Last night, I decided it was time to try the DCC install in my MTL SW1500s again. I had a roll of kapton tape on loan from our own
@chicken45 , fresh new decoders, and an evening of time that I was "watching for signs of water" in the basement.
So, I started the process: tear the engine down then line the insides of the motor cradle area with tape.
I reassembled it, put the multi-meter on it and there's still a short from the motor to the frame somewhere.
Ok, tear it down again. Look around, oh, maybe it's touching in the ends, so I put a little tape there now. Looking good now.
Feels good to go.
Slide the decoder in (it takes some delicate, but forceful work because there's too much solder on the pads).
Put the shell back on (because of that f$*king obnoxious pickup design that prevents you from testing it without the shell), put it on the track, and try it on 03.
Nothing.
Alright...
Put it on the programming track. Read everything in.
Decoder pro can't find the decoder.
WTF?
Press down a little on the shell... now it starts reading.
Change the address. Write the changes. Drop it on the track.
Dial up 9594 with my throttle and... nothing. No motor. No headlight. No nothing.
Try pressing down again. Still nothing.
Back on the programming track.
Read everything back... still set to 03.
Write everything again, holding it down.
I think it worked this time!
Put it on the track. Flick on the headlights, and... headlights!!
Cool. Try giving it some throttle, and... nothing. Nothing.
Pull it apart, use the multi-meter, try to make sure we've got electric contact from the decoder to the contacts. Yep. But I notice it looks like the piece of insulated tape that was wrapped around the motor was wearing through. Odd.
So I pull it even further apart, wrap the motor contacts in kapton tape, replacing the OEM stuff. Reassemble and try again.
Same results: headlights, no movement.
W.T.F.
So I put the original light board back in. Works fine.
Is it the decoder? I really hope not, because I've already returned it once, and I don't think I'll be getting a second go at it.
I've got another I'm going to try today to rule it out.
Why is this so obnoxiously frustrating? It's ridiculous. I have never been this mad at a locomotive that I wanted so damned badly. If I didn't give a *****, these things would be languishing in a box somewhere, or off to Timonium white elephant table, but I continue to persevere.
But if the tide doesn't turn shortly, I think I'm going to go buy some golf clubs.
