DCC Question

Three thoughts:

1. Gaugemaster should provide you with a manual that tells you which CV ("control variables") to set to what values to make all the functions work as desired. If they don't, complain. Loudly.

1. Make sure the decoders have the NMRA colour codes for the wires, and are connected to the right bits, as these determine how the decoder receives and sends the signals.

2. For DCC to work properly, the motor and lights must be insulated from the chassis. The chassi must not be used as part of the electrical path.

HTH

Wolf, they do, and it is also on the net at

from the little I understand of DCC, I feel it should support a whole lot more CVs than it states in the manual, and I also believe it to be a 4 function decoder, with the extra 2 function caried by the violet and green wires that we are told not to use in the wiring diagram. It seems to me that it could well be a Lanz LE1014MP rebranded in Gaugemster packaging.

They are coloured, and are connected into a plug.

No lights suggests that the plug is wrong way round, try turning the plug 180 degrees. Lights flashing suggests that decoder is set to the wrong speed step value. Make sure CV29 is set to 2 or 3 for 28 speed steps. Also ensure SPD STEP button on controller (#7 on diagram) is set to 28 steps not 14.

Keith

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It seems to me that if the manual says nothing about certain CVs, then those CVS aren't implemented. There are only a few CVS that are mandatory per NMRA standards, the rest are up to the manufacturer. The most important one is CV29. If the manual says nothing about functions other than speed/direction and forward/reverse lights, then no other functions are implemented, either.

BTW, violet is not a standard wire colour -- see below.

The NMRA standard for basic decoder is:

Red: right rail (when looking from the locmotive cab forward) Green: function 1 (F1) (usually omitted on plug-n-play decoders) Blue: common (ground or earth) Black: left rail Yellow: reverse light (F0) White: forward light (F0) Orange: upper motor terminal (+) Gray: lower motor terminal (-)(NOT grounded to the chassis, please note.)

Since your decoder is plugged in, you should have only 7 wires, with neither green nor violet among them. That's why Gaugemaster tells you to ignore them, IMO.

Sound decoders have additional wires, or are separate units. I think the green and violet wires may be intended for Gaugemaster's version of DCC sound. It's cheaper to use a common harness and ignore a couple of wires when used with a simple decoder than to make different harnesses for different decoders.

Go to nmra.org for more information about DCC and CVs.

HTH

Many Thanks for that information, assuming I have the installed the plug the wrong way round, will taking it out turning it round and reinstalling it damage the plug in any way or in all of this will I have put this decoder beyond use??

Instresting note that it programmed OK, even wiht the possiblity of the plug being incorrectly installed.

Other interesting note is that when I have the controller set to forward, my two locos go different ways around my (glorified) oval, that on a DC system, i would correct by swapping power feed cables, so yes, perhaps the decoder is he wrong way round.....

Many Thanks Graham

"Graham Kendall" wrote

It shouldn't have affected it at all.

John.

I have just read the loco values for CV29 on both my locos, which are set to "2" on both. Two further points to note are

1) I physically picked up, turned around and replaced my class 50 on the track, and then the directional controls worked for it the same way as my '66. However no lights came on at all. like the '66! 2) I turned them both back around, and the 50's lights started flashing again, although they seem not be direction dependant, they just are "on" and flashing. The 66 was stopped meanwhilse at the other end of my track from me, and I could see the red lights started pulsating too whilst it was stationary, but I can't find anything to re-create this.

Can I just check with the assembled audience here that Pin 1 on the socket should be connected to the Orange pin on the plug???

Yours, Graham Kendall

Speed Steps are defiantely set to 28.

Yours,

Graham

"Graham Kendall" wrote

Yes, but Hornby have been known to apply the number 1 label to the wrong socket!

You can always write a value of '33' to CV8 to reset a Lenz decoder to factory default settings if you think you might have messed things up when playing.

John.

Hi John,

I have now had the opportunity to swap the decoder round the other way i nthe socket and there would appear to be no difference, exceot for the colour of he lights swaped ends.

Does anyone know how I go about on the Gaugemaster System turning on and Off Functions 1 and 2 on their decoders to see what effect that may have??

Graham

I know that it is never good to reply to one's own posts, but it would appear that the Guagemaster system and all it's accessories and components are re-brandings of the MRC (Model Rectifier Corp) of the USA. Doesn't help me much, as it still should be an NMRA Compatible system, but does it help any of you??

Yours,

Graham

[...]

NMRA pin designations. Since your decoder is made by Lenz, it will be NMRA compliant.

1: Orange (motor +) 2: yellow (rear lamp) 3: optional (green if used) 4: black (track left rail) 5: gray (motor -) 6: white (forward lamp) 7: blue (lamp common) 8: red (right rail)

HTH

Graham Kendall wrote: [...]

MRC is NMRA compliant.

HTH

Success!!!

I've managed it and sorted the lights - the solution was simple. The MRC / Gaugemaster control has a lamp by the 9 key, and if you press it, the lights go on, and press it again the lights go off!

The Next, and much simpler question is..... I have 2 function decoders installed in both, now is that:

1 function : lights on 1 function: lights off

or is it:

1 function: Lighs 2nd function something else

If it's the latter, can someone tell me what the 2nd function is for the Bachmann '66 and Hornby '50, and will the second function be availble on F1???

TIA

Graham

The two functions are the white and yellow wires, normally set up as front and rear lights. They will be turned on or off by the 'lights' button on the control and the direction setting will choose which comes on. Most decoders can have this changed by CVs if desired so that eg. the F1 button could turn the white wire on and off, and F2 the yellow wire. On a steam engine you might want to use one for a smoke unit and the other for firebox glow. Since your decoder instructions don't cover this it presumably is not provided.

I don't think the locos as delivered have any provision for more than those two functions. To use more you need to remove the factory wiring and wire a multi-function decoder directly to the lights. Keith

Graham, On DCC forward is with respect to the loco not the track, so if they are facing different ways they should go different ways. For Diesels it is usual to call the number one end the front and this is usually the end with the fan in the roof. So if you put the control in forward they should go fan end first. If not you have the choice of turning the decoder or altering the value of CV29. For the lights to work properly the decoder should have the orange wire to pin 1 (Actually the blue wire in pin 7 is what matters as it supplies the common feed to the lamps, if the decoder is the wrong way round the blue goes to pin 3 which should not be connected hence no light supply. However, the Hornby 50 has its own lighting supply built into its board and does not use the blue wire so turning the plug makes no difference in this case.

Keith

In message , Keith writes

Don't know about the 50, but if you make 2 cuts in the PCB and solder one wire in you can fit a 4 function decoder and have control of the lights (Day/night is still on the switch)

Green and violet are the standard colours for outputs 3 & 4 on a 4-function decoder. When an 8-pin fitted decoder is used with a loco such as a Bach 66, output 3 (green) is physically not connected to anything on the pcb, although it is connected from the decoder to the plug. Output 4 (violet) is not wired to the plug, but is simply a flying lead.

Cheers,

Mick