All-
I blew the dust off of a blueline C30-7 (digitrax decoder installed) at the club the other day. When I last used the engine, the sound and motor decoders were locked and worked perfectly and set to the engine number.....this time around, I have motion but no sound. We run a NCE system. I brough it over to the PC and gave DecoderPro a try and the speaker was beeping back to me so no issues with the sound decoder so I think something syncing the motor and sound decoder to the same address has gone awry.
Anyone remember a quick and easy way to re-sync both decoders? Thanks in advance.
I make no claim of being an expert. But are you sure that you don't have the sound muted?
If that is not the case:
BLI apparently recommends that you do not lock the decoders. See page 19 of: http://www.broadway-limited.com/support/manuals/Final%20BlueLine%20Diesel%20Manual%207.17.08.pdf.
If you have the decoders locked, then you'll have to unlock them. Then put the engine on the programming track, select option 2 (which should be CV programming), select CV 8 (which should be the reset CV for both decoders), and make CV 8 = 8. 8 should be the factory reset (again for both decoders). Hopefully this will reset both decoders to the default address of 3. Note that the NCE system will say that it cannot read the CV, but just ignore that message and enter the 8.
Now put the engine on the main and see if it will run on address 3. If it does, you can then use programming on the main to select loco 3 and change the long address to whatever you want it to be.
If you don't want to reset the motor decoder, then you can remove it and go through the resetting of the sound decoder by itself using the same procedure. Then you can re-install the motor decoder.
I just went through this with a Blueline C&O T1 that a friend had. It had motion, but no sound. Whoever had programmed it somehow confused the sound decoder. I had a disadvantage that I didn't know who had made the motor decoder, and when I opened the tender shell there was no identification so I didn't know what reset code to use. So I removed that decoder to avoid getting into a non-retrievable situation.
Thanks for the quick reply. In the event I remove the motor decoder, do I not have to put the "jumpers" back into the spot where the motor decoder would go? Jumpers would be the way the loco came out of the box - DC only. That being said, I don't recall where to ptu the jumpers....
Do not install the dummy plug. I prefer to program Blue Line locos with the motor decoder out of the engine. I tried the lock method and the dual long and short address method and did not like them. What I do now is programming the sound system installed in the loco and the motor decoder out of the loco plugged to a NCE decoder tester.
Jack W.
elansp do I not have to put the "jumpers" back into the spot where the motor decoder would go?
No, what he said above about not putting it back. I was confused by this myself and had to call BLI and ask. That part of the process is not perfectly clear.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.
If the loco was consisted then the sound decoder will not accept an address change in CV19 if it is locked. Try POM CV19 = 0 and see if the sound comes back. In my opinion locking the decoders causes more problems than it is worth.
I have 5 Blueline steamers and TCS T1 decoders. I programmed them as if there was one decoder. The sound decoder will ignore motor change CVs and the motor decoder will ignore sound CV changes. They both will get the same configuration CVs. Lighting is controlled by the TCS decoder and none of the lighting CVs affect the sound decoder.
Some people using Blueline/ Digitrax combination's have issues with programing. Programming on the main seems to work better than a program track. If you do reset the decoders just leave them plugged in and program together. Do not lock them.
Pete
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!
I had a simular problem with my BLI C30-7 the other day. The sound would only idle even when I throttled up. I also have a Digitrax decoder for motor control. After tinkering with CV's trying to figure out the problem with no success. I just reset the decoders to CV 8 value= 08 then readdressed the loco number and all is working well. You do not have to remove the digitrax decoder to reset them as both decoders use the same CV's to reset them.
Dont foget somtimes you have to hit F9 function for engine start up and shut down.