Digitrax Zephyr issue

[ICG/SOU]

Earlier this year (June) I had something happen to my Zephyr (it was plugged in, on, yet no trains running/track power not on) and an electrical smell clued me in that something was wrong. The readout was off, and it would not work. I sent it back to Digitrax to find out what happened and to fix it, and after a month and $35, they sent it back, fixed, but am still not sure what was wrong with it to begin with, or if it was something I did.

Two nights ago, after being in the kitchen for a few minutes, I smelled that same electrical smell, and went to check it. The readout was on, but the track power wasn't (how I'd left it), but on the back left side (the side away from the wires) was hot to the touch. I unplugged it. After a few minutes, I wanted to see if it still worked, so I plugged it back in, selected a locomotive, and started running. After a minute or two, it was much cooler to the touch than before, when it was just unplugged.

Since then, I've run it a while, and it never gets hot like it did. I figured, like the first time, if the Zephyr is plugged in but not doing anything, that's when it burned out once, and almost did a second time.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

[efram]

I own a Zephyr and I've left it plugged in (with no track power) for hours with no overheating issue. It would get warm, but nothing melted or smoldered. Have you tried calling Digitrax? Usually, tech support is quite helpful.

 

[Western Star]

Nope, I often leave my Zephyr plugged in with track power on or off for hours/days/weeks at a time. I've had no overheating issues.

I would be wondering if there is a parital short somewhere. Does it get hot when not connected to the layout at all? Does it pop into short circuit mode and shut itself off when you lay a quarter on the track?

 

[ICG/SOU]

It passes the quarter trick just fine (and I'm running a PM42 and have 4 power districts).

It seems to be an issue, though only twice, when track power is not on.

I will contact Digitrax again to find out anything. I figured with several users here, I'd ask first to see if it ever happened to them.

 

[Larry Launstein Jr]

Earlier this year (June) I had something happen to my Zephyr (it was plugged in, on, yet no trains running/track power not on) and an electrical smell clued me in that something was wrong. The readout was off, and it would not work. I sent it back to Digitrax to find out what happened and to fix it, and after a month and $35, they sent it back, fixed, but am still not sure what was wrong with it to begin with, or if it was something I did.

Two nights ago, after being in the kitchen for a few minutes, I smelled that same electrical smell, and went to check it. The readout was on, but the track power wasn't (how I'd left it), but on the back left side (the side away from the wires) was hot to the touch. I unplugged it. After a few minutes, I wanted to see if it still worked, so I plugged it back in, selected a locomotive, and started running. After a minute or two, it was much cooler to the touch than before, when it was just unplugged.

Since then, I've run it a while, and it never gets hot like it did. I figured, like the first time, if the Zephyr is plugged in but not doing anything, that's when it burned out once, and almost did a second time.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Trey:

I had a similar problem this week. What happened is my Zephyr burned out. The early signs were that I could not program (d nd) error message would come on, and as I was running trains, the LED display would flash off and on. Then, finally, I got smoke coming out of my LocoNet ports. I had to send it back to Digitrax, too. It appears this is happening on a lot of the older units. I bought mine just two years ago, but it could have been one of those older units. With it being the Christmas holiday, I don't think I'll be seeing it soon. I'm a member of the Digitrax Yahoo Groups, and I have had people tell me they have had the same problem.

 

[ICG/SOU]

Thanks, Larry.

I've resolved that I will keep the Zephyr until I get some funds together for a Superchief. I'll then pull the Zephyr off the line and use it for programming and other small stuff. My Zephyr is only a year in use (don't know how long ago it was manufactured, and there isn't a serial number on it to inquire), and with one repair already, I've lost my faith in it.

There is a local dealer that I know that sells his Digitrax stuff for some of the same prices Model Train Stuff/MB Klein does. It wouldn't make financial sense for me to pay $150 for another Zephyr when I can get a SC for roughly $100 or so more, minus throttle (I already have 2 DT400s).