Hi,
Last week I installed TCS DP2x decoders in a new Stewart Ho VO-1000 and a new DS-4-4-100 loco. It was an easy install (loco details took time), and they ran nicely on the layout.
Yesterday I noticed that the headlights on the VO-1000 were not working, but were working on the DS-4-4-1000. Sadly, I can't say for sure if the VO-1000 lights worked when the decoder was installed.
I took the loco apart and tested the lights and they work, and the contacts between the motor/frame and "light fixtures" is good. My guess is that the problem lies within the decoder, but I can't be sure. I emailed TCS about the situation, but thought I would ask you all as well.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Lights connected to a decoder must be totally isolated from all contact with the frame or you'll burn out the decoder's light function output. Your comment about there being good contact between the motor/frame and light fixtures indicates that you have created a short and burned out the decoder.
Ooops, bad choice of words on my part..............
The contacts are between the "light fixtures" and the metal contacts on the circuit board - to which the decoder is attached. Note that the loco runs great via DCC, but the lights do not function. Doing two almost identical installations side by side, my expectations would be that they would both work (lights) or not.
Not enough info.
I have two Stewart VO-1000's which were DCC ready and tmy locos have LED's with the resistors on the PC board with the NMRA socket. If the decoders are wired correctly where the plug connects to the on board socket, the LED's should work.
Blue to pin 7, white, front to pin 6 and yellow, rear to pin 2.
What are your colors and did you use the PC board or hard wire?
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
The VO's are a tight fit for a T1. I didn;t try a DP2X but I'm not sure there is enough clearance on top for the shell to fully seat - and if the shell doesn't fully seat the legs on the LEDs won't contact the copper tabs.
Or you could have the DP2X in backwards.
I repalced the factory LEDs in mine because I don;t like Yellow lights, but mine are older models - hopefully they don;t use the orange LEDs anymore. One of my older series of construction photos shows how I bend the leads of a more normal yelo-glo LED to match the stock one so it contacts the copper tabs just like the original. The cab one was a bigger pain, more bends.
Oh and try a reset, CV8=2. Maybe the light settings got messed up.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I just remembered, I removed the spring contacts and hard wired the LED's with #30 wire. Bruce, a former DCC company owner did that for a custormer.
http://www.mrdccu.com/install/hods/Stewart_VO.htm
but he did a sound install and you can see how he did this. Just remove the contacts and rewire if you can solder.
Thanks guys!
The DP2X was recommended by Tony's Train Exchange. The decoder simply plugged into the top of the existing board. The plug is positioned correctly and is plugged in tightly. Again, having the second loco worked at the same time (and it works perfectly) tends to support that "I did it right" - as far as the installation goes.
I guess a resulting question is "can a decoder run a loco via DCC but not allow good lights to work?"
Yes, if it's backwards or if the lighting settings got modified somehow - try the reset first, CV8=2 on that one. That will eliminate the possibility of the lighting CVs being messed up, the default will be a basic directional headlight. The LEDs aren't burnt out as you've proved by powering them directly (hopefully with a resistor, otherwise they probably ARE toast now)
I'm cheap - the T1 is much cheaper than a DP2X and it fits, even if I have a loop of wire coiled up and taped to the circuit board. That's why I used that.
Right now I would remove the shell and do a decoder reset. The shells are easy to remove.
Make sure the light function is on.
Take your multimeter and check to see if you get DC voltage at the light contacts in forward and reverse. You should see about 12 volts DC. There is no load from the LED so full voltage will be available even though there is a resistor on the PC board.
You can put the negative meter probe on the connector blue lead, and positive probe to the yellow or white lead but be careful as you do not want to short two pins together.
If no voltage, then probably a bad decoder but I have never heard of this condition before.
I use the Digitrax DZ125PS in similar situations. $19.95 each and good for 1 amp. About the diameter of a dime.
Thanks once again.
I'll do the reset, etc. this afternoon (got a lunch to go to) and let you all know the results.
ENJOY !!!
Hi!
I'm fixin to let out a primal scream.......................
