Lionel Legacy cab 2 won't charge

I switched my batteries to regular AA  a few years ago when it wasn't charging.  I put tape over the contacts on the remote and the base.  Works just fine.

John

It seems to be a recurring issue with these. A year ago I set my 990 set in because the keypad died. Lionel true to their word repaired it and paid the shipping both ways. The work order returned with it says they checked the charging circuit. Within a couple of days that stopped working. Since then I bought rechargeable batteries and a charger (search the forum and the suggested replacements are there). 

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when the CAB-2 would not turn on. Back to Lionel, again no charge, where they will repair the CAB-2 and the charging circuit.

You can either buy rechargeable batteries and a charger or regular Alkaline batteries or send it to Lionel. If you send it back be prepared to wait a while for it to return. 

Mike

jbmccormick posted:

I switched my batteries to regular AA  a few years ago when it wasn't charging.  I put tape over the contacts on the remote and the base.  Works just fine.

John

Will eneloop be ok or something else like Kirkland. I heard from a video that if you put the batteries that are no supplied with the remote the remote may malfunction.  Also, what kind of tape ?

ezmike posted:

It seems to be a recurring issue with these. A year ago I set my 990 set in because the keypad died. Lionel true to their word repaired it and paid the shipping both ways. The work order returned with it says they checked the charging circuit. Within a couple of days that stopped working. Since then I bought rechargeable batteries and a charger (search the forum and the suggested replacements are there). 

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when the CAB-2 would not turn on. Back to Lionel, again no charge, where they will repair the CAB-2 and the charging circuit.

You can either buy rechargeable batteries and a charger or regular Alkaline batteries or send it to Lionel. If you send it back be prepared to wait a while for it to return. 

Mike

Ok thank you I may not send it to lionel because of what you said and I won't want to run my engines with a transformer.

I am not sure what you mean by envelop means.  I used simple black electrical tape on the remote and the base.  All been good for 2+ years.

John

Many on the forum use regular alkaline batteries or comparable rechargeable batteries without issues. I’ve done both. 

My comment about sending it back for repair was only to prepare you to wait a while for it to return. 

Mike

I never bothered with the charging feature on my base. Leaving the Legacy system powered up all the time seems like a bad idea to me.

The base and handheld get fairly warm, and having it on plugged in all the time makes it susceptible to damage from a power surge from a storm etc. if I'm not running trains, my base is unplugged.

I shut off the charger via the switch on the base and then covered the contacts on the base with tape as JB Mcormick mentions.

I've been using energizer NMH rechargables that I charge in an external charger.They last waayyyy longer than the batteries that came with my remote wich crapped out a year or two after I bought it. The energizer batteries keep "going and going"for several years now.

RickO posted:

I never bothered with the charging feature on my base. Leaving the Legacy system powered up all the time seems like a bad idea to me.

The base and handheld get fairly warm, and having it on plugged in all the time makes it susceptible to damage from a power surge from a storm etc. if I'm not running trains, my base is unplugged.

I shut off the charger via the switch on the base and then covered the contacts on the base with tape as JB Mcormick mentions.

I've been using energizer NMH rechargables that I charge in an external charger.They last waayyyy longer than the batteries that came with my remote wich crapped out a year or two after I bought it. The energizer batteries keep "going and going"for several years now.

OK thanks 

Leave the charger off on the 990 base and get the 993 expansion base with remote.  Charge using the 993.  It's a much better designed charger and it won't get your remote super hot like the 990 base does.

Gary is right, I took that same advice from GRJ some time back!  It has worked for me as well!

Fredstrains

I have that 993 for charging as well. I don't think the charger is different, but it is cooler without the rest of the base electronics.

I believe, though I can't be sure, that the charging circuit is similar in the #990 base and the #993 charger.  However, all the other stuff in the #990 base is what heats up the remote.  When you add the heat generated by the charger and the batteries warming up during the charging cycle, things are fairly toasty if you leave it there for a few hours.  Even overnight the CAB2 is still pretty warm, so I'm loath to leave it in there.

When I charge on the #993 charger, if I come back after the charge is complete, the remote is at room temperature, no extra warmth at all.  I use the Tenergy low self-discharge NiMh batteries, they tend to keep a charge a lot longer than other NiMh batteries.