# Does anyone repair circuit boards?



## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

While testing my installation of a sound board on my N-scale Kato PA-1 (body still off), I suddenly saw one of the tiny components light up really bright and a string of smoke ensued. Now the loco will either do nothing at all, will run forward no matter what the throttle or direction setting, or run backwards the same way. Is there a repair place for boards, or should I just consider this money up in smoke and get a new one? This board I bought quite some time ago, so I'm sure there's no warranty on it, and I do think I found where I touched solder to the wrong place.


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## trains galore (Jul 22, 2013)

Sounds to me like the decoder short circuited
I run dc, but I do know that replacing surface mount components can be very difficult/next to impossible, you need a re flow oven etc not something many can do without very specialized equipment
I did find these guys, I don't know if they could actually fix your decoder, but maybe you could try http://www.dccsupplies.com/installations.htm
Good luck!


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Trains galore, I looked at the link you gave me, and it looks to be British...prices are in pounds. Also, it couldn't find any contact info on that page.

Thanks so much for trying. I really do appreciate your efforts.

I just got to their home page, and they indeed are in England. That'd make it too expensive to attempt a repair through them. Again, thank you for trying.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

If you have a local community college, that has a competent electronics program, you might try them. At least the one I went to, would have welcomed a challenge like that.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

If you have a local community collage, with a competent electronics program, you might try them, as they are usually looking for things to repair. I know the one I went too, would have welcomed the challenge.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Who made the decoder?
N scale sound I'm betting MRC?
I have been able to fix a few of mine in the past.
Now being a dealer I just send them in and let them fix them.


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## spoil9 (Dec 24, 2008)

If it was through-hole components I'd say send it to me and I'd fix it for you for only the cost of parts and shipping. But I don't have the equipment anymore to fix surface mount stuff. It's proved to be not worth the cost of parts/equipment/time to repair it. Easier to send it back to the manufacture and hope they can help or to just buy a new one. Isn't technology great? lol


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

smd boards are easier to repair than thru hole, desolder station makes a diffrence...
only one drawback... a lot of boards have component id sanded off, makes it tough..
does the popped part have visible id??


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

NIMT said:


> Who made the decoder?
> N scale sound I'm betting MRC?
> I have been able to fix a few of mine in the past.
> Now being a dealer I just send them in and let them fix them.


NIMT,you're right, it's an MRC sound decoder #0001958 drop-in for Kato PA-1. I hadn't thought of the college here, I'll give them a call. Thanks.

Spoil9, it is a surface mount component. If I can't get it done through our college, I'll contact MRC to see if they can do anything.

WVGCA, the component is a small rectangular part with no ID on it. (I have another identical board to put in my other PA-1.) It has 6 solder points on it, 3 on each side.


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## Ray Haddad (Feb 19, 2014)

The problem may be harder to fix than you might imagine. Often times when a catastrophic failure of a component occurs. You can have cascading issues from that kind of dramatic failure. It may have caused one of the outputs from the processor to fry, for example, making repair by an outside technician impossible. In other words, you can't assume that simply replacing that one component will fix things.

No matter what component it is, it is probably a very low cost item because SMT parts are generally cheap. Transistors, FETs or even driver chips are normally less than $1 each. That's the good news. So if you get a volunteer to help you change it out, it is most certainly worth the effort.

When I buy SMT parts from eBay, I have to buy them in multiples of 10, 25 or even 100. But that doesn't deter me. I just bought 100 resettable fuses for $4.99 including shipping making the cost per item a mere 5c. You get the idea.

Give it a try or have someone give it a try but just be prepared for the problem to be more than just the single item. And while you are at it, think about putting a resettable fuse on the board in the right place. Works wonders.


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## trains galore (Jul 22, 2013)

The main problem with these kind of things is as said above, you could have have destroyed multiple components and unfortunately it's hard to read the smd markings to get a new one. Also if one of the inputs outputs of the processor got destroyed, your chip now has two unusable inputs/outputs so the design won't work without swapping them around etc.

