# Burning circuit board component



## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I have two N-scale Kato PA-1s. I bought MRC drop-in sound decoders (#0001958) for them. Some time back, I installed one, but had electric contact problems where the plastic clip holds things down. Going by this link: http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Kato/PA-1/PA-1.html
(Their board is different from MRC's) I gently soldered it as they show in the link. I ran the loco for a couple seconds, and saw a certain tiny component glow brightly and go up in smoke. On examination I thought I saw where some solder had bridged across at one spot.

I sent the decoder back to MRC with explanation, and for $20 they sent me a new one. Today I installed that new one, and it still didn't work. Of course, as luck has it, since my first try the plastic hold-down clip has disappeared. Holding the board down made it work, so I soldered it just a tiny bit at the same connections as before, making sure there was no solder bridge. Exact same results...it ran about 3 feet, glow, smoke on the same tiny component.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? I'm extremely gun-shy about trying to install in the 2nd loco! I'm about to drop my DCC plans and just go back to DC, since that's the boards that were in the locos.

It's this kind of results that makes me want to give up model railroading!!


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## Dcr_inc (Dec 14, 2015)

Can you post a picture of the smoked component ?

Don't give up on DCC, it's well worth the effort.. You have either a short or the motor is pulling more than the decoder can handle..


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thank you for the reply. No, I cannot post a picture of anything. For some reason I cannot get photo service places to handle my pics, and I cannot post pictures. Besides, it is such a tiny component, I can't get a decent close-up pic of it.

I have been in touch with MRC and they are one last time honoring the $20 return, so will be sending me a new board.

I have been in touch with Mike Fifer at fiferhobby.com, and am going to send my two locos to him for installation of the boards. In the long run, I figure it'll be cheaper!!

As you suggest, I'm sure there's a short somewhere, but I'm not enough of a mini-electronics tech to figure it out. Thanks again for answering.
:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Dcr_inc (Dec 14, 2015)

Good luck.. Don't give up on DCC..


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