Model Railway Forum

Paul-H wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:07 am One thing to watch with the Cobolts, they arrive with the mechanism set in the middle, to ease installation, and that is turned off once it's been screwed into place.

If you want to move the motor to another location there are instructions to recenter the motor, of the 12 I had 6 failed to work again after being recentered.

I no longer use DCC Concepts products

I went down the servo motor route and saved a small fortune.

I have to agree that there is a question mark over the reliabilty of the Cobalt motors. I sold all mine (about 25 IIRC) on the bay last year and tested each one before sellng. Two failed to move even after reprogramming and went in the bin. My new layout now uses servos like yourself.

As these motors all have a lifetime warranty, why are you not returning them?
Surely if the manufacturer finds lots of returns with the same defect they can amend their product to correct any found issues, but if they are "Binned" then they will never know and just keep making more of the same!

I didn't know about the lifetime warranty Brian, oh well too late now

Yes DCC Concepts offer a lifetime warranty so long as you're the original owner and have not fiddled with the innards or used a wrong power supply.
From their web site for anyone with similar problems in the future....


Cobalt Point Motors and Cobalt-S Lever Switches.
We have chosen the very best materials and taken great care with the design of our Cobalt turnout motor, using only the highest quality materials and incorporating such refinements as gold plated PCB switch contacts and a super strong and reliable drive system.

The warranty is therefore simple, generous, fair and clearly stated in plain English.

We designed Cobalt to last. We are pleased to offer Cobalt owners a lifetime warranty when any Cobalt point motor or Cobalt-S lever switch is installed and used in accordance with the instructions we provide, powered using the voltages we recommend and use on an indoor model railway in any scale.

(This Lifetime Warranty is not transferable and applies only to original owners who purchase their Cobalt turnout motors from an authorised Cobalt stockist.)

The warranty applies when any Cobalt point motor or Cobalt-S lever switch is used in any reasonable application as an actuator for point/turnout control, signal control or any similar or related model railway purposes, providing that it is installed with respect / without physical damage and has not been subjected to water or corrosive liquids, has been properly wired in accordance with our comprehensive instructions, operated within recommended supply voltages and power has been supplied to it by a properly rectified and regulated DC power supply or any NMRA compatible DCC decoder with a voltage and power output which meets NMRA recommended voltage specifications.

For the first year after purchase….

If your Cobalt turnout motor or any part of it fails under any fair and reasonable operating conditions within 12 months of purchase please return it to DCCconcepts or your retailer along with a copy of the purchase receipt.

If returning by mail or (enquiring by email) include a description of the installation and how it failed.

Providing that examination indicates clearly that the failure was not due to physical abuse, water or similar damage, over-voltage or excessive current loading on switch contacts, we guarantee that you will promptly receive a new Cobalt turnout motor free of charge.

Your retailer may also be able to look after you of course – However, if a warranty claim is not valid he may also be responsible for costs… So if your retailer is unsure of any issue relating to the failure or reluctant to decide, he may choose to refer the claim to us at DCCconcepts Pty Ltd along with your contact information. If that occurs, we will promptly assess the failure and if warranted, supply your replacement directly from our offices.

If your retailer refuses a claim, please do not despair. Contact us and explain the problem. Let us decide how we can look after you fairly. We really DO want all of our customers to be happy!

For the rest of the time you continue to own Cobalt….

If your Cobalt turnout motor or any part of your Cobalt turnout motor fails under what are reasonable operating conditions at any time after the initial 12 months of purchase, then we will assume full responsibility for the warranty.

Please contact DCCconcepts Ltd directly, advising of us how Cobalt or any of its components has failed. Once the required description of the failure and other information has been received (including proof of purchase if requested) we will then decide whether to ask you to return it for evaluation, repair or replacement, or… if it is a simple issue and if it will save you post cost and time, with your agreement we may simply replace it or offer to supply you with the parts needed to carry out the repair yourself.

Well I thought I had binned them but just had a look in my "To be checked/repaired" box and I stll have them, along with a Classic Omega one. So I'll test their promise and let you know.

teedoubleudee wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 1:59 pm Well I thought I had binned them but just had a look in my "To be checked/repaired" box and I stll have them, along with a Classic Omega one. So I'll test their promise and let you know.

I've sent some back in the past and they fixed them. However, I warn you they are currently short staffed due to the pandemic and behind on repairs. I've been waiting two Months for the return of a DCD-ADS-4SX accessory decoder. They have kept me informed though so can't complain.

I've been tortuously installing Cobalt IP Digital point motors (nowhere as easy as it looks on Youtube) but have a problem with setting the addresses. I am trying to communicate with the motors via a Digitrax DCS50 and it only seems capable of switching the motors over - not actually programming the address to start with. I emailed Digitrax and got the advice that with the point motor in the SET position I should be able to programme in the desired point number: it didn't work!

Anyone else on here had the same problem or got any advice or can offer any help?

Thanks for the advice folks: I think I must have been having a bad day as I now have one working. I've set the address on programming track on top of the workbench and I'm thinking it would be a good idea to set them all like this as I can see what I am doing and not working upside down. Then, surely, if I have assigned switch addresses to them all it will mean all I have to do is actually put them in place and test they work? Would save trying to change the SET/RUN switch (which is miniscule) upside down in poor light.

I don't know your DCC system, but generally you need to set the motors address via the systems Accessory method of control.. To set the address you need to move the ip switch to "Set" and enter the address needed, then once sent return the slide switch to "Run".
Go to the Accessory control on your DCC system and enter the Ip motors address number given and then pressing 1 or 2 will move the motor left or right.

I not sure if this video I made will help? Though it is not using your DCC system! But is a generic How To ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs6KzOY ... ianLambert

Brian wrote: ↑Tue Mar 23, 2021 10:28 am As these motors all have a lifetime warranty, why are you not returning them?
Surely if the manufacturer finds lots of returns with the same defect they can amend their product to correct any found issues, but if they are "Binned" then they will never know and just keep making more of the same!

In my case I didn't bother even trying to return them as I had already had one bad experience with the them so couldn't be bothered any more.

It's worth doing as DCC Concepts are very good. Email from them saying they tested my DCD-ADS-4SX accessory decoder and as one set switch was faulty they're sending a brand new one. We pay good money for these things so take them up on the warranties they offer.