Prodigy Handset problem

[SHMD]

Last night I had the pleasure to visit a friends house for a "Railway Evening".

 

This is where we run trains, test things, chat, suggest 'improvements', crash things(!), drink beer, etc. You get the general idea.

 

 

My friends electrical/electronic skills do not go much further than the "Two large nails knocked in and all the wires twisted around one, or the other, until things work as expected"!

So, as an electrical/electronic engineer it falls to me to repair things - but I am not familiar with DCC generally and the Prodigy system in particular.

 

His set up has 2 handsets. One wired and one wire-less!

Both have had their 'rotary' knobs fail! (Although one is intermittent!)

 

I have took one apart and, apart from some excessive flux residue (since cleaned and each pad re-touched with a soldering iron), can find no fault but still it does not work. The same feature, (Speed etc), can still be achieved with the same handset by using the 'arrow keys' instead.

 

My questions are:

 

Has anyone else experienced this problem (I did search RMweb)?

Is the problem (presumably) the rotary encoder (Control Knob)?

Does anyone have a part# supplier for a replacement?

 

 

 

 

Kev.

[Stevelewis]

I have  heard  of  this  fault,  It does not  mean  the   unit  is unusable  speed  can  be   adjusted  by  the  use  of  the  PLUS  & MINUS  keys,  Gaugemaster are  pretty good  at  dealing  with  problems,  far  simpler  to  return  it  to  them.

 

I had  a  2 yr old  Hand  held which became  faulty  I returned  it  and  received  a  NEW replacement.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Stevelewis

[Nigelcliffe]

If it is a Gaugemaster badged version, I agree, return to them, repairs are cheap (often free) and quick.  

 

If its an MRC badged version, either send it to the states, or spend time digging around to find out the part number of the encoder.  The Yahoo group for MRC might yield an answer on part numbers. 

 

 

- Nigel

[Guest taylorc]

If it is a Gaugemaster badged version, I agree, return to them, repairs are cheap (often free) and quick.  

 

If its an MRC badged version, either send it to the states, or spend time digging around to find out the part number of the encoder.  The Yahoo group for MRC might yield an answer on part numbers. 

 

 

- Nigel

 

I have a Prodigy Advance and a MRC Express (the later bought in the US about 10 years ago). Both developed the same fault as mention by the original poster. Its the rotary encoder thats at fault, I was unable to source a replacement in the UK. I returned both units about 18 months ago to Gaugemaster. They repaired the Advance unit and supplied a new Gaugemaster Express unit all free of charge and within about 2 weeks. This is a truely amazing service. For this reason alone i.e a good repairs/technical backup service, I would highly recommend the Podigy system and Gaugemaster.

 

Colin

[mikeg]

AS you have taken it apart Gaugemaster my not repair it for free. There controllers DC & DCC have a lifetime guarantee, I have had mine repared free of charge three times now, plus they updated my unit when I bought the wireless unit, as has been said very excellent service from them.

 

regards

 

mike g

[SHMD]

Thanks guys,

 

These handsets were imported from America because that was the cheapest option - THEN.

This - and the examples above - really does show how Gaugemaster really is cheaper!

 

I would certainly consider the "Lifetime guarantee" as being a VERY important consideration if I was looking to buy a controller. (But I make my own.)

 

 

I've tried searching the web for info regarding the encoder but without much success. Tonight's search brought up this very thread as the first result!!!

 

 

I think my next step will be to contact Gaugemaster for a chat/quote/request...

 

 

I'll keep you informed,

Kev.

[Greengiant]

The early hand sets had poor quality control knobs. Returned both mine out of warranty, they were replaced free of charge within five days.

 

Martin

[SHMD]

Well, I contacted Gaugemaster for a “chat/quote/request” and must say that they are the most helpful committed friendly company I have ever had the pleasure to deal with. Truly outstanding.

 

Even though the 2 units were bought direct from America, 10 years ago, they will still service them for 15quid each – including new rotary encoders. If they were their own badged versions then it would have been free.

 

I asked about the encoder availability and they are basically unique to the Prodigy handsets.

I know I couldn't source any on the net.

 

 

I would/will recommend Gaugemaster every time, even if it's a few quid dearer initially, because it will definitely workout cheaper – much cheaper – in the medium to long term.

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

A belated update to this thread is that I did manage to source two encoders, for £7.50 each, and successfully repaired both units.

 

So for a grand total of £15 my mate got his two handsets fixed the next day, and with no messing about with packaging up and sending them off for a week or so.

 

 

(I can't say where I got the encoders from as they wanted to keep it "quiet".)

 

But on a completely unrelated note (    ) I will re-iterate that Gaugemaster have fantastic aftersales support and service.

 

 

Kev.

[Free At Last]

My handset recently developed this problem and I resorted to using the + & - buttons but I still like things to work as they should. 

I had a search and like above could not find a matching encoder online. An email to Gaugemaster inquiring if it was available as a spare received a reply they were not.
Looking at the encoder to see if there was a way of getting some switch cleaner into it I noticed there is a hole in the side, as can be seen in the picture posted above, and looking at the pics on the other thread of an encoder opened up you could see this is open on the inside to where the gubbins are. I injected some switch cleaner through the hole using a syringe and gave the shaft a few turns. On reassembly of the handset it is now working again. Don't know how long for.... we shall see.

[Nigelcliffe]

1 hour ago, Free At Last said:

My handset recently developed this problem and I resorted to using the + & - buttons but I still like things to work as they should. 

I had a search and like above could not find a matching encoder online. An email to Gaugemaster inquiring if it was available as a spare received a reply they were not.

 

There's nothing clever about the encoder used.   So, if you can identify a similar one from an electronics supplier, you could change it if you know how to solder things to PCBs.   If you want to dig around searching online, the Prodigy is made by Model Rectifier Corporation, and badged by Gaugemaster for the UK market.  

 

Gaugemaster won't tell you what it is, nor supply one.  That's their right.  They will probably fix it for you, quite possibly at a very reasonable fee.   

 

 

- Nigel

 

[Free At Last]

Plenty of 3 and 5 pin encoders on eBay but couldn't find 4 pin. These 'look' worth a punt... rotary encoder on Aliexpress.