bet is to order them directly from TCS themself, at least you'll know you are getting the most recent version.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Or a reputable dealer. I picked up 2 from John's Hobbies at the Jan. Timonium show, and also just got two from MB Klein (Modeltrainstuff) and all are the new BEMF ones. Another DCC dealer at Timonium, First State, also had the BEMF TC decoders, none of the old stock. I doubt Tony's or Litchfield has the old ones anymore, either.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
More than likely I will buy them from TCS, I did see the recall on the older ones.
You can get TCS decoders much cheaper from Litchfield Station or Ulrich Hobbies. I order the TCS T-1 and M-1 decoders in lots of 10 at a time from these sources. TCS' prices seem to be above MSRP if you order from them.
http://www.mr-dcc.com
http://www.ulrichmodels.biz
Check these prices against what TCS charges if you order directly from them and you'll see that you can get 3 for the price of 2.
Mail order also gets you fresh decoders and not something that has been gathering dust on a hobby shop shelf for several years.
I like the TCS decoders! East to install and so far bullet proof!
If I can get them from Ulrich Hobbies, I will do that! Steve is a great guy to deal with. He sold me a Blue Line GE AC 6000 that had problems. Sent it back, he took a look at it and sent me a new one.
The EASIEST way to avoid decoder problems is to run DC, or if you really want to have easy wiring and FUN with your trains go 3 Rail ac O-Gauge
They're not your Grandpa's Lionels anymore
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Best way to avoid problems is wood trains you push.
And while we are showing off are hardware.
PCM Big Boy and PCM Y-6b.
Showing off again, Cuda Ken
cudaken Best way to avoid problems is wood trains you push. And while we are showing off are hardware. PCM Big Boy and PCM Y-6b. Showing off again, Cuda Ken
Ken,
I'm just making a point, we can't have a simple CLEARLY posted DC DISCUSSION, without having the DCC crowd come in and tell us how much better life would be with DCC. The question was clearly posted as a DC question, but we still end up with half of the posters spouting the virtues of DCC, the question was NOT ABOUT DCC, very CLEARLY worded specifically about DC, NOT DCC. You don't (NORMALLY) see DC operators coming here telling you, that you wouldn't have decoder troubles if you ran DC.
Doug
TCS...love 'em. My fleet is almost exclusively equipped with TCS decoders, the rare exceptions have Atlas factory installed decoders. I usually buy mine in multiple from Tony's Train Exchange... http://www.tonystrains.com/
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
I believe Litchfield Station also offers a "goof proof warrantee" if you "fry" a decoder installing it wrong.
{I could be wrong}
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
galaxyI believe Litchfield Station also offers a "goof proof warrantee" if you "fry" a decoder installing it wrong. {I could be wrong}
Bruce offers no more warranty than that offered by the manufacturer, because if something is defective and he takes it back, he has to turn around and file a claim with the manufacturer under the terms of their warranty. In a couple of instances he has told me to go directly to the manufacturer instead of through him because the manufacturer would not deal with him on warranty issues.