While installing sound module on a Bachmann DCC Easy system board and "fried " both -- believed pressed board on to motor and caused short.. Am redoing using NEC/soundraxx components on a new plastic board. As I did this, noticed two resistors from the motor to the old board which after tracing the board circuit have concluded they were used to drop voltage to the led head light. But also encountered three brown "pea" shaped components (condensors?)connecting the motot poles. I had to to cut them out get a viable circuit that would not short. Am comfortable new approach will work but my question: What was their function? FCC reqirement or something peculiar to bachman's Easy system. Bachman tecnical support was at a loss -- "the electronics are done aboad." Any insights? Do I have to be careful using good DCC Easy boards(other than the obvious -- don't push the Board onto a Conductor) with a sondtraxx sound only module? Thanks.
Those components you call "pea shaped" are capacitors that are on the board so it will comply with European electronic emissions standards. Nearly all decoder manufacturers and professional installers recommend that they be cut off because they can cause erratic operation.
You did the right thing cutting those capacitors off. I didn't do that on one loco and they gave me no end of grief with DCC operation. On DC it ran fine, on DCC it would run for a while, jerk, run for a while, jerk, etc. After I cut them off it ran just fine.
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