PS2 Y6b Another Tether Help Request

Where exactly are you seeing sparking?  An exact MTH model number is always useful to help us help you.

If you're talking about the PS/2 curly tether, there is a replacement available that you can simply splice in 1:1 to replace the old plug and wire.  Some locomotives have a plug inside the tender so it's just a plug-n-play affair to replace the tether.

For the engine connector, sometimes the pins break free and need to be resoldered.  That's a bit trickier for a novice solder jockey to handle.

I don't understand what board you're talking about unless it's the little connector board for the tether in the locomotive.

Sorry John. 30-1438-1

The connector in the tender does have a plug in the tender.

Yes, it is the connector board for the tether in the back of the engine. The spark is at the two small solder dots between the white wires and the yellow wires.

Or that is where it seems to spark.

Thanks again for your help to me and the entire community.

Bill

You need to flow in solder at the pin junction.  Not the pad where the wires attach.  If you can't do it, an electronic tech that can solder (TV Repair) could do this.  If the white and yellow pins are at issue you should see motion problems and loss of lights and or smoke heat.

Or the other problem is that some where on the engine side the white or yellow wire have broken insulation and is touching chassis.  This could also be an issue with Mux board in  engine.  This all assumes no problem with tether.  Already discussed.  G

What he said.  That's what I was talking about in resoldering the pins in the engine connector.  This happens a lot with the older 4-pin connectors, I don't see it nearly as much with the 10-pin connectors.

Thank you both for your replies.

Sounds like I should try a new tether, just because that's the easiest.

I'll try to find an expert at soldering.

Or just send it out to be repaired!

Thanks Again,

Bill

If it's sparking where you indicate, a new tether is NOT going to solve your problem, you need to fix the solder joints on the motor connection pins!  I seriously doubt there's anything wrong with the tether.

Thanks, that was my original thought. But thought it might make a difference.

Two further questions, please:

Can I buy a new 10 pin connector from MTH? And would it be any better than the old connector?

If I decided to hard wire the connection do I just match up the wires with the same color from the tender to the engine? I'm not really sure it would matter to me that I couldn't disconnect them.

Thank you very much for your advice.

Bill

You don't need a connector, all you need to do is solder those two pins!  Replacing the connector or hard wiring the tether will involve a lot more soldering, just fix what you have! 

Don't make a simple job complicated!

Understood John!

Gotta be someone local who can do the soldering.

Thanks,

Bill

If not and you want to ship out I can do it.  G

G, email sent using the address in your profile.

Thanks,

Bill

I would like to publicly thank GGG for the excellent service provided to fix my Yb6.

And at very reasonable cost. AND super quick turn around.

This forum is very lucky indeed to have both GGG and Gunrunner John providing advice that is priceless.

Bill

You are welcome. G