i tried searching the web but cant seem to find a good instruction on how to isolate the motor. im wanting to put a dcc decoder on one of my older dc loco. im a picture kind of guy who needs to look at pics in order to understand things. could any of you guys post some links on instructions on how to isolate the motor.
thanks!
just open the loco up. You will see one brush connected to the frame in many locos. disconnect it.
bachmann and some others use a split frame. isolate both motor brushes from each side of the frame.
it will help to post the loco model/manufacturer in a post. i think some diesels can be a challenge.
get yourself a multimeter to check for continuity and shorts. i always check my wiring after a dcc install and I have done electronics for many years. murphy knows when you are doing things like this.
the 44 ton link shows you one example.
here are some links to look through. there are many variations depending on scale, type of loco, etc.
http://www.google.com/search?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=dcc+isolate+motor&btnmeta%3Dsearch%3Dsearch=Search+the+Web
don't forget to measure motor current at say 12 volts dc with a load on the drivers. i do that with dcc installations.
lex