Workshop Wednesday. Repairing Ryan's Tech II 1400 Controller

Following the successful repairs to my Tech II controllers by Mr. Snooze, I attempt similar repairs to Ryan's controller.
I would be interested in obtaining one or two more MRC Tech II controllers, working or not.
If you would like to check out Mr. Snooze's channel you can find it here;
@MrSnooze

[@pdrrengineer1404]

Congratulations on the successful electronics repair there David. Obviously key was an accurate diagnosis of the problem based on the symptoms and experience. Keep up the good work and please invite us back into your workshop again.

[@trainsontuesday]

Hello Art. Yes, a knowledge of how these things work and what components can be used to substitute for the failed part is key. I wonder how many of these brilliant controllers have ended up in land fills for the want of a simple part costing a few pennies? My workshop Wednesday series was always intended to be an occasional video when I have something to share. I am contemplating a loco strip down, cleaning and repair for the next one. Regards, David.

[@davestrains6816]

Great tips and a nice repair. Thanks for sharing. David

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you Dave, It was very good of Mr. Snooze to fi mine and give me the knowledge and parts to fix Ryan's. David.

[@MLWQC]

Congrats on the repair!

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you Syl. These are such good controllers it is a shame that MRC does not support them any more. David.

[@AmongTaniPantura]

Great Workshop on Wednesdays. In Repairing Ryan 1400 Controller Technology👍

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you. You channel looks amazing.

[@Andystrainsandmore]

It worked, so we can say:"Good job."😊 Cheers Andy 🤠

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you Andy. These are very good controllers so I am pleased and thankful to be able to repair it. Cheers, David.

[@michaelchartres]

Interesting David and successful, well done, regards Michael

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you Michael, all praise goes to Mr. Snooze. Regards, David.

[@oscarpaisley]

Good morning David, great to see you got Ryan’s controller fixed. Oscar

[@trainsontuesday]

Hello Oscar. Mr. Snooze is a marvel at diagnosing these problems and that is where the credit goes. It gives me hope for a few more controllers that are not working at present. Regards, David.

[@roystudds1944]

Fascinating how one small item can cause a complete failure of a unit. Congratulations on demonstrating a really fiddly operation on camera. I love the way you have incorporated a test track into the cupboard door. Such imagination! Thanks for sharing. Roy.

[@trainsontuesday]

Hi Roy. I think they are designed to have one part fail in order to protect the rest. It is a matter of knowing which piece has failed and finding the appropriate substitute. It is always difficult to keep my hands from blocking the view when trying to show fiddly repairs but I think the video was clear enough. That test track comes in handy quite often. Cheers, David.

[@MrSnooze]

Great to see you got this fixed David, isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud of similar can remove unwanted flux. I'm sure that repair will last now, excellent video. Best regards to you

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you, yes, it is great to be able to repair these beautiful controllers. I must spend a little more time in the English countryside learning how to determine what has gone wrong with some of these things. I have a pair of Tech 4 units that have failed as well but I don't know where to start looking for the fault. I will open up Ryan's 1400 again and clean those soldered joints with IPA. Regards, David.

[@modelrailroader5619]

Thank you for posting this, David. I run part of my layout with 2 of these and was not aware that they were repairable. One of mine has no light at all but works fine. That looked like a Triang dock switcher on the test track? Love it!

[@trainsontuesday]

Hi, You are very welcome. it was a pleasure making this video. It is a shame that MRC do not support these old controllers anymore, the repair is very simple. It was indeed a Tri-ang dock shunter on the test track. All the best, David.

[@daylightdave9405]

Im glad you were able to fix it David.... I have two of them as well and they are in use to only power a few of my older signals and grade xing signals as well... take care.... DD 😜

[@trainsontuesday]

Hi Dave, these are excellent controllers so I too am pleased to be able to fix it. All praise though goes to Mr. Snooze for trouble shooting the problem and finding suitable replacement parts. I use the old train set controllers for auxiliary power. Cheers, David.

[@daylightdave9405]

@@trainsontuesday I now only have 2 tortoise machines that go thru DPDT toggles and I wire it up to the Variable throttle side and put it at about 1/4 of the way up... The rest go thru my DCC Switch 8 Tortoise Controllers which are very easy to hook up... I used a marking pen on all of my MRC Throttles (one Tech II, one older MRC w/ the copper finish and one dual control throttle also the older copper finish) to indicate the actual Voltage is 15v or more... not the indicated 12v on the screw terminal side... Tortoise stated max. of 12v... thanks for the tip.... Take care David.... DD 🤗

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good job done keep up the good vid thanks lee

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you Lee, this repair has really pleased me. (and Ryan)

[@newlynnrailway]

I had the same thing years ago on a Gaugemaster panel controller but the voltage regulator was unmarked so it took some time going through my parts bins to get one that done the job.

[@trainsontuesday]

Hi Clive, it took some powerful lighting and a magnifier to be able t see the marks on these mosfets. Pretty much anything is repairable if you know what to look for. Cheers, David.

[@DiamondMaster20]

An excellent video, David; but I am now afraid to create anything more than a simple loop on any model railroad that I create in the future. These electronics are are way beyond my area of expertise.

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you Andrew. The repair was simple enough but I would have no clue as to how to diagnose the problem. All praise and thanks go to Mr. Snooze for that. I have chosen not to attempt to learn much beyond the basics of DCC. DC offers me plenty of train control and I can understand it. All the best, David.

[@TomasTrains7]

Great video, very helpful. Where did you get the mosfet though? Is there a certain kind that you need?

[@trainsontuesday]

Thank you. I am glad you found the video useful. I must confess that I don't know a lot about electronics and had to rely on the knowledge of a friend. He felt that the original mosfet was not rated high enough and therefore vulnerable if shorted out. He recommended the TIP120 mosfet as a replacement. It is rated at 60v and 6-7amps. A quick search on the internet for TIP120 mosfet should work. They are very cheap.

[@TomasTrains7]

@@trainsontuesday thanks so much for the info! I’ll get some as I have multiple tech II units that need repair for this exact issue. Have a good day 🙏