Do your DCC Locos feel warm after use?

[gdelmoro]

I was using a BLI SW1500 switching cars in a yard and it stopped at a dirty piece of track. When I picked it up it felt warm on top of the cowling. Is that normal? Never noticed it before.

[rrinker]

 Warm, ok. Hot, not ok.

          --Randy

[ATSFGuy]

Don't sound equipped locomotives get hot after awhile?

[BigDaddy]

I thought the Tsunami's were known for running hot.  Never had one so that may be an Internet myth.

[MisterBeasley]

Tsunami decoders do run very warm.  Other than sound decoders, though, engines should not heat up much.  If you have incandescent headlights, not LEDs, they may cause a warm spot, too.

[gdelmoro]

Its a BLI SW1500 DCC & Sound. Hard to tell if it qualifies as warm, very warm or hot.  It is not so hot that you don't want to touch it.  If you keep your finger on top it feels warm, enough that I thought I would ask. I was switching, with bell on and horn at appropriate times and using the FWD - REV option on my NCE controller for about 1/2 hour.

I'll try a couple other locos this weekend and see what happens.

[selector]

This experience would be somewhat dependent on where the decoder is situated inside the shell/frame.  Your fingers may not always sense otherwise warm decoders simply because the warm decoders are not warming their surroundings sufficiently to warrant your interest, or the warm decoders are out of the way of your finger tips.

[rrinker]

 My consists of 2 GP7s and a Trainmaster (any ONE of which could pull the train), after running continuously around the club layout for a half hour or so get warm - and only the Trainmaster has sound. Not warm enough to melt anything, but definitely warmes than the ambient air enough to notice if touched near the motor or around any metal part of the chassis that touches the motor.

 An electric motor converts much of the energy fed to it into work, to move the loco, but there is always some heat, until someone invents the perfect 100% efficient motor. As long as we're talking just warm to the touch and not hot, I think everything is fine. 

                        --Randy

 

[RR_Mel]

I found it interesting that the MRC 1730 EMD567 decoder has a dongle hanging off the board, the 1731 steam decoder doesn’t have a dongle.  The dongle appears to be a heat shrink covered TO220 case transistor.

 

My thinking is the dongle is a sound driver that the EMD567 diesel sound needs to dissipate the slightly higher current of the continuous rumble of the diesel motor that the steam locomotives don’t require.      

 

The dongle does run warm to the touch after a long running session with the sound on.  I use dual 1” high bass 1 watt 8Ω speakers that might use a bit more power than lower wattage higher impedance speakers.

 

I have about 40 hours of run time on six 1730 decoders without any problems.  I did attach the dongles to the frames to dissipate heat with AC not knowing if that was necessary.

 

The 1730 & 1731 decoders do not run warm to the touch.  All of the locomotives with the MRC decoders have Canon EN22 motors that draw very little current.

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

            

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[oldline1]

RR_Mel

I found it interesting that the MRC 1730 EMD567 decoder has a dongle hanging off the board,

DONGLE?????

oldline1

 

[RR_Mel]

oldline1

 

 

RR_Mel

I found it interesting that the MRC 1730 EMD567 decoder has a dongle hanging off the board,

 

 

DONGLE?????

oldline1

 

 

This is a Dongle.

 

 

 

 

An unplanned addon.

 

 

EDIT:

 

My E7s are HO Model Power chassiss with metal Hobbytown Shells, they weigh in at just under two pounds and a pair will pull the paint off the walls.

 

 

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

            

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

 

 

[richg1998]

I remember that term from many years ago when using a computer. I believe it was for wireless connection.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongle

Rich

[gdelmoro]

So it sounds like it should be fine.  Thanks for all the posts.

[Redvdub1]

Locos will stop if they get too warm...it probably is one of the sound drivers..there are fancy ways to find out which devices are getting hot (thermal dots) but an educated finger is the economical way.  You might try using aluminum foil to spread the heat..the easiest way is to just put the foil onto the underside of the shell (it worked for me)....check for shorts...another possible way is to build a little heat sink (foil maybe) on the offending device..again, check for shorts.   The idea is to get more efficient air cooling.. also, maybe open up the fan assembly. 

[PC101]

Without having numbers just what is your warm/hot temperture? I have done a temperture check on my BLI SW1500 and this is what I have recorded. Without filling in too much  infomation again here, and this Forum is difficult to post pictures (thanks Photobucket) so here goes.

Room temperture: 63°

Loco start Temp.: 64.5°

Highest Temp. reached: 126.4° closest to the rear stack.

I had three of these melt the top of the hood, one was had it's first on a different layout/system, so not a layout problem.

I do think I have posted a report on this site about this problem, I will have to look back and find it.

Found it, but I'm still learning to use this site, I can not copy the link to here so, just left click on my Avatar and scrole down to 'Broadway Limited Imports SW1500, last post on 'Monday Feb. 6, 2017'.

The numbers are the evidence.

 

   

[gdelmoro]

Yea, THATS "warm"

[maxman]

RR_Mel

I found it interesting that the MRC 1730 EMD567 decoder has a dongle hanging off the board, the 1731 steam decoder doesn’t have a dongle. The dongle appears to be a heat shrink covered TO220 case transistor.

I think that "dongle" is for the MRC Sound Genie thing, not a heatsink.  Your picture looks very similar to this one:

http://www.modelrectifier.com/product-p/021700.htm

 

 

[Lonnie Utah]

[BigDaddy]

PC101

I can not copy the link to here so, just left click on my Avatar

quoting something within the forum is tricky.  The link icon doesn't work the way it works for everything else.  You manually have to type open bracket URL closed bracket insert the address and type open bracket /URL closed bracket

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/261079.aspx

 

Even then it only seems to work some of the time for me.  Make sure it's on it's own line too.

[crusader27529]

I put a temp probe on the outside of an F7 with a QSI Quantum decoder, and after sitting idle with sound active at medium levels, the temp showed at 105F, which isn't very hot.

[ATSFGuy]

Do tsunami sound systems cause locomotives to get hot/burn up or give out?