HOW LONG WILL IT LAST

[gardenrr]

HOW LONG WILL THE DCC&SOUND DECODER LAST UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS JUST USING IT ( UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS ).

THE REASON THAT I AM ASKING THIS QUESTION IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS MADE WILL SOMETIME CEASE TO WORK.

SO ANY IDEAS AS TO THE DCC LIFE SPAN WILL BE HELPFUL CAUSE DUE TO THERE PRICEY PRICE I AM STARTING A DCC&SOUND DECODER SAVING ACCOUNT SO WILL HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE THE DECODER.

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND RESPONDING.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

gardenrr

HOW LONG WILL THE DCC&SOUND DECODER LAST UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS JUST USING IT ( UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS ).

THE REASON THAT I AM ASKING THIS QUESTION IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS MADE WILL SOMETIME CEASE TO WORK.

SO ANY IDEAS AS TO THE DCC LIFE SPAN WILL BE HELPFUL CAUSE DUE TO THERE PRICEY PRICE I AM STARTING A DCC&SOUND DECODER SAVING ACCOUNT SO WILL HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE THE DECODER.

THANKS FOR LISTENING AND RESPONDING.

How long does a TV last? or a computer? or a HiFi? Sound decoders shoud have a life equal to most other consumer electronics unless they are damaged by using them with a motor that draws too much current, shorted out, or some other abuse.

And since the life of many of these types of things is based on hours of use, and in the big picture we don't realy put that many hours on our trains, they will likely last for decades - or longer.

Sheldon

[locoi1sa]

  I have an old transistor radio that is older than I am (Half a century) that is on its second cord and has cracked dials and the needle is missing but I still listen to it every day. It has hit the concrete floor more times than I care to count. The coat hanger antenna is about 20 years old, the case has been cracked and a corner is missing but it has been that way for years. It was my dads and he listened to it for years before he gave it to me. It is on from the time I get to work until someone pulls the plug after the end of the work day.

  I just got a new microwave yesterday to replace the one that quit after 14 months. If I put a counter on it to read how many hours it has run it would probably read 2 or 3.

  When someone invents the crystal ball to look into the future then we will all have a better idea when something is going to quit. I have decoders that have outlived the original locos they were put in.

      Pete

[Hamltnblue]

Most electronic components have a typical MTBF(Mean Time Between Failure) of about 50,000 hours or more.  That is an average figure with some lower and some higher.  With loco's I'd worry more about the life span of the mechanical parts and shell/paint which would be much lower.  Gears and motors are probably in the hundreds of hours average.

[Paul3]

gardenrr,
Speaking from personal experience, I am still using decoders that I installed over 10 years ago and they still work just fine.  My club made the switch to DCC in January of 1999 after we moved out of our old place in December of 1998.  I did my first DCC decoder installation right after that.  I put a sticker under every loco I have that has the decoder type and the date installed, and there's more than a few that I have that are from 1999, 2000, or 2001 that work the same as they ever did.

DCC itself is over 20 years old.  I have not heard of any old systems going bad due to age.

BTW, please don't type in all CAPS.  It's harder to read, and in internet terms, it's considered shouting.  Just FYI...

Paul A. Cutler III

[cacole]

I noticed that your user name is gardenrr -- if you're going to be using a DCC system outdoors on a G-scale layout, none of the answers provided up to this point apply because special measures must be taken outdoors to protect DCC systems, power supplies, decoders, etc. from the elements.

I have a large G-scale layout in my back yard and we are in the process of building a large G-scale layout at our club.  I use the AirWire900 system and battery power for everything -- no power on the track on either layout.  With this system, it's a simple matter of keeping the trains indoors when not being ran.  With DCC and track power outdoors, everything must be absolutely weatherproofed.

[selector]

Thermal shock and fatigue, and also corrosion from metal incompatibility, are the two great enemies in mechanicals and electronics.  If your decoders are well soldered and assembled, are not subject to much thermal stress,have decent quality assurance and componentry, and good stable materials, and are protected from condensation problems, I don't see why they could not be passed down the the first person who breaks them.

I would guess the average sound decoder has a useful life near a decade, depending on usage.  No reason why better ones well handled couldn't last several generations.

It would be great if the only reason we ever replaced stuff is because it was no longer appealing to use it...it became outdated, for example.

Crandell

[mobilman44]

Hi!

You pose an interesting and pretty much unaswerable question (IMHO).  Electronic gadgets typically either work, or they don't - there is rarely a partially working electronic gizmo.  As the guy that ran the tv/stereo repair shop told me, if your tv/stereo/whatever works for a few months, chances are it will last a long time.

He also had some caveats to add........  Is the equipment in a proper environment - A/C, non smoking, etc.?  Is it used for a purpose other than intended?  Is it hooked up properly?  Is it used reasonably - i.e. not turning volume up full blast, etc.?  And of course, is it a quality item?

All the above makes sense, but its still a crap shoot trying to predict the life of a piece of electronics.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

"It would be great if the only reason we ever replaced stuff is because it was no longer appealing to use it...it became outdated, for example."

Crandell, that's an interesting viewpoint considering that:

I still run freight cars I built from Silver Streak kits as a teen (1970 or so).

I still have stuctures on my layout my parents build for what was then our "Christmas Garden" in the 60's.

I have had the same garden tractor for 15 years (a Gravely), the same truck for 10 years (a Ford).

I drove a 1973 Checker Marathon until it had 276,000 miles on it, my father drove a 1969 Checker until it had 325,000 miles on it.

I still listen to vinyl records, they sound much better than ipods, they are played on two 40 year old turntables through a 15 year old amp.

The latest Athearn RTR locos have a drive basicly unchanged from the 70's, except for some electrical imporvements.

I live in a house that has provided shelter to families since 1901, and still has its original roof.

I have only owned four "primary" TV's in my adult life.

Outdated? that is a very subjective concept. Or maybe I just don't get "bored" as easy as most people.

I'm still waiting for a lot of this stuff to become outdated or wear out?

"Waste not, want not" was one of my parents mottos.

And, as in my earlier post, I suspect, as others have said, if a decoder works for week, it will likely work for 25 years - or more.

Sheldon

[Hamltnblue]

I guess another thing to consider is the Manufacturer.  If the decoder is an MRC you may be talking about hours or even minutes

[selector]

Sheldon, my point was that things break, disappear, or are stolen, and that is why we replace them.  Most adults think like you do.  Only the profligate throw away things because of the mere passage of time.

Crandell

[tomikawaTT]

Solid state devices (no moving parts) will either fail almost immediately (manufacturing defect) or last something close to forever if they are always operated within their design parameters.

Things with moving parts will eventually wear out or suffer fatigue cracks due to repeated stress brought on by motion.

Bottom line - the speakers in your sound-equipped locos are more likely to fail than the decoders, barring mishap.  Both speakers and decoders will probably outlast the motor bearings and drive train parts.  If you put as few hours on each of your locomotives per month as I do, and are as old as I am (73), your locomotives will probably suffer failure some time after your demise...

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a few locomotives that were old in 1964)

[DigitalGriffin]

Provided they aren't MRC and you don't push the decoder too close to the rated current/voltage of the decoder, it should last at least 20,000 Hours.  That's 10 years @ 40 hours/week.

When they do go up early, it's for one of three reasons:

1) Too high a track voltage

2) Shorting motor to frame

3) Ran too close to the max current for too long

In general, they will outlast your motor.

I will note that chemical paste capacitors (commonly used as keep alive devices on power hungry sound decoders) can and will dry out.  But they will last years, and are EASY to replace.