My Kato F40PH can suck it

[Sokramiketes]

Ah, ok. That’s the point of failure though. The pickup from the track is always fine.

These tabs soldered the the area on the board highlighted is what fixes the problem Ed is having. Well, maybe. I think he really wanted an excuse to install sound!

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[greenwizard88]

I have an F40 with a TCS decoder in it. I can't stand the decoder, but I soldered the motor tabs to the decoder, and haven't had any problems in that area. I'd highly recommend soldering the tabs, as just about every single motor connection will eventually work its way loose unless you solder.

[mu26aeh]

Its that damn little grey tab that holds contacts down, pry it wrong, or he'll even prying it the first time to swap out the DC board and it no longer seats tight enough to make quality contact

[mmyers]

ED,
 I have soldered every one of mine. No problems since.
Tin the ends of the motor contacts and tin the two pads on the decoder. get everything in its place with kapton tape on the long brass strips. Hold a motor contact down on the pad with a pin or similar. Touch a hot soldering iron to the contact. As soon as the solder melts, remove heat and hold with the pin for a couple of seconds. Repeat for other contact. As a bonus you may not need the little grey clip anymore.
To remove just heat the contact and it will spring loose. Every one of my P42's F40's, E's, F's, and PA's are soldered now.

Martin Myers

[peteski]

Ah, ok. That’s the point of failure though. The pickup from the track is always fine.

These tabs soldered the the area on the board highlighted is what fixes the problem Ed is having. Well, maybe. I think he really wanted an excuse to install sound!

Well Mike, my memory failed me again.  I thought the F40PH used the light boards with clip-on motor contacts.  The diagram you show is for a P42, but you are correct, F40PH uses the same light board.  I do have to agree that soldering motor contacts to a decoder which replaces the light board is a good idea. If doen carefully where the motor contacts are arched over the board and only small amount of solder is used to solder just the ends of those contacts to the solder pads, when needed, desoldering will not be difficult.

[trainforfun]

Well Mike, my memory failed me again.  I thought the F40PH used the light boards with clip-on motor contacts.  The diagram you show is for a P42, but you are correct, F40PH uses the same light board.  I do have to agree that soldering motor contacts to a decoder which replaces the light board is a good idea. If doen carefully where the motor contacts are arched over the board and only small amount of solder is used to solder just the ends of those contacts to the solder pads, when needed, desoldering will not be difficult.

I also solder the contact strips coming from an ATLAS motor ( the pre sound one ) to the decoder , I never liked the ATLAS system with the contacts under the board