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DCConcepts PSU2 Problem


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My PSU2 unit failed, smoke, buzzing and most of my control panel LEDs fried.

 

Subsequent check showed the unit was outputting 18v and 37v - twice what its supposed to.

 

Everything connected to manufactures instructions; PSU, Cobalts, Control Panel etc.  I printed everything from their web site and produced a manual, instructions followed to the letter.

 

Contacted Hattons but its out of their six months warrantee, told to contact the manufactured who would replace it as its under a year old.

 

DCConcepts not interested, got the big fob-off, its your fault, "you must have had a prolonged short".  If the unit is so susceptible to shorts why no safety cut out, after all 50 year old Triang power units had such a feature, if there was a short or overload a little red button popped up.

 

Very poor service, DCConcepts claim to support their customers, if they were a UK company Trading Standards would be on the case.  It seems the warrantee on this unit is worthless; I will not be buying another.

 

A very dissatisfied EX-customer.

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  • RMweb Gold

If you bought the item new with a 12-months guarantee, then it's Hatton's responsibility to deal with it. They can't fob you off saying they only provide 6 months warranty.

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Your contract is always with the retailer, not the manufacturer. Any guarantee offered by the manufacturer is in addition to, not a replacement for, your statutory right under UK law. There is no fixed time limit in UK law, it comes down to reasonable expectations, although 6 years is often cited as a limit. The six month limit is the period during the onus is on the retailer to show that the unit did not have an inherent fault. After that you have to show that the unit was faulty.

 

It sounds like someone at Hattons has read, but not fully understood the Sale of Goods act, now replaced by the Consumer Right Act http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act#link-7

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Team,

While we support the warranty rights of all our customers, we do become concerned when customers provide some misleading information.   DCCconcepts products are robust provided that they are used in according to instructions.  In this case, our customer has demonstrated (by his own hand) that he has NOT followed the supplied instructions nor those represented on the DCCconcepts website.  It is the deviation from the instruction (albeit not done with any malicious intent on his part) that has resulted in product failure.

 

The PSU2 power supply is a low cost 5A supply with a fully regulated split voltage supply specifically designed for use with DCC system.  To keep the price down, some features such as leakage current detection (to protect the outputs against low current short circuits) were omitted.  

 

The old Traing power supplies are simple, robust and low cost half wave rectified supplies however if you short the DC outputs you risk melting the transformer winding insulation and destroying the power supply.  These basic supplies are not suitable for DCC use as the voltage is not sufficiently regulated.

 

In many cases DCCconcepts will supply a replacement in good faith even when the damage is NOT related to warranty.  DCCconcepts aims to help customers as best they can, but are not always in a position to be able to do so; particularly when separated by half the globe. 

 

I have always found that, as a general rule, the world works much better together when we are all honest with each other.

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  • RMweb Gold

Team,

While we support the warranty rights of all our customers, we do become concerned when customers provide some misleading information.   DCCconcepts products are robust provided that they are used in according to instructions.  In this case, our customer has demonstrated (by his own hand) that he has NOT followed the supplied instructions nor those represented on the DCCconcepts website.  It is the deviation from the instruction (albeit not done with any malicious intent on his part) that has resulted in product failure.

 

 

 

That wasn't written in the original post, so how can you come to that conclusion

What the OP actually stated was:-

 

 

Everything connected to manufactures instructions; PSU, Cobalts, Control Panel etc.  I printed everything from their web site and produced a manual, instructions followed to the letter.

 

Where has Tony demonstrated that he has not followed the instructions?

A bit of miss information somewhere.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

 

Edited for clarity

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No misleading info given and I strongly object to the insinuation, I repeat, I followed the instructions on the web site and would also comment that we are railway modellers not electronics engineers.

 

This e-mail just in from DCConcepts, I can't copy and paste it in so its attached as a pdf

 

 

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

No misleading info given and I strongly object to the insinuation, I repeat, I followed the instructions on the web site and would also comment that we are railway modellers not electronics engineers.

 

This e-mail just in from DCConcepts, I can't copy and paste it in so its attached as a pdf

 

Tony

 

I wasn't insinuating anything about what you've done, which is why I quoted your comment from the OP.

