General Discussion (Model Railroader)

I didn't think to ask when I picked up my decoders about the kapton tape. I read the instructions on Digitrax website and the way it was worded led me to believe that was included in the kit. By the time I got home my LHS I picked up my parts from is closed.

Was hoping to get my decoder in my new Kato Super Chief and at least make it go forwards and backwards a few times before next weekend and I have time to get out again (maybe)

Does any regular store carry that stuff? I tried searching Lowe's website and nothing comes up. Is kapton the type and there is a brand name I could find?

Thanks

Tom

I googled it and it looks like overkill to me.  What are they using it for?  (FYI, it's a flavor of electrical tape with anti-static properties.)

I use generic plastic electrical tape.  I've installed quite a few Digitrax decoders with no problems.  Your results may differ.  I use shrink-wrap tubing for wire-to-wire connections.

The Instructions that I'm referring to here.

I'm not familiar with the insides of a locomotive, so forgive me I'm not using the right terminology probably

It's asking me to remove the pickup brass rails, and put the tape under it, and then put the rails back on. I'm guessing it's electrically isolating something that wasn't without the decoder. I'd read when I was investigating DCC that the motors needed to be electrically isolated so this must be how they do it.

The Kapton tape is the Yellow tape holding the decoder on the Styrofoam. I asked the same question at my N scale club a while back.

Tom,

You can pick some up at Litchfield Station.  I've used it to mount and insulate decoder installations and like the stuff.  The thin transparent tape is quite handy in certain situations.  Plain electrical tape works well, too.

Here's a more direct link to the Kapton tape page.  Hope that helps...

Tom

 Kapton tape is the recommended tape for this because it is a lot thinner than black electrical tape, is a lot less messy, and is way stronger than other thin tapes like clear scotch tape. Thicker tape MAY work but it might also allow things to touch where they aren't supposed to since space is at a premium in an n-scale loco. As mentioned, the tape IS in the package. Doing double duty, that's all. If you want more you can get it from any of the numerous DCC suppliers.

 

                               --Randy
 

If it's in the packaging, it's invisible. They must have recently changed their packaging. The decoders came in a baggie with the instructions, and that's it. I flipped through each page, and found no tape anywhere.

Kapton® tape is made from polyimide film, it is used to make flexible circuits used in disk drives and many other applications.  It is yellowish-brownish in color.

The reason to use it for insulating decoders is that it is thin and very very abrasion resistant.  The vibrations in a model will wear through most thin materials relatively quickly, resulting in a smoked decoder, but not Kapton®.  Kapton® is made by DuPont.

See alse:

http://www2.dupont.com/Kapton/en_US/index.html

http://www.kaptontape.com/

http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_6407.asp?pricode=WE491

Uline has locations in many cities.

 

 

nfmiso said it well. It also seems to be quite puncture proof. Those sharp little points that result when soldering the PC board componants and cutting off excess leads poke through normal electrical tape, scotch tape and others quite easily, especially with a little pressure and vibration. The Kapton tape seems to prevent this from happening. I bought a couple of feet, as it is inexpensive. I use it when installing sound decoders in my HO equipment and had great luck. I have not run out yet, as you only need an inch or two at a time. I have put in about 10 Soundtraxx decoders with it. My source was Loys Toys, their part number# KAP and it sells for .50 cents per foot. I just checked their internet site.

Paul

Dayton and Mad River RR