Another Kato contact question....

[peteski]

Yikes!!  Is that what we're calling "soldering" these days??

Actually, in the grand scheme of things, I have seen much, much worse!  Even in my local NTRAK club.

[mmyers]

Did you tape the long brass strips properly? I have alway wrapped kapton tape around the outside of the strips and cut it flush with the inside. One layer of tape only. Outside should be continuous so that the motor contacts can't touch the outside of the strip. Installing the shell might have added some pressure to that area.

(and yep, those solder blobs on TCS site look bad)

Martin Myers

[eja]

I am having cataract surgery tomorrow ... hopefully I will be able to see more clearly and work on this later this weekend.

Surgery went well but nothing is going to happen this weekend regarding my issue. 

Thanks all for the ideas

[trainforfun]

I think you want to solder the brass strips AND keep the grey clip.   You are likely losing power from the trucks to the board without the clip to hold the board in place.

Good point !

[Cajonpassfan]

Surgery went well but nothing is going to happen this weekend regarding my issue. 

Thanks all for the ideas

Congrats on the surgery. I only hope you're as happy with your new eyeballs as I am with mine.
I didn't know how bad my vision got until after the first eye got fixed
Best of luck!
Otto K.

[peteski]

I was going to write up my decoder install method for this model when I realized that I already did this, few years ago, in this post. I have just now added few more things to it.

[kwledbetter]

I have had no problems with the kapton as long as one wrap.  I do also add just a smidgen of solder to the motor tabs but below  where the grey clip hits so I can stick the grey tab back on.  I have found as long as you make sure you put the contact strips back  in properly (really easy to have them bent one way or the other) and you seat the board properly under the back tab and reinstall the grey motor lead clip all they way I have zero issues.   If any of the above not correct, issues!

[peteski]

I have had no problems with the kapton as long as one wrap. 

Neither do many other modelers - I just don't like that kludge. I also abhor duct tape.

[eja]

Update ... My surgery went very well.  My distance vision is great.  Unfortunately, I still do not have the corrective lenses I need to read or work on N scale locomotives.  The new glasses are on order, but not yet here.


So, no progress on getting this one running.    Soon I hope, but now orchestra rehearsals are starting again, so there is much less time to work on them. (sigh)

Happy new year all ...

[peteski]

Update ... My surgery went very well.  My distance vision is great.  Unfortunately, I still do not have the corrective lenses I need to read or work on N scale locomotives.  The new glasses are on order, but not yet here.


So, no progress on getting this one running.    Soon I hope, but now orchestra rehearsa are starting again, so there is much less time to work on them. (sigh)

Happy new year all ...

Happy New Year!  I'm glad that you're back in circulation, but if you don't have those corrective lenses, how can you read the music?   

[eja]

Not very well !!!