Soldering (Electrical)

[sandy]

Wasted loads of time yeaserday wondering why the frog of a Peco left hand point was dead when all the wiring seemed to be correct and working. I tested everything but forgot to test the seep motor switch. Guess what. Faulty Gaugemaster SEEP motor switch. Brand new out of packet. Wasted hours and my back is still aching crawling under the baseboards.

[sandy]

Cleaned contacts with IPA and it works. That point motor cost me ages, but I should have tried cleaning the contacts before.

[Steve M]

Sandy, presumably you are using the Seep to switch frog polarity? Are you DC or DCC? (You have probably already said, but I can’t remember.)

[sandy]

Hi Steve how are you feeling to day.
Yes thats right Steve. First time have converted some electrofrog points to reverse polarity frogs. Thought it would improove slow running through them. Had devel of job finding the correct way to alter the points. They are working fine now. I had some old points to practice on.

[Steve M]

I was going to suggest, if you are DCC, that you try the Gaugemaster autofrog module rather than the Seep switch.
I use Seeps almost exclusively but I added the auto frogs as a more reliable method of frog switching and kept the Seep switches for mimic board lights. Not an option for DC I'm afraid.

[sandy]

I am DC . Got far to many DC locos to even think about going DCC.

[Walkingthedog]

That was the same with me Sandy, I had far too many locos to convert, but now I only have 12 locos and guess what, still DC.

[Steve M]

I am DC . Got far to many DC locos to even think about going DCC.

Oh well, worth a try.

[sandy]

Thank you very much Steve for thinking of me. Hope your better soon.
I even have my first train set from 11th birthday. in my collection thats definately not DCC

[Simon_100]

Morning all from very hot and sunny Spain!

Another numpty newbie question, this time now that I'm on the soldering task and am coming unstuck with wiring to the rails. I'm using droppers as Brian and others have suggested and for this found some 2.5 mm brass wire. But I can't get the solder to do anything with this and I'm wondering of the wore is acting and a heat sink, preventing the heat from the iron reaching the required temperature to melt the solder.

I've had rather better success with soldering connections to switches tho' so i must be doing something right. But I am feeling like an 'All the gear and no idea' munchkin tho' as I've followed all the advice I've seen on here and Youtube, etc. about fluxed lead solder, tinning the head, etc. etc. Is there something obvious that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance folks

Simon