Lionel Railsounds Audio Board Problem - Fixed

Did you inspect the chips when you pulled them out?  I'd clean any corrosion off the sides that contact the socket "gently" with Scotchbrite.  I also use DeOxit D5 on the contacts when I put them back in.

Note that you MUST use a PLCC puller to pull the chips, trying to pry them out with something usually either breaks the socket or deforms the J-Lead package leads so it won't contact properly.

I've had a number of boards that exhibit the static and clicking, and every time it's been the contact in the sockets for the chips.

John, thanks for the advice as always.  I "think" these chips/cards were made to be pulled without a puller.  Looks like Lionel used a generic board and then just popped in chips to match the particular loco.  I just used a small pic in the corner and they each pull right out. 

I will check the contacs and clean them as you suggest. 

I had a similar problem with my SD70ACE and it was the amplifier board. Try swapping it out with a known good one. You might be surprised. I think Lionel had a bad batch of amp boards and many of them got into the SD70's.

Neil

THe bad sounds followed the RS board so I think the Power supply is probably fine.  I would look for burned SMD device and the capacitors.  SInce it works with just poor sound.  The other thing to do is swap just the chips to your good engine.  If the sounds stay good, you know it is a hardware problem on the board.  I think Lionel sells a blank board.  This may save you some bucks if tyhe chips are good.  G

I don't know they sell a blank board, but you can take any RS4 board and just transplant the chips.  I know I can't buy bare chips, so I suspect the board may be a similar issue.  I was told several years ago that I couldn't get a blank board, but since then they've started selling a number of the RS4 sound sets on boards, so the thinking may have changed.

Well, they certainly look like the standard PLCC sockets to me, I've seen and used plenty of them.  I also seen a number of them broken by attempts to "pry" the chips out without the proper tool.  The PLCC extractor grabs two corners and pulls them straight out, this avoids damage to the chips and the socket.

If they come out too easily, the socket may be bad, because there should be reasonable contact tension on all sides of the chip.

Again, I really recommend you don't pry the chips out of the sockets, it's not a good idea.

The extractors used to be available at Radio Shack for a reasonable price.

By all means go buy a chip puller as in John's post above.  I noticed in the photos of the board that the small chip is set "deep" in the socket.  I had a locomotive with bad sound and the small chip was pressed down like that one.  I pulled the chip, put a small square of 0.020 styrene in the pocket then pressed the chip in place.  The sound worked fine after that.  Whether the side contacts on the chip made a better connection with the contacts in the socket, I don't know but it did fix my problem.

Sorry for my "chip" handling ignorance.  I took the advice and went to Radio Shack and bought the tool pictured above.  Out came the chips again, I polished the contacts with Scotchbrite, cleaned them, inspected everything  and put them back in.  No improvement. 

I will hold off on the new board purchase for a few days just in case some more ideas come in.   

John,  Here:   691PCB104C, but you only save $5.  Learn something new every day on this forum:-)

Steims, I would try Bob's advice with spacer, or use the handle of the chip extractor to press the chip in so it only goes flush with top of Chip Holder.    G

I figured they might have changed things.  $5 is $5, but I'd be tempted to buy with audio chips so I could have some test chips.  I personally have a number of sets, but not everyone has them handy.

Well for an update.  Called our friends at Lionel and found out the board (with chips) listed on the parts diagram is not available.  They recommended I get a repair authorization in March and send it (loco or just board??) in.  I played around with chip depth and no change.  I swapped the smaller chip (engine specific) to the known good loco and it sounded fine.   I then swapped the other larger chip over to the known good loco and it continued to work.  That tells me that the chips are both good and only the board is bad.  I am somewhat reluctant to put my control chips in the bad board. 

Anyway, it seems as if the board is the problem.  Any reason not to go ahead and buy the sound board w/o chips 691PCB104C?  It lists the board description as Railsounds 4.0.  This engine is suppose to be Railsounds 5.5.  Is the difference in the board or in the chips?

You will need a 691-RS50-C00 Audio board, this a 5.0/5.5 board. We have them in stock $42.00 shipped.

Bill

I had my credit card out ready to snap that board up from Bill.  But, even though it was against my better judgement, I did one last check of the loco #2 chips in the suspect bad board.  It worked.  Don't know why or how but I have 2 good sound boards again. 

I am not calling victory just yet.  I still want to get the cabs screwed down and a dozen test laps around the layout.  If they do that then I will stand down on the new board. 

FWIW, you should always swap out the two RS chips as a set.  Many times they work individually, but not always.

Let's call this one done!  The cab is back on and she sounds sweet.  Messing with the chips (using the correct tool) and swapping around boards is what it took to get things sounding good.  Thanks again to everyone for your suggestions.

Team OGR +1, Electrical Gremlins -1.

Now to address the rear roof grab rail but that is for a different forum.