Decoder Hic-up

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CN1

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May 6, 2003
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I installed a Digitrax decoder into a new P2K FA1. Did not ran very good, start-stop, run a little longer-stop, started-stop, started again stop, than ran a while longer and than dead stop...repeated many times.

I checked evrything, all the wired to the motor and everything. It's wire just fine. One more thing, this engine became VERY NOISY, compare to almost silent running in DC

I gave up. I threw away the Decoder and bought another one NCE DS Something..

Success! It's runs great, very silent and no hic-ups.

Question: Why would the engine hic-up like that? Decoder only? Too much grease in the trucks? dirty tracks?

Is there a decoder that's better on dirty tracks then another?

I' m looking into the garbage can, to find the digitrax decoder, just in case......
 
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Gary Pfeil

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While the P2k locos often do have a problem with too much grease, if the loco runs well with the NCE decoder, then the loco must be fine. Which Digitrax decoder is it? I'd suggest resetting it to its default cv settings and trying it in another loco.

Gary
 
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CN1

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as soon as I find it, i'll let you know.

How much of a job is it to open the trucks and take a look? I'm curious to see if there's grease in there.....
 
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Gary Pfeil

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Working from memory here, I'm at work and can't look at one. I believe that the gear cover on the bottom of the truck just snaps off, use a small screwdriver blade to gently pry one end up and away. Then you can remove the whelsets. You'll see they use square bearings to conduct the power from the wheels. And they are often over greased. I clean out the grease and apply conductalube. I have an ABA set of both FA1 and FA2, and am not happy with the performance of either. I've set them aside in disappointment and frustration. In the future when other projects are completed I will try to hard wire them. I also intend to remove the mech from the most troublesome unit and install sound with a couple good size speakers. I'll put the "B" unit shell on this loco and drawbar the two "A"'s to it, running wires between to give all wheel power pick up. I'll use the one sound decoder to power both remaining motors. If that don't get it I don't know what will!
 
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CN1

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What's wrong with them? What kind of problem?

Is it since you installed a decoder in them?

I was reading somewhere else that Digitrax and NCE decoders had a buch of poor quality (ie: deffective) diode in their decoder.

Knock on wood . Since mine is working fine I hope it did not cmae in the same batch..
 
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