BLI time to repair

[propmeup1]

So far all of the repairs have been the decoders. i been getting decoders that fail.  All other decoder brands i never have issues with, just BLI. I love the engines, the T1s are beautiful along with the big ugly centipedes. They are so ugly they have to be called beautiful. i know, makes no sence.

[CBQ Fan]

My issues were two decoders on the same unit.  Both fried on my straight DC layout.

[greenwizard88]

My issues were two decoders on the same unit.  Both fried on my straight DC layout.

I wonder if there's not a decoder issue, I had the exact same issue using the Kato power pack.

[brill27mcb]

The traditional blue Kato power pack is a simple full-wave rectified AC wave with potentiometer control of a power transistor - no strange electronics or spikes there.

Rich K.

[CBQ Fan]

Mine is one of the MRC Tech 2 something or other.

[mmagliaro]

Mine is one of the MRC Tech 2 something or other.

At the risk of opening a thread-drifting can of worms, what Tech 2 is it?  Some of those Tech 2 models had really harsh pulses.   On the 2400, there was a pulse on/off switch so you could turn them off.  The 2500 didn't have a switch to turn them off.

[CBQ Fan]

At the risk of opening a thread-drifting can of worms, what Tech 2 is it?  Some of those Tech 2 models had really harsh pulses.   On the 2400, there was a pulse on/off switch so you could turn them off.  The 2500 didn't have a switch to turn them off.

Tech 4 260

[mmagliaro]

Here's a page where somebody discusses the Tech 4 220, including scoping it to look at the pulses
http://www.sumidacrossing.org/LayoutElectricity/ModelTrainPower/PowerPackTesting/

It's not the 260, but it's similar (the two models only differ by their max current rating)

He measures a maximum voltage of 19.3, with the load of an N Scale locomotive on it.  We have all beaten this dead horse with a discussion on another MRC pack, I know.  And 19.3v isn't above the required spec that a DCC decoder is supposed to be able to withstand, I know.  But I would still not run N Scale engines on a pack that will hit 19v under load, DCC or not. 

As for whether your failed decoders had something to do with this pack, who can say.  Did you ever run the engines near full throttle on that pack? 

(This wouldn't be as crazy as it first seems.   The decoder drops 5-7 volts, so you often have to turn DC throttles up pretty high to get a DCC-equipped engine to move at moderate speed)

[CBQ Fan]

I typically don’t run any of my engines at full throttle. I have about a dozen BLI engines.   Only experienced one issues with one loco.  BLI told me it was a short somewhere in the engine, but I can’t recall if that was the first issue or the second.

[peteski]

I typically don’t run any of my engines at full throttle. I have about a dozen BLI engines.   Only experienced one issues with one loco.  BLI told me it was a short somewhere in the engine, but I can’t recall if that was the first issue or the second.

BLI had a bad of locos with bad decoders (where they said they used a wrong voltage regulator chip) and the decoders were blowing up.  Was that maybe one of the locos?

[CBQ Fan]

BLI had a bad of locos with bad decoders (where they said they used a wrong voltage regulator chip) and the decoders were blowing up.  Was that maybe one of the locos?

Could very well be especially seeing how far out of the warranty period it was.

[Jbub]

BLI had a bad of locos with bad decoders (where they said they used a wrong voltage regulator chip) and the decoders were blowing up.  Was that maybe one of the locos?

IIRC it was the AC6000 with the new paragon 3 decoder

[chicken45]

The "gospel" on repair estimates....

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I like how they broke the trend in Voyager where B'Elanna told Janeway that she doesn't inflate her time estimates!