I am having some issues with a BLI e-6 that I got from an estate. I went to program it with my powercab. According to the box it is a paragon 2. I went in to change the number came up as 03 and short and a longer number that I did not write down (its an undec so it is not on it.) It read everything- I left it as 03 and changed the long number. When I went out of program (I'm on an NCE powercab) the engine light came on and it gave three short bell sounds but would not move. I went back in to try to change the number and now it is not reading the numbers or cv's Tried CV8 reset to 8 in instructions- no change. So I popped the top to use the reset button mentioned in the instructions and I sure can't find it. The chip inside shows it is a qsi upgrade chip. Any thoughts?
drgwcs,
Did you enter "03" or "3" as the address with your Power Cab? For short or long addresses you don't want to add any leading zeros; just the number.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I think I did put a leading 0 with it. I have done that before without any issues but haven't done a loco with 03 with it- regardless it wouldn't read. I was going to mess with it today now that I had some time this evening. Had on another forum there might be a start sequence with F6 or F0 twice. I may take it up to the club and use the Digitrax and JMRI but this is going opposite normally I can fix with the powercab what the Digitrax wont do.
With the QSI upgrade chip in it would the instructions change to a different level? It showed Paragon 2 on the box?
The NCE screen is a bit misleading if you assume you know what it's doing. While it looks like you can set both a short and a long address, the key words to look for are "Active Address" or "Activate this Address"
You also need to cycle the power to the loco off and on after a reset.
QSI can't help you on those.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I have a BLI E6a with a QSI decoder. But it is a Paragon, not a Paragon 2. The Paragon 2 uses a proprietary decoder, not a QSI.
If, indeed, it is a QSI, try resetting the decoder on the Programming Track. Use the following procedure.
Set CV49 to 128.
Set CV50 to 255.
Set CV56 to 113.
At the resulting reset, you should hear three toots.
Place the locomotive on the mainline and test it using short address 3.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain I have a BLI E6a with a QSI decoder. But it is a Paragon, not a Paragon 2. The Paragon 2 uses a proprietary decoder, not a QSI. If, indeed, it is a QSI, try resetting the decoder on the Programming Track. Use the following procedure. Set CV49 to 128. Set CV50 to 255. Set CV56 to 113. At the resulting reset, you should hear three toots. Place the locomotive on the mainline and test it using short address 3. Rich
No luck on that- it's still not reading the decoder. I'm going to take it up to the club and try JMRI on Digitrax- generally I am the one fixing stuff on my NCE the the Digitrax won't do it. It definitely is QSI quantum with an upgrade chip- shows QSI Quantum on the tiny print on the board. I tried double pressing F6 to get it out of nuet- no luck.
drgwcs No luck on that- it's still not reading the decoder.
No luck on that- it's still not reading the decoder.
So, when you say that "its still not reading the decoder", are you saying that it is not accepting values that you are attempting to write to the decoder?
If it is a QSI decoder, and not really a Paragon of any kind, then the three step reset process is a must. However, a step often overlooked by some newer to DCC, just as an example of those who might want to pull their hair out...or what's left of it...is that of cutting off power to the rails after presssing 'enter', and then exiting programming. Everyone should be doing this step before acquiring Add "03", which is always how I type it on my DT400 throttles, and attempting to reacquire control of the decoder in question. The NCE system may be different.
If it's a Paragon, they go silent and seem dormant or defective when one first powers up the rails. They won't do anything until they get that first speed step on the throttle with the correct address showing. I find this odd in a way, but I have sort of appreciated that I don't get a multitude of competing sound decoders raging against one another when I power up the rails at the start of an operating session. For those who find sound irritating after a while, it's a boon.
selector If it is a QSI decoder, and not really a Paragon of any kind, then the three step reset process is a must. However, a step often overlooked by some newer to DCC, just as an example of those who might want to pull their hair out...or what's left of it...is that of cutting off power to the rails after presssing 'enter', and then exiting programming. Everyone should be doing this step before acquiring Add "03", which is always how I type it on my DT400 throttles, and attempting to reacquire control of the decoder in question. The NCE system may be different.
Sorry if this has been a pain and a little confusing- still trying to figure out the whole situation. The box and the instructions are paragon the shell matches the box but the decoder is definintly QSI with an upgrade chip. It may have been chassis got switched. (not going into everything but I know the collection was quite a mess when they started to sort everything out) I wonder if following the reset instructions of setting cv8 to 08 on the paragon instructions before I realized it was qsi may have messed something up. It did finally read it and I was able to change it to address 12. Still the tree dings on power up. I will try resetting it again and killing power to the rails tommorow. I am going to the club on Thursday and will try JMRI and resetting it there. Thanks for everybodies help. Jim
Resetting a QSI decoder by programming CV8=8 will not mess anything up. That is the correct programming step to reset a QSI decoder to factory defaults. But, the QSI decoder can be stubborn, particularly if it has sat idle for a long while. In that instance, the three step CV reprogramming is the way to wake up and reset a sleepy QSI decoder.
My system is an NCE PH-Pro with an isolated Programming Track. So, of necessity, I have to remove the locomotive from the Programming Track and place it on the main line following reset. But, while the loco is on the Programming Track, after performing the three step CV reprogramming, I do hear the three toots confirming that a reset has successfully occurred. If you don't hear the three toots, a reset has not successfully occurred.
Thanks I will keep after it- going to keep trying to reset it and will try it at the club Thursday. I am pretty sure it has been sitting for quite a while- that may be a whole lot of it.
pulled the jumper and finally got it working!!!!!
drgwcs pulled the jumper and finally got it working!!!!! As someone with a few QSI decoders (certainly my least favorites, for sound quality mostly) I’m curious about the “jumper”. Can you please elaborate so as to give me a little education. I appreciate it.
Here is what solved it for me. I was looking for a reset button or magnetic switch. This shows the ones on Broadway QSI locos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX493I0WpNw
If this thread accomplishes nothing else, it does confirm once again thst the QSI Quantum decoder is probably one of the mysterious decoders in terms of reset. I count 5 possible methods.
One method is CV8=8.
Another method is the 3-step CV procedure that I mentioned earier in this thread.
Then, the BLI video demonstrates three other reset options: the magnetic wand, the slider switch and the jumper.
To make matters worse, not all of these methods are available on a particular locomotive and not all of these reset methods work on a particular locomotive.
And, the worst of it, is that the QSI decoder is the most likely of all sound decoders to frequently require a reset to factory default. In my experience, this most often happens after a period of nonuse. Most decoders fall asleep, while the QSI decoder seems to lapse into a coma.
It’s no wonder QSI no longer exists!
Tophias It’s no wonder QSI no longer exists!
I have a few. I’ve never thought their EMD sound files sounded anything like a EMD locomotive. More like a fishing trawler. I just converted my first one to LocSound and couldn’t be happier. Hope to get them all converted as time and funds permit.
Tophias I have a few. I’ve never thought their EMD sound files sounded anything like a EMD locomotive. More like a fishing trawler.
I have a few. I’ve never thought their EMD sound files sounded anything like a EMD locomotive. More like a fishing trawler.
Probably recorded it from a marine 567.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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