Put the meter on the diode test mark between the 200 and the 'Out', about opposite where it is above. When I checked a few I got '1' with the probes on one end and 600-700 with the probes reversed. Check ( THIS ) out. Sumner
at the time i purchased a larger buy [of ten decoders], the lais were approximately half the cost of the digitrax, roughly 12 bucks [us] each ....
Everyone here told me Lais were super cheap but they only came in a little cheaper than a Digitrax , I bought 8 ....... now they are 10% more expensive than a Digitrax and so far evidence says they fail with ease.
Excellent ....... you're advice , , not the test result ! I tried the setting and only got '1' from the diode with the tiny bubbles in it and the one beside it no matter which way around I put the probes. I touched the probes together and the multimeter makes a buzz sound so that must mean power can go straight through. I did test the other 2 diodes just to see if I was doing something wrong but I did get a result from those ... it was 257 on each diode.
I got two a couple years ago (pre-COVID) and they were $12 and installed one. Loco ran fine but I don't even have 30 minutes on it so who knows. I was going to buy some more to put in locos I would probably never run very much but as you mentioned prices went up and I couldn't even find the one I had gotten before. I'll put the other one in something at some point along with a number of Digitrax decoders I got for about $16 each before prices went up. Are you going to try and replace the diodes and see what happens? They aren't expensive but freight might make it not worth it. Today when I was looking at the meter settings I saw that I have some but don't know off hand without checking again which ones and what size. They look to be 0402's or 0630's, I could measure. I could throw a couple in an envelope but maybe there is someone closer to you that could do the same. Let me know if you want me to look at the ones I have closer. Sumner
I very much appreciate the offer to post some diodes but I'll try to find some closer to home ..... preferably this side of the Pacific. The postage cost could be awful. For now I'm wondering if I should put another Laisdcc in or try a different brand of decoder. Do you think the Lais died due to a wiring fault or something else ?
I'd have no idea but if you have another I'd use it. If there is something going on with the install and/or loco that caused the problem I'd bet that it would fry any brand that you put in there. I'd do the install but before putting it on the track take the ohm meter and read between one motor cap at a time to the frame. Put the meter on the lowest ohm reading (usually 200) check for a short between that motor cap and the frame. Do both. If there is a short 0 or close to it reading find out where it is and correct it before going on. Check both sides of the motor leads (gray/orange). The diodes I have are so small (maybe too small) that they could go in a regular envelope, Sumner
I checked the motor and chassis with the old decoder and seemed to be getting some kind of circuit but it was intermittent. I will check this again once the new decoder is wired in. In the meantime I've become quite paranoid about ways power can get from anywhere to anywhere. I've milled the corner off the back top of the second bogie weight. It got close but should not have contacted anything. I've increased the clearance between the upper chassis and the upper motor brush. I did have Kapton tape on the surfaces previously. I'm going to make some new fibre washers that go in between the motor body and the brushes caps. I'm changing them from round to square so that the entire metal surface is covered. I will probably make new copper contacts to connect the brushes with the grey and orange wires. Maybe I can make them easier to solder the wires on, ..... and save the old contacts instead of cutting them.
