I bought a Digitrax decoder (can't remember the number right now) before Christmas and installed it in my pre-1990 Athearn loco. All was working fine albeit with a slower top speed than I expected/remember from DC only. Since I don't have a permanent layout yet I have ripped and replaced the track multiple times trying to get something I liked. This last iteration (with 2 not fully connected/wired reverse loops), the loco wasn't running right. It really seemed like the track wasn't electrically connected completely as the lights would stop and the movement would stop/start often during testing. Wiggling the track mostly got it to keep the LED lit, but it would still stop/start badly, sometimes having to push it before it would pick up. Then it required bending the positive wire from the decoder to the motor (shell is off for other reasons right now). Then the positive wire popped off with the top part of the trace from the decoder. Tried resoldering it last night but now it doesn't move at all. Put a voltmeter on things and get ~18VAC on the track (and the LEDs light up on the loco) as well as ~3VDC, which I don't get. I don't get any voltage at all coming from the motor terminals on the decoder. I don't know if the decoder is bad, if I fried it getting everything working initially (DCC++ and I had difficulties), if I am overdriving it with 18VAC, if I just can't solder anymore.... Any ideas? Things to check? T.
If wire pop of, sounds like you have a short. Could be the chassis is live or your motor isn't isolated.
Last night i was able to get it working with a second set of connections for the motor. I dunno but it seems to be ok now. Tom
Also, make sure you have good DCC connections to the rails. If you are adjusting rails, you may not have a good signal across the entire track, if you have a long stretch of track without feeders.
