Keep alive with LokSound V3 - possible?

[chaz]

At the recent Warley show I had a problem with this loco....

 

 

Although in the past it has run very well, provided its wheels are kept clean, on the afternoon before the show it kept stalling. Despite a thorough clean of the wheels and pickups I couldn't get it to run well enough for the exhibition and reluctantly had to withdraw it.

 

Now it's my intention to dismantle the chassis and give everything a thorough clean. I will also replace the plunger pickups if they are worn and the springs if they are tired.

 

The loco has an ESU Loksound v3 decoder. I know this decoder doesn't have an "official" method of adding a keep-alive capacitor but I seem to recall that this can be done with care. If you know how to do this or can post me a link to an explanation of how to do it I would be grateful. There is enough room in the loco for a capacitor.

 

If I am going to do a "Heavy General" on the model then that would be a good time to make this change. I do realise that I will be invalidating any remaining guarantee on the decoder but if the result is an end to frequent stalls then that's acceptable. I should say that the loco is compensated - that is the front axle can rock so that all four wheels can follow any irregularities in the track.

 

Chaz

[chaz]

Come on lads! has nobody done this?

 

Chaz

[Kylestrome]

If you'd used Google, or the RMweb ‘Search’ function, you might have come up with this:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/43324-stay-alive-capacitors/

[chaz]

Thanks for the link - will investigate.