# MTS Decoder



## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Anybody have one of the older MTS decoders laying around in a junk drawer that needs a new home? Ebay prices are in left field IMHO. Friend wants me to bring my 23802 Harz engine over to run and his layout is all MTS controled. MTS is a future item on my own layout as well. I know there are better decoders out there. But I prefer to stick to LGB equipment across the board. The engine had a board in it when I bought it but it has a blown driver transistor, I doubt thats fixable, you can see its burnt visably and the engine would just sit and make steam sound with no lights or motion when it was installed. The board was a LGB 55021. Mike


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The 23802 is a digital sound engine and you can not use just any LGB decoder.
The 55020 made by Lenz most likely will not activate the sounds and was serial only, can not do parallel mode.

The latest 55021 had the capability of 14 or 28 speed steps and supported long addressing even though the MTS system did not support it unless you had MTS III with the Massoth Navigator.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

She had a 55021 in her when I bought the engine Dan, but has a burn transistor on the board which kept her from running. I had to remove the decoder and restore operation to non decoder mode, and she runs and sounds as she should. I have no idea what took out the board, the seller bought the engine from an estate with no box. I took the chance that I could get it to run again. I dont need all the long address stuff. Was hoping I could find another 55021 board cheap to stick in her so I can run at his place. I will probably end up with a MTS II or MTS III when I get around to that. I dont need digital control at home, but it would be nice to blow the whistle when I want to and not have the track magnet do it all the time. I was going to give the board to a friend that builds DCC stuff for smaller scales and see if it could be repaired, I am guessing not. Here is the dead 55021, I think the burnt part shows in the pic. Mike


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I have replaced those chips and have been able to make some work.
Problem is when this chip shorts, it can take out the micro processor.
This is a dual mosfet 7103.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

So I am guessing its better off to get a new or good used decoder and just trash this one. Mike


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

When I look at the price of the 55021 new and its limitations, I then add the $$ and get a sound decoder and rewire an engine.
But please note that I have a system that can do 128 speed steps, and read and write directly to any decoder, any address.
I have the MTS system but only use it to verify MTS operations on decoders I install.


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## SLemcke (Jun 3, 2008)

Massoth also makes a decoder for LGB that is a direct plug in like the 55021. The 8154001 eMOTION L Loco Decoder, price runs about $90. 
These websites sell Massoth items.
reindeerpass.com
allaboutlgb.com
shourtline.swl4.com
Steve

http://www.massoth.com/en/produkte/8154001.en.php


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## ntpntpntp (Jan 14, 2008)

Like Dan I've had success replacing mosfet chips on blown decoders (last one I did was a Lenz Gold Maxi). Here in the UK the 7103 mosfet is less than 4 pounds on ebay so it can be worth a try, but it's true that there may be other damage to the decoder.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I havent seen the buddy that is able to work on electronics to see if he can repair it. Mike


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

The friend that might be able to fix it is unavailable for awhile. If anybody wants to try and fix this one, I will ship it to you in a flat rate envelope. Mike


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