Hey all, I recently picked up an Athearn FEF that the original owner had issues with. They ripped out the original sound decoder and installed a mobile decoder, a Soundtraxx MC2H104AT specifically.
The lighting works fine, both forward and reverse and the numberboards light up appropriately, however when moving forward, usually past speed step 5 or 6 it will keep going and not stop, not when I set the throttle to 0, not when I hit the emergency stop button on my NCE powercab, it just keeps rolling forward, or backwards, depending on direction. It doesn't respond to direction changes either, its essentially stuck until I take it off the rails.
It also tops out at what seems like speed step 10 and doesn't go any faster. I've reset the decoder and it doesn't seem to have helped in any respect.
Anyone ever experience this before? I'll probably rip out the decoder and put TCS or something else in eventually, but I'd like to know what the issue is.
The Backshops - A blog dedicated to modeling projects
First thing to ALWAYS try is to reset the decooder. THe former owner may have done some strange settings in a speed table or with CV5 for top speed. Instead of trying to figure that out, simply reset the decoder, it will then respond on short address 3.
Should be CV8=8 for that decoder. Then turn off the track power, or tip the loco and tender off the rails for a few seconds. DO NOT use the decoder reset option on the PowerCab menu, it's somewhat specific to NCE decoders.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Yeah I've gont and reset the decoder using CV8. It seems to only have made the issue more inconsistant, and motion doesn't start until speed step 2 (I'm assuming the OG owner messed with the start voltage to get it to at least start at 1 more smoothly).
Still likes to keep moving despite my best efforts to get it to stop