Fried!

[RailCop]

Well, last night I attempted to install an MRC sound decoder (diesel) into an Athearn F-7 (not DCC ready). Things were moving along fairly well and I had the two power pick up wires and the two motor control wires installed, checked and double checked. The front head light was the only connection left. I also had to figure a way to mount the speaker. At this point I decided to test the decoder on the program track. It checked out fine and I entered the engine number for the address. I then placed it on the track and gave it a try. It immediately sounded off, engine rumble, bell, horn. WOW! Cool, I did it first time. Then I moved the throttle a little and SNAP! When the engine moved forward ever so slightly the blue wire, the hot lead for the headlight, touched something on the frame, sparked, and that was that. It shorted out the entire decoder. All I could hear was a buzz-click, buzz-click. The buzz was the short, the click was the dcc system circuit breaker kicking out. From that moment on the decoder is toast. It gets hot to the touch every time I try to run it. Well, I will salvage the speaker anyway. The $67 decoder is now history.

Lesson learned; if you have any loose wires be sure to cover the end with tape before applying power for testing. Guess I'll install a non-sound decoder for the time being.

Later,

KT

[Steamtrains]

I think most of us had something like that happen at one time or another....
Fortunately for me, it only involved $25'$$ hardware....

[nomad]

Don't feel alone, my friend. That happened with the first decoder I installed. Couldn't wait to see it work, and I did the same thing.
Loren

[woodone]

I always slip a short piece of small heat shrink over any loose wires. It only takes a millisecond to fry a decoder if you happen to touch two wires together.
And there is instant smoke relesed, and once you let the smoke out the decoders never work again.

[shaygetz]

Aye...thar be heebie jeebies in that thar magic blue smoke... hock:

[cid]

Call MRC and ask them to replace it. I believe that their customer service budget
has plenty of room for replacements. They have done this for me before. It is almost
as though they expect a certain percentage of failures. I think this is their QC method,
actually, to replace 'em until you get a good one. Maybe that's a little harsh, but their
quality is a little iffy, IMO. Anyway, it costs nothing to ask! :hey:

[RailCop]

You know Cid that is a good idea. I will contact them immediately.Like you say, it can't hurt. What's the worst they could say.....NO? I'm out nothing, but if they say "ok, we'll send ya a new one" then I'm way ahead of the game.

Thanks,

KT

[Empirebuilder]

Yep a 1/4" piece of shrink tube saves you from slapping your forehead and exclaiming...........DOH!