use of a BCR

Doubtful, unless BCR Shorted.  G

BCRs were tested by J&W. Also claim they tested good.  So I use it once and then the train wont charge again. its doubtful it caused a charging problem? I for one will not use them again, My opinion.

I just went through five MTH PS2 engines.  Some 5V and some 3V boards.  Installed new BCRs in all of them and all five have been running without any issues.

I have always heard good things, no luck with me. Every body I hear the same thing that is y I bought them. I personally will not. I wont take the chance. Happy they worked for you.   Respectfully Roy     End subject

I have installed around 8 BCR's in the last year and a half.  All were purchased over the internet.  All worked and are still working.

Never have had a problem with a BCR and I have about 200 of them installed in locomotives....so I think something else is going on here.....not sure what though.  As you said, they back up their product so did the replacements work?

I have heard it said that at least some of the PS1 boards cannot handle the voltage needed to charge the BCR, unless a modification is made - cannot pretend to recall the details.  Apparently, that was not an issue on the PS2 boards.  Hopefully someone on this listserve can supply the details.

I have been using BCRs on PS1 and PS2 engines for more than 15 years with never any problem or failures.

MELGAR

I have about seven P1 locos running flawlessly with BCR's installed.  I kept buying inexpensive P1 locos planning to use them as non power units but each time the locos were fine, so I inatalled a BCR in them and they still run like new.  Two powered P1 F40PHs going strong!

David thanks for the reply, Roy

PS-1 boards and PS-2 too, can develop charging issues.  So despite the fact a battery is connect and provides good voltage, it is not automatically charged.  For a BCR that means it won't work.  It can't charge so it can't provide a source of power.  A battery will, until it drains.  I bet you find your battery not working after some time too.  G

To GGG  it did charge it one time. Then it would not charge again even with another BCR yes you are probably right the battery will go dead without the charging system no longer working.

In all fairness I asked if anybody had problems with BCR not how many that had no problems with them.

Roy I think you received the responses about not having problems with BCR's because clearly your issue isn't with the BCR but rather the fact that your engines charging circuit isn't functioning correctly.  You seem to imply the BCR was somehow at fault.

It is always possible with the charging system being marginal, that something burned up when a dead BCR install and there is a surge of current to charge it.  May be as simple as the current limiting resistor going open.  G

Mitch I simply stated it worked 1 time and then would not work again and asked if anybody else had issues. The failure did not happen to you but you know item talked about is not the problem. 

My recollection from someone far more expert than me was that charging a dead battery, charging a new battery, or charging a BCR at high voltage would burn up the PS 1 board, and that any charging should be done at a lower voltage over a longer time rather than at a higher voltage.  This goes back years.  There was a guy that specialized in working on ProtoSound 1 systems who had a site up a decade or fifteen years ago; it is my vague recollection that he recommended not using the BCR unless the PS 1 board was modified somehow so that the higher voltage would not burn it up.  I believe he said the newer boards designed after the BCR had been out a while was designed to permit their use so it would not cause such issues.  I do not pretend to be expert in these matters, but that is my recollection of what someone said who knew a lot more about it than I did, or do!

David

I had a BCR take several minutes of running before an address change would stick. I did not do any tests during that period. I can only conclude that the particular engine's charging circuit took longer to charge the BCR. That engine has worked fine ever since. That was after the following engine issue...

 I had another instance (first one) where a used engine had dead batteries. The 3 volt board still acted like it had a dead battery, when a BCR was installed. I swapped the BCR with a set of the stock special AA batteries from another G scale MTH engine. Both engines ran fine ever since with that swap left in place.

All other instances of installing the 3 volt BCRs has been fine. I try to check them more after a swap and also monitor their life.

So I like G's post above about charging a dead BCR. Maybe these two are my oldest (bought used) G scale engines have weaker charging circuits? Also another thought, maybe they got that way from running with dead batteries?