Is It Hard to Isolate Motor in Atlas RS3 Classic Version.

[Kisatchie]

Since I'm having no luck selling my RS3, I've decided to keep it and put a TCS CN decoder in it. The decoder instructions say the motor has to be isolated. What does that involve?

A forum member has offered to do the conversion for me when I'm ready, but I'd like to know what would be a fair price to give him for his labor. If the motor isolation is time-consuming, I want to be sure he's compensated properly.

Thanks.


Hmm... give me the loco.
I'll flatten it with a
sledgehammer - no
more problem...

[jdcolombo]

It's not that big a deal.  The RS3 classic has phosphor-bronze tabs from each motor brush that contact the frame.  To isolate the motor, you pull these tabs out from the frame, cut them off at the motor brush, leaving about 1/8" to solder the motor wires from the decoder, and then use kapton or electrical tape around the frame and/or brushes at the points at which these tabs otherwise would contact the frame.  Done.  5-minute job.

I have no idea what commercial installers charge for a non-sound hard-wire install like the TCS CN.  Honestly, it shouldn't take someone familiar with the process more than about 30 minutes to do the entire installation. 

Here's are two photos of my RS3 sound install that shows the motor wires soldered to the brush tabs and electrical tape wrapped around the brushes after soldering the wires to the motor.  This isn't complicated.





John C.

[Kisatchie]

Thanks!


Hmm... I've never replied
in orange letters before...

[mighalpern]

I have 3:
 done the same way, very easy to do.
just make sure to isolate the motor leads with tape ( not from contact allowed and trim the wires to length.
the frame halves when assembled will power the decoder and then finally trim the wires for the lights