So I have a decoder installed that I think I may have fried. Initially I didn't have the motor isolated -- I did all the right things, but was sloppy and didn't test before trying it out. The thing didn't work at all and when I tested the motor wasn't isolated -- I think I must have had some oil or grease on the nylon motor mount screw that was conductive, because when I cleaned it off the conductivity test was fine...
Now that the motor is isolated, the loco works under DCC, but there's no throttle control: It's off or it's full bore. Since I know DCC works with full power on the tracks at all times and the decoder modulates it in pulses to achieve lower speeds, I suspect this means the decoder has blown out... Anyone know a way to test this effectively? Anyone have alternative thoughts -- maybe I connected it wrong (but I doubt that, I triple-checked and I've done more than a few of these now)... Or anyone able to say "yes, it's shot, too bad?" definitively?
Thanks,
Kris
Now that the motor is isolated, the loco works under DCC, but there's no throttle control: It's off or it's full bore. Since I know DCC works with full power on the tracks at all times and the decoder modulates it in pulses to achieve lower speeds, I suspect this means the decoder has blown out... Anyone know a way to test this effectively? Anyone have alternative thoughts -- maybe I connected it wrong (but I doubt that, I triple-checked and I've done more than a few of these now)... Or anyone able to say "yes, it's shot, too bad?" definitively?
Thanks,
Kris