I pulled the shell, reset CV8 to "2", made sure the light function was on, but no light. I reversed the decoder, same results. Yes, the loco ran fine in either direction.
Brought the loco to the hobby room, put it on rollers, removed the decoder and replaced the plug. Hooked on a DC powerpack, and the loco runs, and the lights light.
The only thing left for me to do is to replace/switch this decoder with the other decoder I put into the DS-4-4-1000. That should validate - or not - that the decoder is the problem.
Wierd. If it works with the other decoder, well, TCS has a great warranty so you'll have a new one fairly quickly. If not - might be a good on the stewart circuit board. Or maybe the LEDs are backwards. That's easy enough to check - see which side the flt or notch is on ont eh headlight of one and compare to the other - don't mix them up, if one IS backwards you don't want to mix them up or you'll have one loco with a workign headlight and no bacckup light, and one with no headlight but a working backup light.
Well, looks like I can't fault the decoder - the "broken" one works the lights just fine in the other loco. Soooo, looks like I've got two bad lights in the VO-1000, probably due to "operator error".
Getting to them is a pain, but doable.
While I would like to order factory replacements, I suspect I could get "generic" a lot sooner and easier. Any idea as to what exactly I'm looking for?
Thanks!
Are they directional on DC, and if so, do they work int he right direction? Or are they backwards? If they are backwards then the LEDs were installed backwards, but re=bending them to flip them over will probably snap the leads. If they work the way they should in DC, the the fault it probably on the circuit board itself. You should be able to get replacement parts from Bowser, possibly under warranty if you bought it new/.
I'd start with LED polarity - the headlight LED is easy to get out, it's held by a plastic clip that pulls right off. LEDs typically have a flat spot to indicate polarity - compare to the good oen and see if it's orietned the right way. If they don't match, you've found the problem. Here's a picture of how I bent new LEDs, I used Miniatronics Yelo-Glo 3mm:
The little black thing is the clip[ for the front light. The one on the right is the rear light. The cab interior has 2 small tabs on the cab sides and it pops right out. With some needlenose pliers to hold the leads, bend them to match the stock LEDs and they will make perfect contact witht he copper tabs.
If the problem instead lies with the circuit board, no amount of replacing LEDs will make it work. Make ure the component orientation on your board looks like this:
The only thing that can really be wrong is the round black bridge rectifier. In the picture, the cab is to the right.The + marking should be on the upper left like shown. If not - you found the problem. If it's the same, then I'm betting ont he LEDs being backwards. The browish things on either side of the rectifier and DCC socket are the resistors, yours will look differe,t I repalced mine with a higher value because the lights were just plain too bright.
Hard wiring a decoder in this loco would be easy, since all the wires follow NMRA color code, there are red on the right rail pickup, black on the left, and the motor wires are gray and orange. If you want to stick with TCS I'd use an MC2 as it is small enough to tape to the top of the motor to keep it out of the way once the circuit board is removed.
Take a 9 volt battery and a 1 k resistor, plus a couple clip leads to check the LED's.
Below are links for a meter I use and clip leads. Very necessary if you are gong to do this type of DCC work..
I have three of those meters and cheap to replace if you burn one up from misuse.
https://shop.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=multimeter
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062268
Make yourself some double clip leads. Some places sell them in a bunch with different colors.
Got the LEDs out, and found replacements at Bowser's website. Guess I'll order in the morning, after I check these out of course.
Thanks all for your time, input, and suggestions - you all really make a difference!
If they light up on DC though, they aren't bad. Also, unless you like the orange headlights, the Miniatronics ones are better than oem replacements - the color is better suited to first generation diesels than the sunny white or the ones that end up with a bluish tint.
Well, I got the replacement LEDs and installed them. Put the loco on the track and everything worked as it should. One thing I learned is that I do need to put together an LED testor, cause you can't tell if they are good or not by just looking at them.
Thanks all!
mobilman44 Hi! Well, I got the replacement LEDs and installed them. Put the loco on the track and everything worked as it should. One thing I learned is that I do need to put together an LED testor, cause you can't tell if they are good or not by just looking at them. Thanks all!
Congrats, mobilman44 !
Alton Junction