I recently purchased a hawthorne village marines locomotive and have install a digitrax dcc decoder with sound. My question is: Do I have to isolate the motor or is it already isolated the way it is? If it is not isolated how do I remove the motor to isolate it from the frame?
I am confused, did you do the install, before determining this?
Yes I did but it looked like the motor was isolated. However, I am concerned about cooking my decoder that is why I am asking this question. I assume there is a way to test this with a multimeter without disassembling the loco.
Have a pic with the shell off you can post?
I tried but it tells me the file is too big and it's only 103kb
(see my reply to you on the other Thread you started)
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f25/Carl_Cioffi/WP_20160802_12_59_09_Pro_zpsyi5slrgl.jpg)
Bigger picture in a wider field would be better, but it's a good start. If there are a total of 4 wires from the trucks that are soldered directly to the motor (2 wires to each contact on the motor) then I say, yes, it's isolated.
It looks like what you have there is a chassis type found on the Plus and Standard Lines F7A which is also very similar to the FT Standard Line chassis. Check out this site below as well as on here for info (Search under something like "DCC install on F7A") and pics that match what you have there:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/FP7-B/bachman_fp7-b.htm
**Note that the one in the above site, bc it uses the frame to conduct, does not start off with the motor isolated.
I can see the two wires from one side of the trucks but the other side is grounded to the chassis.
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f25/Carl_Cioffi/Hawthorne%20Village/WP_20160803_08_27_03_Pro_zpsodbx30bj.jpg)
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f25/Carl_Cioffi/Hawthorne%20Village/WP_20160803_07_42_45_Pro_zpssoegzpa8.jpg)
Decoder installation should be similar to the Bachmann F-9 installation shown at:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/EMD%20F9/EMD_F9.html (http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/EMD%20F9/EMD_F9.html)
While this shows using a TCS decoder, the steps are the same for any brand hardwire decoder.
Len
From a pure electrical point of view I don't understand why they clip the chassis wiper but I am going to remove the motor and trucks and check this out. I did notice they remove the wire from the chassis. I will have to make some modifications to my wiring just to be safe.
Quote from: CarlGCioffi on August 03, 2016, 09:11:50 AM
From a pure electrical point of view I don't understand why they clip the chassis wiper...
Quote from: jbrock27 on August 02, 2016, 07:13:06 PM
...bc it uses the frame to conduct, does not start off with the motor isolated.
Quote from: Len on August 03, 2016, 08:55:21 AM
Decoder installation should be similar to the Bachmann F-9 installation...
Len
...or this one, right
Len? ::)
Quote from: jbrock27 on August 02, 2016, 07:13:06 PM
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/FP7-B/bachman_fp7-b.htm
JB - Similar, but I like the F-9 description better because it shows you need to remove the fuel tank to access the screws on the bottom of the chassis.
Len
So after resoldering and wiring I get to the train club and I hear this grinding sound. After close inspection I find the end of one of the driveshafts is split where it connects to the worm gear but the decoder install is fine.
Quote from: CarlGCioffi on August 03, 2016, 04:20:12 PM
the decoder install is fine.
Glad to hear that (at least a portion of) this project worked out :)
Quote from: Len on August 03, 2016, 02:07:46 PM
...it shows you need to remove the fuel tank to access the screws on the bottom of the chassis.
Len
I hear you
Len, but gotta believe for someone tackling a decoder install, it is not above their ability to figure out how to get to the motor mount screws. There is also the Bachmann Parts Index Page here, a good place for someone to look first before asking questions. Plus, you know the saying about leading a horse to the watering hole, right ;)
Actually I did figure out to take the 2 screws out of the fuel tank but the motor didn't come out that easy the first time and I know how easy it is to break some of the plastic parts. Sometimes there are also plastic clips in there and if you don't release them properly they just snap off. It was much easier once I figured out I wasn't going to break anything but thanks for the help anyways. I do have an engineering degree but like I said I've broken pieces before. Decoder installs really aren't that difficult. Although I must say it was quite an experience installing decoders in my N-scale RDCs. Being almost 65 my eyes aren't quite as sharp as they used to be. Now I wear reading glasses and I still need a lighted magnifying glass just to be able to see those 30 gauge wires once I strip off the insulation. I was a bit puzzled though when my headlight only came on in reverse but then I remembered having this problem once before and finding the CV 33,34 fix for this online.
Quote from: CarlGCioffi on August 03, 2016, 07:34:40 PM
Actually I did figure out to take the 2 screws out of the fuel tank
Just like I knew you would be able to ;)
Thanks for you confidence. I now have at least a dozen which I have converted to DCC including 3 HO rdcs and 4 n-scale rdcs. Each one gets a little easier and my soldering skills with those tiny wires have gotten much better.
You're welcome dude! Go for it!
What kind of soldering tool do you have?
Oldie but goodie. Probably from the 60's and goes all the way up to 850 degrees.
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f25/Carl_Cioffi/Hawthorne%20Village/WP_20160803_19_53_22_Pro_zpsbk8vuacy.jpg)
Looks like a classic! And I bet works like one! A station is the way to go.
This one was free and it came from my late father and probably one of the last great TV repairmen. May he rest in peace.