New to DCC - First hitch - help anyone?

OK, I have a test setup wired up - Lenz Set 100 (thanks to my wife and a certain gentleman in Hull)... I have a programming track and main track wired up (just a length of flexi each at the moment).

I've chipped-up a Bachmann 25 and a Bachmann 55 - The former works fine, controllable as one would expect (set to 128 steps).

The Deltic however behaves oddly. It starts OK, but will usually not stop again. The controller reads V000, but the loco is off the end of the track. I have decelaration delay set to minimum and I'm baffled. As far as I can see the two locos are configured identically.

It seems that if I get up to V003, I can stop the loco, but anything above that and there is at best a long delay, sometimes it doesn't stop at all.

Anyone got any ideas?

Perhaps I'll take both apart again and swap decoders to see if the fault is with the decoder...

Also, which Yahoo! group is best for DCC beginners like me?

Thanks (in advance).

Adrian

Reply to
The Bradshaws
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Try cleaning the wheels and pickups - I find my DCC kit quite sensitive to this. Also, did you remove the capacitor across the motor?

Guy

-- "then came ye chavves, theyre cartes girded wyth candels blue, and theyre beastes wyth straynge horn-lyke thyngs onn theyre arses that theyre fartes be herde from myles around." Chaucer, the Sheppey Tales

Reply to
Just zis Guy, you know?

First swap the decoders over and see if the 55 behaves better with the decoder from the 25. If so try below as some of the settings may need changing on the original decoder that was in the 55.

Is the decoder set to 128 speed mode? Check the value in CV29 and make its the same as the 25, would be a good idea to compare all CV settings if you can and make the same except the address. If you can't readback then do a factory reset, if supported by the CVs on the chip.

Chris

Reply to
Chris

"The Bradshaws" wrote

Surprised you've felt the need to change the speed steps to 128 for the class 25. I've only felt the need to do this with my solitary Lima dmu.

You need a back-emf decoder for the Deltic for some reason. I've fitted LE1035Es to my larger Bachmann locos (40, 45 & 55) none of which seem too happy with the LE1014Es for some reason.

I've had loads of help from the chappies on demod, but I know you're not a fan. Trey

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John.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I'll try that next.

I think I have both controller and decoder set alike. I'll try a factory reset. Perhaps I messed something up. It was the first one I did.

Ta,

Adrian

Reply to
The Bradshaws

The first throttle notch was a little quicker than I'd like so I moved to

128 straight away. would 28 be better? Perhaps the starting Voltage has more to do with this?

Did you experience the same behaviour?

Thanks. I'll try the two DCC groups. I think I'd have to go under a pseudonym on DEMOD after opening my gob once or twice. I agree that DEMOD is a very helpful place though if you tow the party line.

Thanks again for the delivery service. That was my wife's ex you met!

Adrian

Reply to
The Bradshaws

I had been wondering about trying 128 speed steps (all engines are still on the default 28 step mode). What improvement did you get with the Lima? How long does your Compact remember that it should use 128 steps with that engine (i.e. does it remember after being switched off/on)?

Mark Thornton

Reply to
Mark Thornton

"The Bradshaws" wrote

I can't recall precisely why I fitted LE1035Es to the 40s, Peaks & Deltics, but for some reason they didn't seem happy on LE1014Es.

If you've got a specific decoder which appears to mis-behave, write the value '33' to CV8. This restores factory default settings.

My pleasure.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

"Mark Thornton" wrote

It just allowed better & smoother acceleration with the naff Lima motor; I've not found it to be necessary with any of my Bachmann diesels, and my solitary Hornby dmu doesn't seem to need changing to 128 either.

I don't think the Compact remembers the speed setting, I think the decoder does.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I have replaced the decoder with another and all is OK. I'll try the decoder in another loco and see how it behaves after a reset using CV33 (as John Turner suggested).

Thanks all.

Adrian

Reply to
The Bradshaws

I'll be needing half a dozen more decoders in the very near future so I'll see how I get on.

I'll give that a go in another loco.

Thanks..

Adrian

Reply to
The Bradshaws

It might not be you! One of a batch of Gold decoders I had recently arrived with at least half of the CVs set to something other the default. A quick reset sorted it. If it hadn't have come from JT I'd have assumed that the retailer had resold one that someone had already played with.

Nigel

Reply to
Nigel Emery

I would try a reset and if that does not work try another decoder. One of the plus points of Lenz decoders is they will exchange with no quibble at all even if you blow it!!!

Regards John H

Reply to
John Digital

wrote

Not guilty on that one Nigel. I didn't have time to play with a Gold decoder until Boxing Day. Now I've got a pair fitted in two Bachmann 37/0 for evaluation.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

"The Bradshaws" wrote

No, it's not CV33 you need to alter. Just write a value of '33' into CV8 to revert to factory default settings.

If that doesn't work Adrian just bang it in the post and I'll swap it.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

suspect you have been using Bachmann decoders. Yahoo have a Lenz and a DCC UK group. The Lenz is the more helpful for obvious reasons. regards, Steve

Reply to
titans

128 speed steps give you more precise control of the engine but the jump in speeds would not be related to the speed steps you selected. Are you using loadtable speed tables or V start, V mid and V max?

Chris

Reply to
Chris

I've been using 128 speed steps since 1998 with Digitrax, Lenz and TCS decoders just to standardise on one setting for convenience.

Chris

Reply to
Chris

The speed setting is not stored by the decoder and the Compact forgets if you turn off the power (input not the track power). There also seems to be an interaction between the speed step and the start volts setting on the LE1000. With a non standard (higher than usual) start volt setting, the minimum speed is much higher when using 128 steps than with

28 steps.

Mark Thornton

Reply to
Mark Thornton

"Mark Thornton" wrote

That's interesting because I set the speed setting on my Lima 101 dmu to 128 when I first fitted its decoder some weeks ago, and when I checked the setting two minutes ago it was still showing up at 128.

The Compact is turned off every night.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

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