Replacing PCB board in LC 0-8-0. Should I upgrade instead?

The chuff is generated internally by software with LC+.  Also, the LC+ has a flywheel encoder for speed control, it's not an upgrade that you can just drop in.

Thanks John,

I'll just replace it with the LC board.  At least they have it in stock. 

I must say though, the existing board is really sloppy, both soldering and assembly.

John

@Craftech posted:

I must say though, the existing board is really sloppy, both soldering and assembly.

John

John,

Can you post a picture of the sloppy board?

It would be nice to see whether that may have contributed in some way to the failure.

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

John,

Can you post a picture of the sloppy board?

It would be nice to see whether that may have contributed in some way to the failure.

Mike

However, I did try to boost the low volume it had since it was new by converting the speaker output to line level and then feeding it into a mini amp and then to the speaker.  It worked great until the derailment which shorted out and despite the TVS on the layout and the instant magnetic breaker the board fried.   So I am not sure the mess you see caused it.  Maybe the low initial volume?

John

Ordered the board and took the old one out.  What a mess.

Is all that Automotive Goop necessary?

Would it rattle that much with only a dab here and there?  It has two channels on the side and an adhesive foam strip above it on the inside top of the metal loco shell to hold it in place.

I may scrub the old one with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and see if I can find the audio power amp SOP IC (Chipower CE0030B) just for the heck of it.

John

@Craftech posted:

I may scrub the old one with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and see if I can find the audio power amp SOP IC (Chipower CE0030B) just for the heck of it.

Chipower CE0030B at AliExpress, about $1/ea if you buy five of them.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Chipower CE0030B at AliExpress, about $1/ea if you buy five of them.

Thanks John.  Never ordered from them.

Question:  The white PCB outline underneath it looks like an SOP-8 package, but the IC itself looks like a DIP-8 package??

The pinouts are the same, but I think the physical dimensions are different.

John

It's not a DIP package if it's surface mounted.  Measure the spacing of the pins, a DIP package is 2.54mm pin spacing, the SOP package is 1.27mm pin spacing.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

It's not a DIP package if it's surface mounted.  Measure the spacing of the pins, a DIP package is 2.54mm pin spacing, the SOP package is 1.27mm pin spacing.

Center to center they appear to be 1.27mm so SOP I guess.  Not sure what the 1008 on it means.  The dot in the upper left hand corner looks like DIP-8 according to the diagram, but the symbol underneath (not sure if you can see it) has a center notch.  A little confusing to me John.

Never mind, DIP packages fit into a socket.

Thanks,

John

Sent a PM, I have some of those on hand. I see this repair far too often. US suppliers don't tend to carry that specific chip and so long wait times from overseas. Because again, locally, I see my fair share of damaged Lionchief engines often steam caused by a drawbar short, began keeping these around rather than complete board replacements. Lionchief and Lionchief Plus (not 2.0- different board altogether) use the CE0030B

@Craftech posted:

Center to center they appear to be 1.27mm so SOP I guess.  Not sure what the 1008 on it means.  The dot in the upper left hand corner looks like DIP-8 according to the diagram, but the symbol underneath (not sure if you can see it) has a center notch.  A little confusing to me John.

Never mind, DIP packages fit into a socket.

Thanks,

John

The 1008 is a date code.

UPDATE:  Finished it today.

Vernon's kindness in sending me two CE0030B chips instead of having to order them from China is truly appreciated and it restored the sound following the short.

Meanwhile the replacement board from Lionel had arrived in a rather quick turnaround time so I tested it.

Lo and behold the replacement board is louder than the original one ever was even when it was new.

Not super loud (certainly could be louder so you can hear it better when two trains are running), but at least acceptable.

Wouldn't you know my grandson visited this past weekend and asked where his Union Pacific steam train was.  I told him I would be working on it right after he went home.  He'll be pleasantly surprised in two weeks when he comes back. 

Then again his birthday is in June so.........................................

Thanks everyone,

John