kato engines

[Anonymous]

I have a DCC equiped Kato engine which has been operating for only two months, - SD45 (CP) it was running very well up to a few days ago. I can progam it and watch it move (lurch) ahead during the programing but once I switch to "run" it won't move. I am just using the last digit (eg 8) as the address on my MRC system. Anybody else have this problem and if so how did you fix it???

[cacole]

This sounds like a locomotive address problem -- make sure you have the correct address programmed into the decoder, and that your DCC controller is set to the same exact address. Don't forget to change CV29 if you're trying to program an extended address (numbers above 99). Programming a long address without telling CV29 that the locomotive has an extended address causes the decoder to ignore the address change. This means that if you tell the command station to program the locomotive with address 1022, for example, but don't change CV29 to recognize an extended address, the decoder's address will remain set on the factory default value of 3.

[mls1621]

The fact that your seeing movement during the programming process is confusing. I've programmed many locomotives and never had one move during programming.

You might have a wiring discrepancy on your programming track.

[cacole]

Locomotive movement in short jerks during programming is to be expected. If you don't see this jerking, then your decoder is not accepting the commands.

[Anonymous]

What type of decoder is it? I had problems with a North Coast Engineering decoder not reading back CV's correctly on my throtle (digitrax DT-400R with a DCS-100 booster) I had to use Physical Register programming mode and enter the CV values as hexadecimal numbers. In your case, be sure to check other CV's that can keep it from running, CV-29 in particular.

[Anonymous]

I had an identical problem on a Kato SD-70 last winter. i was using NCE decoders. It turned out that there was a batch of defective decoders. I took the decoder back to LHS and they replaced it free of charge. They said that a number of customers had the same problem.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ChuckOLIVER


I have a DCC equiped Kato engine which has been operating for only two months, - SD45 (CP) it was running very well up to a few days ago. I can progam it and watch it move (lurch) ahead during the programing but once I switch to "run" it won't move. I am just using the last digit (eg 8) as the address on my MRC system. Anybody else have this problem and if so how did you fix it???

[Anonymous]

Chuck
If it is a NCE decoder I would reset the decoder to the manufactures default. For NCE you write 2 in CV30 ( on the programming track. If you have further problems E-MAIL the manufacturer. 99% of them are extremely helpful.
Ken