I have an IHC motherhubbard 2-6-0 steam engine. It runs super smooth and slow in dc BUT....I have recently installed a digitrax dz125 decoder and now it runs sparattically. It is a crap shoot weather or not you can get it to run right out of the blocks, and when you do get it running is may stop without being able to get it to start again. It has back emf in the decoder, could this be the problem of the bad running? If so how do I go about changing the running qualities? I run a bachmann dcc and I know I can't change anything but my LHS can help me with that.
Thanks again
Mike
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
I had the same problem with a 125 in my Bachmann 2-10-2!!
Digitrax sent me a new one, same problem.
Then they suggested a 123 instead of the 125, I went to my LHS and traded for a 123, it works great, must be something to do with the BEMF .
Good luck.
I think it is more likely a case of overload, the DZ 125 isn´t rated for more than 1 Amps if I recollect correct. And the IHC´s can draw more than that.
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rs2mikeI have an IHC motherhubbard 2-6-0 steam engine.....I have recently installed a digitrax dz125 decoder and now it runs sparattically.
Texas Zepher rs2mikeI have an IHC motherhubbard 2-6-0 steam engine.....I have recently installed a digitrax dz125 decoder and now it runs sparattically. Well, the first thing I would do is to open the manual on the decoder and turn off the back emf. See how it runs then. BUT Why oh why did you install a decoder designed for z-scale into an HO scale locomotive. There have to be plenty more decoders out there that are cheaper and more suited to the application. An NCE D13SR come to mind.
Umm yea I know. It was what I had left on hand that didn't need wires soldered to pins. Also I got it on evil bay for $5.00 each and I bought 3 of them for my remotored heisler, and remotored plymoth switcher. Those both have a slight stutter every now and again but I attributed that to the short wheelbase and minimal wheel pickups.
From the Digitrax website:
May also be used with HO locomotives that draw up to 1 Amp
I have 2 HO engines with DZ123s and 4 HO engines with DZ125s. All of them work perfectly.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Ya know it is not an open framed motor, it is a nice free spinning can motor so I thought it would be hard pressed to exceed the 1.0 amp cont or 1.2 or 1.5 amp peak. I might try switching to some other decoder and see how that works. It almost sounds like something is binding or grinding when the gears are turning. I opened it up and there is only 3 gears or 2 points of contact and they are all meshing properly. Funny thing is, is that you don't hear that noise on regular dc.(and yes I tested it with a dc power pack so there was no pig squeal to cover over the noise.)
Could it really be the back emf or could it be the can motor just does not like the decoder hooked to it?
BEMF is not going to make the motor stop and sometimes but not always restart. The symptoms sound liek the motor has a blown winding or a bad commutator, if it stops on that, it won't start unless the motor is manually moved. It could be a bad decoder, if you only paid $5 each for a $25 decoder they must have been previously used so who knows.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Decoder was brand new never opened or used. On all 3 the wires were never stripped and all matched in length between all 3. I would belive the bad winding or commutator if it also did this in dc operation but it does not. I think I will just change the decoder and see what happens.