Installing Decoders in MTL SW1500s

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Has anyone else done it?

I tried. Did not have good luck. Let the magic smoke out twice. 

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, or if it's just that "Digitrax Magic" at work.

I'm curious about others experiences.

[peteski]

Yes Ed, with a similar result. See last few posts on the 2nd page of https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=35263.0

[tehachapifan]

Yep, as peteski mentioned, I fried mine too but MAY have found the cause (outlined in the link peteski provided). I sent mine back to Digitrax for warranty repair and we'll see what happens when it returns.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ahh. Interesting.

That explains it!

Sometimes I hate model railroading.

Good thing I installed them in under 90 days!

Otherwise, thanks to MTL's known manufacturing defect (the short), I'd be out $32 for the Digitrax replacement costs for both decoders.

Thanks guys! I barely ever look at the DCC forum, so I never saw the thread. That'll teach me...

[Philip H]

Ed,
Sounds like you can slide some Kapton under each contact wire along its length and solve the problem.