ScaleTrains DCC/Sound SD45 lights stopped working.

[riogrande]

Last week I programmed two of my new ScaleTrains DCC/sound SD45's to their respective road numbers and ran them all the way around the layout a number of times. Everything worked well, lights, sounds, etc.

Today I pulled out another ScaleTrains SD45, this time #5327 and put it on the programing track using a Digitrax PR4 to change the address from 3 to 5327 as with the other locos. Then put it on the layout and began running it by itslef - using the TCS TC-105 command station and wifi UWT-100 throttle.

I ran it around for a bit and the sound, bell, horn and lights all worked. Then I hooked it up to a coal train to run it around the layout. As it was entering the staging yard it stopped and emitted a high pitched sound like a and alarm horn. I was able to pulled it off and put it back on the track and put it back on the mainline above. The everything worked, sound, bell, horn, ran forward and backward but I could not get the headlights or Mars lights to turn out using the regular function buttons. I was able to run it forward and reverse. That high pitched sound happened again after a minute and I removed it and put it back on the track. Same, everything worked but the lights. Any ideas? I've sent an email to ScaleTrains with the description of what happened. I'll look in the manual to see if there is a reset I can do to see if it gets the lights to work.

[Mark R.]

Like most decoders, writing a value of 8 to CV8 and then power cycling will give you back the factory settings. Also, it's always a wise idea to turn off the DC Enable feature in CV29. This is usually just a matter of writing a value 4 less than what is currently in CV29. Intermittent issues can happen with DC Enabled on DCC track during the check-sum process after power restoration.

Mark.

[riogrande]

Thanks Mark, I'll give that a try today.

[edwardsutorik]

I use this page to do my CV29 and loco number coding:

www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm


I enter the loco number using CV17 and CV18, rather than the "regular" way, because every once in awhile, the latter doesn't "take".


I really like this page, and appreciate that it's available!




Ed

[riogrande]

Bookmarked that calculator reference. Thanks Ed.

In decoder pro under the CV tab, CV8 value shows as 151. It doesn't seem to allow me to edit it on that page.

[Mark R.]

CV8 is not an editable CV. CV8 stores the manufacturer's reference number. You can, however, write a value of 8 to CV8 in order to attain the reset, but the value will not actually be written into that CV.

Mark.

[riogrande]

How do I write that value then?

[Mark R.]

You don't write it, you just enter it. Pull up CV8 and enter a value of 8 and press write. You may get an error message or something similar, but trust me, it has done what it was supposed to. Then just remove power from the decoder for a couple seconds, then reapply power (just tilting the engine sideways off the track is all that's needed).

Mark.

[riogrande]

Pull it up on my TCS UWT-100 or on the computer on Decoder Pro? Assume I don't know diddly.

[Mark R.]

I've found that doing a reset on a decoder usually works best using your DCC system on a dedicated program track.

Mark.

[crblue]

* Put the loco on your programming track, which should be plugged into the CS-105 command station.
* On your UWT-100, select option 4 in the menu "CV Programming".
* Select option 2, "Programming track"
* For the CV, enter a value of "8"
* For the Value, enter a value of "8"
* Press the return key (bottom middle) to write the value.

This will completely reset the decoder to factory defaults.

When you put it back onto your layout, it will respond to DCC short address 3 like it was fresh from the factory.

If your lights still don't work, there's something else going on.

I've noticed that using JMRI with the CS-105 can produce odd results sometimes. When I went to program a BLI steam engine to use a long address, it totally messed up the programming. For this reason, I prefer using the UWT and manually CV programming an engine instead of using JMRI.

[riogrande]

Right now the programming track is connected to the Digitrax PR4 so I could program via Decoder Pro.

Looks like I'll need to connect the CS-105 to the programming track.

[crblue]

Programming on the main should work too. Just select the engine first. Then afterwards, power cycle the track and make sure that the engine only responds to address 3 to make sure the reset took.

[riogrande]

Ok, I selected the loco on the main and then wrote CV8 with value 8 and recycled the track power. Now the loco responds to address 3 instead of road number 5327. The SD45 ran forward and backward and I could turn on prime mover sound, horn bell etc. Lights did not turn on when I selected headlight and Mars light. It appears there is something gone bad. I have contacted ScaleTrains to send in for repair.

[crblue]

Perfect. I'm glad you were able to get it troubleshooted, although it's always a pain having to send items back :\

[riogrande]

Yep, I think it will be going back to ScaleTrains. No lights - and it made a high pitched sound and after that the lights stopped working.


Now that I have a layout up and running I'm getting out my ScaleTrains GP30's out and testing them so if there are any issues before the 2 year warranty runs out, these can be addressed.

I've got two Rio Grande ScaleTrains GP30's just out of the box and I am trying to get the address set. I am using JRMI Decoder Pro ver 5.8 with a Digitrax PR4 for the programming track. So far when I've put a new ScaleTrains SD40T-2 or SD45, on the programming track and hit Read Type from Decoder, it responds with ESU Loksound 5 decoder and the window changes to show address as 3 and the option to change from short to long address - thus am able to change from 3 to the road number of the loco.

However, when I tried to read decoder type of two of my factory DCC sound equipped ScaleTrains D&RGW GP30's, the response is "Found mfg 255, version 255; no such manufacturer defined" I don't get the window where I can set from 2 bit to 4 bit and change address 3 to the road number. I'm wondering if these two Scaletrains Rio Grande GP30's have bad decoders?

After those 2, I just placed 3rd ScaleTrains Rio Grande GP30 on the programming track, this time D&RGW 3015 and hit Read Type from Decoder and got a positive response - ESU Loksound 5 DCC and the window pops up where I can set long address and change default address from 3 to road number 3015 (in this case).

Does it sound like the two GP30's I tested Rio Grande 3014 and 3018 may have bad decoders. Those may be going back too. I did read there are issues with the GP30's so figured I better get on the stick and check them over.

I took out a 4th ScaleTrains GP30, this time 3027 with the large herald. I bought it DCC/ready so I took the shell off and removed the dummy plug and installed a LokPilot 5 decoder. #3027 was a trailing unit most of it's life so I planned on running it silent. No problems programming it and it ran around the layout consisted with 2 other ScaleTrains locos.


One thing I've noticed is the ESU decoders behave as if they have momentum programmed in by default. I've tried running a pair of Athearn Genesis SDP40F's factory equipped with Tsunami 2 decoders. As soon as I turn the track power, they fire up engine sounds pretty loud by default. I need to figure out how to make them silent when I start up the track power.


I definitely want to reduce the volume on the prime mover sounds on all the engines, probably 50% of out of the box.

[kentuckysouthernrwy]

While it’s been a year or two since I’ve done any dcc programming I have found that using the equipment and instructions from the dcc system you have will give you the most reliable results.

Lots of folks love to use their “smart” phones and 3rd party apps, I like to eliminate any specious inputs to the basic building blocks of programming. I’ve never been happy with DecoderPro/HMRI either. I stick to using my stock NCE components to program.