Probably easier to buy a new chip in the end, everyone makes mistakes, just triple check those solder joints before you turn on the power, all too easy to accidentally bridge something
It is very worthwhile to get a work light with a magnifier built in, they are brilliant for focusing in on the circuit board to inspect it

Good luck!


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thank you all for the replies, I surely do appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experiences.

I called our college here, no such program. I plan to ask a computer repair shop it they might try it. According to what "trains galore" said, I probably can't do any worse than if they destroy it, if they even are willing to take it on.

I sent an email to MRC asking they do repairs, no reply from them yet.

I found a couple different prices for a replacement board...I strongly imagine it's going to come to that. I think I'll also be shopping for a lighted magnifier...these eyes are nowhere near what they used to be!!

Thanks again guys, you're all great.
....Bob


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I think you'll end up with a replacement board. Once you see something like that, there could be a lot of components that are gone. I work on the O-gauge boards, but the N-scale stuff is simply too small for me.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I think you'll end up with a replacement board. Once you see something like that, there could be a lot of components that are gone. I work on the O-gauge boards, but the N-scale stuff is simply too small for me.


Finally.....................Something electronic that John can't fix. 
Besides a Lionel Scout 1110 locomotive.


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

If there's no ID on the component, how do you plan on replacing it ? I'd be really surprised if you get any information on the part from MRC. The decoders are made over-seas for them, they're not going to have any replacement components or even any knowledge of what they might be.

In the big picture, as everyone has already suggested, even if you do manage to find the correct replacement and get it installed - something else could very well be wrong as well. I had a decoder give off the mini-fire show once and it burned off a few of those hair-thin circuit traces as well .... can't fix those when they're gone !

Mark.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

Nah, it can be fixed as long as the board (or substrate) itself is not burned up. It's not a problem if you can throw money at it (my partner was a senior officer at CMS and that is one of her favorite sayings). At $15-$25 the decoder will be a whole lot cheaper than the repair costs.


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## Ray Haddad (Feb 19, 2014)

Mark R. said:


> If there's no ID on the component, how do you plan on replacing it ?


From his description, it is an output component - a driver. Those are always in pairs so there will be a matching set to drive it in the direction opposite. It may be the forward drive section of an H-Bridge or even an H-Bridge chip but either way, a part can be found.

The real issue is how much other tiny stuff got damaged. As has been said already, just buy a new one. Technicians are not cheap. Troubleshooting time can make the repair cost over $100 and the cost of a replacement starts to look really, really good.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> Finally.....................Something electronic that John can't fix.
> Besides a Lionel Scout 1110 locomotive.


Well, the Scout 1110 isn't electronic, one can argue it's barely electric.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, the Scout 1110 isn't electronic, one can argue it's barely electric.


The problem that you had with the 1110 seemed to be within the electrical aspect of it?
But in the end you found the purrrrfect fix. 

Get a nice lighted magnifying glass and I would bet that you could fix the microscopic N scale.
Though with all the O fixing you do, I guess you wouldn't have the time. :smokin:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, I don't really know what the issue was, but I'm pretty convinced it was the oddball mechanical shifting of the field coil to accomplish the E-Unit function.

For the price of the DCC encoders, it's rarely cost effective to do anything more than replace an obvious single component failure. When the _magic smoke_ is released, it's time to buy a new one.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I got a reply from MRC. They said to send the board in and they would see. I'm gonna limit them to about $40 for repair...a new board can be gotten for $60, so I sure don't want them to outspend me!

Once again, I appreciate everyone's advice and info. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Here's an update: Got an email yesterday from MRC, they said they would REPLACE my damaged board if I send them $19. That's way cheaper than what I paid for the original, and since I admitted the failure of the first one was most likely my fault, I feel they're treating me quite well. It's taken just over a month, but I'm thinking the wait was worth it.

Thanks, MRC!! :appl: :smilie_daumenpos:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Glad you got a successful resolution. 

Let's be careful out there, the _*magic smoke*_ is easily released from those little N-scale boards.


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