I have a BLI Blueline PRR J1 sound equipped loco(has a TCS decoder with BMEP installed for DCC operation) that gets effected when I use my Proto H10-44 sound equipped switcher. The J1 will emit an alarm like sound when the Proto H10 unit is used; most disconcerting. I have another Proto sound unit, an RS27, that when used will not effect the J1. Obviously there's something unique with the Proto switcher that causes the J1 to go into "alarm". Since both Proto units are QSI factory equipped I'm a bit perplexed as to why one unit "alarms" the J1 and the other unit doesn't. The Proto H10 runs and sounds fine when operating. I have several BLI QSI equipped units and they also show no ill effects of H10-44 running. Any thoughts?
Thanks, Jon
P.S. Not that it has any bearing on the above but the J1 runs fantastic, it has a creep capability that is truly amazing-could use it as a yard switcher if functionality were the only criteria.
Jon
I have been running this in my mind from the time I first read the problem. My Blueline M1 with TCS T1 will make a loud static noise when first powered up sometimes. I just remove the power and put it back on and all is well. This is the only Blueline out of five that does it.
What strikes me as odd about your problem is the addition of another locomotive. There should be no cross talk between locos. Is the noise you hear from the J1 a high pitch whine? Or more like a static SHHHH type noise?
Pete
P.S. I agree that the TCS BEMF decoder in the Bluelines are great.
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
You don't have both locomotives on the same DCC address, do you? That could cause all kinds of problems.
No, H10 is road number 126, J1 is road number 6165.
Pete,
I would characterize the sound as like an electronically generated bong that comes on for several beats before the Blueline J1 goes silent. The sound(bong) almost sounds like an alarm of some sort. When the J1 goes silent it will respond to throttle input but sound will not come back until DCC system is shut down and powered back up. As long as Proto H10-44 is not activated the J1 is fine. As soon as H10 moves or direction button is pressed the J1 "alarm" sound goes off.
What happens if you take the H10-44 off the rails, but send commands as though it was on the rails? As has been said, there isn't any "output" to the rails from a loco. The other possibility that crosses my mind is that the H10-44 could be drawing enoung current to pull the voltage down, and cause the J1 decoder to partially reset, perhaps.
This is a little farfetched, but could there be an old consist in the command station that included both locos, such that things are getting confused that way?
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
Jeff,
Neither loco has ever been in a consist. I'll try the H10-44 off the rails idea and report back.
Vail and Southwestern RR What happens if you take the H10-44 off the rails, but send commands as though it was on the rails? As has been said, there isn't any "output" to the rails from a loco.
What happens if you take the H10-44 off the rails, but send commands as though it was on the rails? As has been said, there isn't any "output" to the rails from a loco.
Took the H10-44 off the rails per your suggestion and sending commands to it still "alarms" the J1. I think what I'll try later this evening is to assign a different road number to H10 and see if that changes the situation.
Change the short address of the Blueline J1 (both decoders) to another number. Make sure that CV29 remains 34 and try it. It could be your system is using the H10 address as a short address instead of a long address. Some systems use 0 to 127 as a short address. I remember hearing somewhere that 126 and 127 loco addresses would do strange things to other locos. I think it was on the NCE yahoo group a while back.
locoi1sa Jon Change the short address of the Blueline J1 (both decoders) to another number. Make sure that CV29 remains 34 and try it. It could be your system is using the H10 address as a short address instead of a long address. Some systems use 0 to 127 as a short address. I remember hearing somewhere that 126 and 127 loco addresses would do strange things to other locos. I think it was on the NCE yahoo group a while back. Pete
This makes a lot of sense. Decoders don't put anything back on the rails, so I don' think there's any way there is interation between the locos themselves. Even when you "read" CVs from a decoder, it's by short applications of the motor, with the command station detecting the current draw. But a control station issue makes a lot of sense.
Jeff, Pete,
OK, I went and changed the H10-44 address from 126 to 226 and JI is now not "alarmed". I was thinking along same lines that perhaps the H10 address of 126 was too close to far end of short address range-but I do tend to do a bit of flailing around that isn't driven by any solid technical hypotheses. So......I think we're in business with H10-44 and J1. Thanks for input, this forum is a treasure.
Jon .............and one more for the road
Jon.
Glad to help out but the number change could be confusing later. You could make the address 1260. That would take it into the extended range and still keep the cab number. I would still change the short address from 3 to something else on the blueline decoder so this would not happen again.
There must be a software glitch in the blueline decoder that is not ignoring the short address when the long address is active.