Fitting Piko Decoder to a 218 itareus has had problems

[dunnyrail]

Well Chris has 2 actually, so far as I could see he fitted the decoder up acording to the Manufacturers Instructions, but the fitted Chip to His 218 and on this and his Piko Railcar have both gone Pop and been returned to the Seller. Now he has 2 squeeky new Chips and I have looked at his installation on the 218. To my eye there is a problem with the Diagrams given what appears to be wrong is that the Bogies are shown in the same orientation IE with the Coupling on the Right in the exploded blow up. When fitted that would make the Motors oppose each other as one would be reverced on fitting. Could this have in fact Blown the original 218 Chip?

On my reckoning (Fuhrerstand 1) End 1 should be Yellow and M2 should be Blue, thus making that Bogie run opposite to the other and thus correct.







Anyone else had problems with the Piko Chips?
JonD

 

[PhilP]

Well that may be correct.. It depends on if they have 'corrected' the wiring in the block(s)..

I would invert the loco and then use a meter, on continuity, to check all the pickups one side of the loco are common AND common with the either the same designated pin, or pins on the same side of the motor block.
I would also touch power to each pair of motor pins in turn and check direction of wheel rotation.

I would have thought though, that if each motor block was running in the opposite direction, then the loco would hardly move?? - If the pickups were crossed at each end, surely if would short the CS, and that would shut-down??

 

[dunnyrail]

Phil, tks for your reply.

That is entirely what I would have though, but it did come to mind did one Bogie overpower the other and blow the chip? Sadly Chris does not have a Meter in his Tools (he does not do Electrics or Metal!) so next time over I will be taking mine just to see what is going on in the Bogies. Without a meter as you say you can never be sure.
JonD

 

[PhilP]

It does vary, and can depend on who has 'had at' the loco in the past..
Certainly on LGB twin-block engines, I have had both where the block are opposing ways round, and where they are 'inline'..

 

[PhilP]

Looking again at the first diagram..
I think they have been lazy in using the same image in BOTH the enlarged detail drawings. - The No.2 end.. Though they have shown the colours correctly (to my logic, anyway). If you were to turn the lower detail diagram round, then the colours would match up end-to-end.
This would (should!) make things right as per the second diagram showing connections on the decoder.

This still does not explain how (if at all) the loco managed to run?? Or did it 'pop' as soon as power was applied?

 

[dunnyrail]

Looking again at the first diagram..
I think they have been lazy in using the same image in BOTH the enlarged detail drawings. - The No.2 end.. Though they have shown the colours correctly (to my logic, anyway). If you were to turn the lower detail diagram round, then the colours would match up end-to-end.
This would (should!) make things right as per the second diagram showing connections on the decoder.

This still does not explain how (if at all) the loco managed to run?? Or did it 'pop' as soon as power was applied?

You are correct about the laziness, but the Motor Wires are incorrect on the turnaround. The Pickups are correct on the Chip Outputs.

I think it ran a little then went pop, was not present at the event. Chris can you comment more precisely please.
JonD