Kato question

[jbustle742]

 I know this is the Bachmann board but cant find the answer anywhere else. Does anyone know of a problem with Kato f3s when using a Digitrax dn163kob decorder that will cause them to stop running after 5 or 10 min? I have a ABA set for the CA Zepher that runs fine then any one of the engines just stops running, ture it off for 10 or 15 mins and they will run again until the next one drops out. Any help appreacated. Thanks
                                                                             Joe

[jprince46]

What DCC system are you using? 

If it was only one engine of the three that caused the problem - it would be the engine.

But because it is any one of the three it sounds like either a power problem of some sort - whether it be pushing the limits of your DCC system, or something as simple as dirty track.

I use an NCE system. but have found that when my engines start to act up - particularly in a consist - 9 out of 10 times the problem is dirty track.

One final thought - is this ABA speed matched?  If not, the 3 engines could be "fighting" each other to maintain a constant speed.

Hope this helps

[jbustle742]

 I am using a Digitrax Super Chief system, tracks are clean as all other engines run ok for as long as you want. These engines will do this even if they are not coupled together. If you uncouple them and let them run they stay pretty close together, forgot to say all lights stay on when they stop, so i don`t think speed matching is the problem but i could be wrong that is why i am asking here.  Thanks   Joe

[jbustle742]

Went back and pulled out the decoders from the engines and units are running ok now. Will call digitrax tomorrow. Damn i`m getting tired of this with drop in decoders will go back to hard wired and solder.  joe

[Railhead]

Digitrax is getting nortorious for making bad decoder boards.  What I would of done is to check and see if the decoder board is bad in the engine thats stops running is to swap it with one of the other engines that you know to be good. Run them like you have been and see if that board you suspect to be bad causes the engine you know to good to stall. Here you'll know for sure that the board is faulty. Now by chance this board should run well in the engine you've changed it into and the other engine you've originally had it in stalls, you might have a short in the motor that only happens when it's been ran for a while and heated up some from running. Every once in a great while I'll run across a bad motor. I usually have this happen more in a Atlas engine then I would in a Kato one. The newer Atlas slow speed motors seem to be more problematic then their older fast speed ones. I've had a couple of slow speed motors go bad were they barely turn over even if the speed on the throttle is near or at full speed. Sometimes cleaning the communicator and all electrical contacts on these helps, sometimes it doesn't have any effect at all. I got Kato engines going back to the Atlas/Kato era and first ran Kato engines when they first got into N scale that still run like new out of the box. 
                                              Railhead