You had stated quite clearly that you had followed everything to the letter, my reference to the misinformation was why the reply from 45568 had put this:-

 

In this case, our customer has demonstrated (by his own hand) that he has NOT followed the supplied instructions nor those represented on the DCCconcepts website.

 

 

Just seems very odd that they have said this when it's not anywhere in this thread.

I was trying to work out how you had demonstrated this by your own hand that you have not followed the instructions????????????

Hopefully it's 45568's reply saying you did not follow the instructions your strongly objecting to.

 

Your right though in the email they've said they've had issues with that PSU and have now launched another one.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

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No misleading info given and I strongly object to the insinuation, I repeat, I followed the instructions on the web site and would also comment that we are railway modellers not electronics engineers.

 

This e-mail just in from DCConcepts, I can't copy and paste it in so its attached as a pdf

Sounds like DCConcepts have confused themselves into thinking you are using an old Triang power supply, because you used it as an example, I understood what you meant, but did they? Apparently not.

It's hard to see how DCConcepts could admit a weakness in the previous power supply type, in their email and yet still think it was your fault that things went up in smoke.

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Ian,

 

Sorry if you thought I was getting at you, no its as you said, 45568's response I objected to.

 

A destroyed PSU2 at £49.99 is not the end of the world, I have good size fire extinguisher in the train room. 

 

If they had originally come clean that there was an issue with the PSU2 under certain conditions and offered some friendly customer orientated advice I would have just put it down to experience.  After all the Cobalts are a first class product but they have now lost a customer for those.

 

Tony

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  • RMweb Gold

The OPs e mail to DCC Concepts is not quoted here

Perhaps he admitted something "in his own hand" in his e mails

 

 

Since the OP has chosen to criticise DCC Concepts publicly it would only be right for the entire e mail correspondence to be published rather than selected excerpts. In the interests of fairness to both parties

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Colin,

 

Yes I could do that but I say again we are railway modellers not electronics engineers. I followed the instructions if the product is sensitive to any sort of connection errors then the instructions should clearly state 'Only to be used by a qualified engineer'.

 

Things have moved on and I am no longer looking for a replacement PSU, I have finished with their products.

 

Turnout control will move to dcc via PC software rather than analogue and a conventional control panel, something I have been considering for a while.  As of this morning all Cobalts have been removed from the layout, all the original wiring will also be removed ready or a clean start with a dcc accessory bus. 

 

The issue has been put down to a bad experience and I won't support a manufacturer that questions my honesty.

 

Tony

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Tony.

I know we are not electronic engineers but I do believe that if you made some admission in your own hand in an email to DCC Concepts then since you started the public criticism it would only be fair to admit that or alternatively publish you e mail to demonstrate that you did not admit any such thing.

Regards Colin

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Colin,

 

I did not make any admission of fault on my part, I just followed the instructions and told them which instructions I followed, if the instruction are not clear its hardly my fault.  

 

I am not prepared to publish the e-mail train because it contains my personal contact details which I don't want on an open forum.  I could waste my time editing them out but it defeats the object if the e-mail is edited. I have nothing to hide from the e-mail train which has been printed and packed with the failed unit to post to the retailer tomorrow morning.  They contacted me yesterday concerned that the issue was not resolved they have been more than helpful and a credit to the industry.

 

My honesty has been questioned and I will not use DCC again and that's the end of it.

 

Two weeks holiday starting tomorrow, when I come back I will decide if I want to continue with this project or sell the lot and put the proceeds towards a classic car.  Classic cars I understand , its mechanical engineering and I am fully qualified, I could and have written the instructions.

 

Tony

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That wasn't written in the original post, so how can you come to that conclusion

What the OP actually stated was:-

 

 

Where has Tony demonstrated that he has not followed the instructions?

A bit of miss information somewhere.  I was referring to separate correspondence on the subject.  Unhappy with the outcome of our own internal discussion, He has taken to this forum to air his grievances.   While I encourage people to use this forum, we would prefer that they disclose all relevant information.  It is not our place to fill in the gaps but we do have a right to defend ourselves.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

 

Edited for clarity

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