I have a new Fox Valley Hiawatha which just had a Tsunami decoder installed by the hobby shop. Anyway, the locomotive will not make it up a 3 percent grade, this is without any cars. I contacted the hobby shop and they said it must be the motor. The locomotive just comes to a stop, but the sound is still going. I have a couple of Digitrax DH123P decoders put aside for future installs, and decided to plug one into the Hiawatha and see if there was a difference. It made it up the grade. I added some overweighted hopper cars and the steam engine pulled them up the grade without any issue. I plugged the Tsunami back in and it would not even pull the cars on level track. Is there a CV that needs to be changed?
Paul
Maybe...yes...not sure. When you get confounded by a decoder, usually the fastest and surest way out of the jam, assuming it is a CV glitch and not a defect in the decoder's outputs, is to cut your losses and time consumption by just doing a hard reset. For most of us, doing a reset and restoring all the usual CV values and address changes is a matter of about five minutes...or less.
What could possibly be the case is that somehow the mid-range voltage is set very low in CV6, or maybe both CV5 (high motor voltage for speed) and CV6 are corrupt. If you are unable to determine their current assigned values with your DCC system, then a reset is a quick 'resort'.
If the decoder behaves the same way newly restored and now on Address "03", then you might have a defective decoder.
Crandell
Put the Tsunami into one of the hoppers and pull it up the grade, that way jt will make it! Sorry couldn't resist it based on your thread title.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Hi Paul-
From your description of running characteristics you need to change the cv values of:
CV 10, CV 209, CV 210, CV 212, CV 213, and CV 214
Read this first: http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/tsunamisteam_users_guide.pdf
Specifically p.57 and setting up the hyperdrive
You can also join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundtraxx/ for specific guidance for your Tsunami
Cheers-Erik
Erik Fiske
I couldn't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder
Chances are, that it is not the decoder, but the motor. I´d return the loco, either to get it repaired or replaced.
If the non sound decoder( DH123P) made the unit run and pull cars up the grade I would think that there is some CV set wrong.
The installer should fix! NOT YOU!
I would take it back and have them repair or take out the decoder and give my money back.
I think that the CV 209 or 210 could be set too low.
One thing for the OP to realize, much of DCC is not plug and play. Many times you will have trying times. Try this or try that, especially with custom installs. No idea on what the LHS did after the install. Did they do a decoder reset, first time. I do that with any new install, then make the appropriate CV adjustments. I use paper and pencil to keep track of CV values.
Do a reset and then see how the loco resounds.
Using a PC with software makes this much easier as the PC keeps the previous values. But that is another discussion.
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.
Rich, all of what you said is true.
What I am saying is that the LHS should have checked this all out befor delivering the unit. I am not sure just what the LHS does when they install a sound decoder or what they said they would do. Maybe they just pluged the decoder in and that was all they did. Still the unit shoud pull a few cars?
woodone Rich, all of what you said is true. What I am saying is that the LHS should have checked this all out befor delivering the unit. I am not sure just what the LHS does when they install a sound decoder or what they said they would do. Maybe they just pluged the decoder in and that was all they did. Still the unit shoud pull a few cars?
Actually the first thing you should have done is take the loco back to the LHS and then post here.
Big If, if the decoder is back to original and the drivers are not slipping, then either the CV's are way off or you have a defective decoder.
All I have seen, the decoders either works properly or do not work at all. To barely crawl is quite different but possible.
It is common knowledge with DCC, always reset the decoder if there is an issue and then start troubleshooting if it is not ok. Then, maybe hit the forums.
I use Decoder Pro on my laptop for programming and it helps a lot in keeping track and easily identifying descriptors vs just CV numbers. Although studying the manual is first. Anyway, it does sound like the hyperdrive or related could use an adjustment. Not sure how many speed steps you were setting the throttle to for the grade?
But, yes taking it back to the installer is likely best since there should be some sort of warranty on the install. BTW, I've installed lots of Soundtraxx and have not experienced this problem(again, depending on what speed setting you had the throttle), except at speed step 1. Also, Soundtraxx is easily called/emailed and they have excellent customer service.
How does it sound?
Richard
It sounds great.
Could it be there is insufficient track power, and with the sound decoder going the engine is just running out juices?
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Just saw your post today, and the subject line reminded me of an ongoing problem I had with a Bachmann Spectrum Decapod with a factory-installed Tsunami decoder. This locomotive was unable to climb a grade even travelling light (no railcars attached) right out of the box. I laid the blame at the feet of the loco because it is mostly plastic and weighs next to nothing. A call to Soundtraxx solved the mystery. CV 212 was at the default setting (128) which it turns out was too low a value to get this thing to climb (3 to 4% grades). On Soundtraxx's advice, I increased the value to 255, the maximum, and it now climbs very well even pulling a good load. From what I've learned the hard way, installing 2 Tsunamis in other steam locos and now this, my hat is off to Soundtraxx's technical support. If you haven't called them and are still having issues, you owe yourself a conversation with them. Their website has most answers, but it's advantageous to call as well, because the different decoders (factory-installed aka custom decoders, and the retail decoders), have different attributes, and the CVs can have different default and maximum settings. Good luck.