Should I or shouldn't I?

poliss · Should I or shouldn't I?

I've installed a drop-in dcc decoder in my 'A' Sharknose. For the 'B' unit I have found instructions on how to fit an ordinary decoder by cutting the lighting board and hardwiring. See http://z11.invisionfree.com/N_Sca...18dd&act=ST&f=4&t=278
However I'm nervous about doing it and maybe making it unusable. The drop in decoder has been discontinued and very rarely comes up for sale.

Teleman

After reading it i would , as you are only cutting the print on the board its easy to put back if you need to at a later date with some small wire links and some solder

poliss

The back half of the board has to be cut off to make room for the decoder.

Teleman

PCBs will glue back together with super glue and then link across it with wire and solder . Just make a nice clean cut across the board

poliss

Okiedokie, I'll give it a go. Hope a Hornby decoder will be ok. It's the only one I've got that's small enough.

Teleman

save the part you cut off , and mind your fingers !

poliss

I have one of those helping hands thingy's* to hold the wire for me.

*defenition of thingy's: technical term only used by absolute experts at the top of their profession.

Teleman

I had one of them when i worked in Cambridge , mine made tea as well ! he was called Clive . Technical term 'appprentice'

poliss

No good to me. Since my stay in the US I only drink coffee.

Teleman

Might have a problem there , he was not very good at multi tasking , we would all have to have coffee then

poliss

The article on fitting the decoder says cut the circuit board with track cutters. Is that ok?

Teleman

I would saw it with a fine tooth saw or a junior hacksaw

Teleman

so how did it go ?

poliss

Took the body off to get started. Handrail fell off. Pinged onto the floor while I was trying to put it back on. Been on my hands and knees searchinf for a 1/4 inch black handrail on a coloured carpet most of the day and night.

Teleman

I' glad i'm not the only one that spends at lot of time on the floor looking for things

poliss

I really should build a replacement modelling tray. Piece of thin ply, inch square batton around it. Never lost a thing when I had it. How I'm going to replace the handrail I don't know. Lost hope finding it.

Teleman

Try walking around the room in bear feet , if you tread on anything you might have found it

poliss

Stupid thing is so small even the princess of pea fame wouldn't feel a thing. It's about half the size of a small staple and made of plastic by the feel of the others.
You'd never notice it was missing unless you looked really closely. But I'd know it was missing.

Teleman

That the trouble we all know the bad parts as we look to close . Today Ryan said he wanted balast on his layout after looking at the Bachmann book , good practice for mine ? its been a long time since i've done it

poliss

Buy Fleischmann Profi track and save yourself the effort.

poliss

You stick bits of metal on loco's. What glue do you use? I was thinking of using fuse wire as that's the thinnest wire I have.

Teleman

If they are small i use super glue . Its seems to work the best

Quick edit and a good tip

put the glue on a piece of card then dip the wre or anythining small in the glue as that way you only get a small amount on the bit you are trying to stick on

poliss

I tried superglue to stick some pantographs on one of my loco's. It fell off.

Teleman

We will have to find you some real super glue , the stuff that works ie C2 but i have to buy 5 tubes at a time and it cost £27 for them !

poliss

That's more than my A+B Sharknose set cost.

Teleman

But it will stick most things , only trouble is once opened it has a short shelf life

Rog (RJ)

Teleman, assuming you use superglue in you professional capacity, what do you use it for?

BTW. I like to use the superglue accelerator (spray can left by double glazing fitters) Apart from the glue setting instantly, it seems to make the joint stronger, perhaps because it doesn't have a chance to move while it's setting?

poliss

Well, it's done. Whether it actually works will have to wait till I've cleared up all the mess.

poliss

No speed control and only goes in one direction. Was shorting at first 'cos my soldering was bad and a joint was touching the chassis. May have killed the decoder. Seems to take change of address though and stops when controller is set at zero.

Teleman

poliss

Wierd. Now I have directional control, but no speed control. Maybe the CV of the light needs changing.

poliss

What an idiot. No wonder it didn't work. I scraped away the wrong side of the circuit board. No wonder it kept short circuiting. *bangs head against wall*

Teleman

Easy done , is it working now ?

poliss

Think the Hornby decoder is fried. Tried a Lenz one wich works fine. Problem is it's too big to fit the body back on.

poliss

The smoke escaped from my Hornby decoder.

poliss

Bought a nice new Hornby red dot decoder with my Paypal voucher. I hope I don't blow this one up.

Teleman

fingers crossed

poliss

I have enough trouble soldering as it is without trying to do it with fingers crossed.