[FAILED INSTALL] Kato 3037-2 "EH500" with NGDCC DE29x3K2

[Wolf]

[ATTENTION: This is currently a failed install, please take it as "good to know" but dont redo my steps unless you are sure you know exactly where I went wrong]

Hello everyone,

 

as the initial thread I postet yesterday was lost to some mishaps, I recreate it and add some additional information as well.

 

[initial scenario]

So the Kato EH500 was basically my second ever DCC attempt about half a year ago. In hindsight, could probably picked a more easier project, but I just love the EH500 and EH200 too much for their looks.

During the process back then I tried to reuse the existing boards (wish I would have known about Member inobu's thread back then, great knowledge in there), but ultimately failed, destroying a ton of connections on the boards, so decided to simply go all the way, throw all the boards out and re-wire everything from scratch. Decoder used back then was a Kuehn N025, wich I basically used on all my first conversions. Also the housing needed some heavy cutting so the decoder would fit.

 

  

 

As you may see in the pictures (bear with cable colors, this was truthfully my second ever attempt on a conversion XD) I just soldered every boogie pickup from each side together, connecting it to the decoder, and then soldered the output directly to the motor tabs. I also added new LEDs by putting negative side to the power pickups, and positive ones to the decoder outputs, adding a resistor as well.

Miracle as it is, this actually did work and run, BUT I choose to have the cables connecting the power pickups from the boogies made too short, so the boogies could no longer properly turn. So basically this was a "straight line only" loco now XD

[New install]

 

When I learned about NGDCC DE29x3K2 replacement boards, I figured I give this one a go again, especially as the EH200 was still waiting for a DCC conversion as well. I had to go by the pictures as my japanese reading is pretty much on non-existent level, but how hard could it be right? (Boy was I wrong)

 

Going by the pictures, I started doing the non-motor side first, cutting down the small plastic nose that normally keeps the board in place as there seems to be a chip in the way, as well as soldered down the Headlight LED to the board.

 

 

I soldered down the 2 connecting wires to connect the power pickup for both cars, and went on to the motorized car.

[ATTENTION! Again I can't stress enough that this install burned the decoder, and this thread as of know should only serve as means to see what other people did do wrong. I believe the next step is where I messed all up.]

 

So, from what I could make out of the japanese guide as well as from logic, the motor tabs needed to be switched from the outside hole to the inside ones. Logically as to not make contact anymore with the power pickup lines as well as due the formfactor of the decoder board, which had the power outputs in the middle rather than at the outside. To do this, I lifted the plastic housing for the motor, and carefully moved the tabs to the inside. [!!] By now I believe this is where I made some sort of error, either a short circuit or I blocked the motor itself, ultimately leading to the burned DCC board. [!!]

      

With that done I just had to put the decoder in, soldered the motor tabs to the board and added another LED, same as with the other car. and with that, the new install looked significantly better than the initial mess at least XD

 

 

I put the whole thing on my test track, and first it all seemed to work, except the LEDs. Both lit up in one direction, and none lid in the others. This might be a CV setting that needs to be done to one of the boards, or I should have soldered the "backward" LED to the Taillight outputs, I don't know and so far was not able to test. The train ran a tad stuttering, and didnt really catch any speed. The EH500 was always kind of a loud one, so I didn't pay proper attention to motor sound, something I probably should have. After three or four back and forth driving attempts, I decided to turn up speed, which is when BAM, the decoder catched fire.

 

 

So, with this said, I wished I would have seen inobu's thread earlier (link at the top of this post) as there its clearly stated that switching motor pins should need a full disassembly. I figure by now as mentioned above, I either loosely short circuited something there, or blocked the motor. Either way, seems the EH500 will see a third time an installation attempt, checking the motor and replacing the now burned board (and beforehand checking what was the LED issue).

Thanks for reading, I will update this thread accordingly once I found the definite issue here, but in the meantime I hope it serves as a reminder that everyone makes mistakes.

Cheers

Wolf

[OT: has anyone a less bothersome way embedding pictures in the post that makes them not appear double?]
 

[chadbag]

Thanks for sharing.   Even failed installs are helpful!   I don't have any of the EH series (yet) but I am sure others will be interested in what went wrong.

Edited February 20, 2022 by chadbag

[cteno4]

Generally we learn more from our failures than from our successes.

 

thanks, honestly,

 

jeff

[Madsing]

If this can help, these are photos of my install (from about six months ago). I have used a Digitrax DN163K0D (on one side only). I have left the motor tabs going out through the outside holes, but I used Kapton tape to carefully isolate them from the two main brass pickup tracks. Then I soldered them to the decoder.

 

On the right side, the light board has been modified and covered with Kapton tape to prevent it from making contact with the brass pickup tracks.

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Madsing
Clarification

[inobu]

2 hours ago, Madsing said:

If this can help, these are photos of my install (from about six months ago). I have used a Digitrax DN163K0D (on one side only). I have left the motor tabs going out through the outside holes, but I used Kapton tape to carefully isolate them from the two main pickup tracks. Then I soldered them to the decoder.

Its important to note that the light board has kapton tape on the traces as that prevents the DC voltage from the lights

making contact with the pickup. That will blow the decoder.

 

Inobu

[gavino200]

What a great thread! I think we've all had a few close calls like this. I had a very similar experience with my EH200. I expected it to be an easy install because I was using a drop-in decoder. But my decoder didn't fit, so I made an adjustment, then another....I came very close to destroying the loco. Eventually I got it to work using a D&H nano wired decoder. It works great now. It was always a favorite, and was a souvenir from the the Kato store. But I love it all the more because of how close I came to disaster with it.

 

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

 

Gavin

[Madsing]

9 hours ago, inobu said:

Its important to note that the light board has kapton tape on the traces as that prevents the DC voltage from the lights

making contact with the pickup. That will blow the decoder.

Right. I have edited the original post to mention this. Thank you!