Safe Guarding Electronics

You shouldn't be frying TMCC boards.  What transformer(s) are you using for track power and what voltage do you have on the rails?

Fivenehocs posted:

Over the past two months I have been having trouble with frying some R4LCs and one ERR AC Commander board. In order to safe guard the boards from myself, I thought it would be prudent to install a PTC Resettable Fuse Digikey part #MF-R075-0-99-ND  when I install an ERR Cruise Commander Light and TVS Digikey part # 1.5KE36CALFCT-ND in each engine regardless of the command board type. I would also place a TVS on all power outputs on the transformer and bricks.

From what I have read on the forum I know this is overkill, but I would rather be safe then sorry. Also since these two parts are inexpensive, especially when compared to the price of replacement boards it is cheap insurance. 

I would appreciate your thoughts, but please keep electric terminology very simple.

David

What size fuse are you using? Ten amps should be the maximum.

I use 7 amp fast blow circuit breakers and 32 volt bi-directional TVS units from www.mouserelectronics.com

Lee Fritz

I use 10amp fast blow fuses along with TVC'S across the transformer outputs. Fuses blow quickly when something is not right. Using postwar ZW'S for power and I replaced the original circuit breaker with a solid state breaker just to add more protection.

Never had any fried boards to add to the grill with the hot dogs.

Ted Bertiger posted:

I use 10amp fast blow fuses along with TVC'S across the transformer outputs. Fuses blow quickly when something is not right. Using postwar ZW'S for power and I replaced the original circuit breaker with a solid state breaker just to add more protection.

Never had any fried boards to add to the grill with the hot dogs.

 

You do realize that the post war ZW has the circuit breaker on the common side, correct? 

I have added four 7 amp fast acting circuit breakers after the A to D terminals on the hot side to have each power supply protected to my liking. Also using 32 volt bi-directional TVS(transient voltage suppressors) on each track lockon.

Lee Fritz

I don't have any external fuses on any of my lines. 3 blocks are powered with 180 bricks which are each connected to a TPC 300. The other 3 blocks are with a ZW transformer  6-32930 with 4 135 watt bricks. I have not added any additional circuit breakers to any of the power supplies since I have never had a problem like I described above except for the past several months.

The locomotive with the ERR AC Commander was running fine and it when it entered new block it slowed down almost to a crawl. I cut the power sensing something was wrong. When I slowly added power back to the track the locomotive responded with all the features and sound, but would not move. When I checked the leads to the wires the multimeter read 0 volts.  Since sound and other features were working it was obvious the board was getting power. I checked with the multimeter and it read 17.6 volts.

I also checked the block for any shorts but didn't find anything. All other locomotives run through the block without any problem. So I'm not sure what really is causing this problem, but want to do everything I can to prevent these mishaps. 

David

If all other engines work try to re-set or re-enter(delete and add in again) the engine on your command control unit.

Lee Fritz

Working with a Cab1 so there is no delete. I have  gone through re-setting the engine's ID and engine responds when I press the Set button on the Cab1, but it still has no power to the motors. I am not aware of any reset ID's like the Lionel boards do.

David

First, what are you doing that is damaging (it seems) your engines? I have TMCC, no special protection, modern Lionel bricks (NEVER use the old transformers on modern equipment), and mucho equipment - and I have "lost" 2 or 3 radio boards, max, in 20+ years. None from shorts or the like.

Second, look in you loco manuals and do a "reset features" using you CAB-1; this is a TMCC procedure from the very beginning. If the loco responds to a number set/change/re-do, there's hope for the electronics.

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Also - when my layout is not in use, all of it is unplugged from the wall (I have a central power strip for this). No physical connection to the power company. Many of us use this form of protection from surges and lightning, which may eat your stuff at any time. A surge protector will not protect you from lightning.

I have the reset details for Lionel Engines. I looked, but couldn't find any reset number for the ERR AC Commander. As I said before I never experienced anything like this in my 20+ years of operating Lionel equipment. If I knew what was causing the problem, I would stop doing it and fix it.

I appreciate all the comments, but I think I will end this discussion. I will do additional research to find what possibly is going wrong. 

David

You do realize that the post war ZW has the circuit breaker on the common side, correct? 

I replaced those old type breakers in the postwar ZW'S without another type of quick acting breaker. I have 10 amp fast blow fuses running on every hot side of each transformer to the tracks. A 19 cent fuse is a lot cheaper than melting boards.

First, what are you doing that is damaging (it seems) your engines? I have TMCC, no special protection, modern Lionel bricks (NEVER use the old transformers on modern equipment),

True about old transformers unless you update the internal circuit breaker and/or use some type of fast blow fuses from transformer to track. I use postwar ZW'S without any issues. Been this way for almost 25 years.

Just be smart about running modern equiment.