HI everybody.
I have a new tcs decoder that always shows # 255, and no lights or movement takes place,i am using the nce power pro on the programe track,any ideas. THE DECODER IS A T1.
PATRICK
Patrick
Where does it say 255. Is it a CV or address? What is the make and model of the locomotive? Is the motor isolated from the frame? Did you try a reset? Just a little more info is needed.
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!
Hi Pete.
When you put the loco on the programe track it should say manf. 153 for tcs i think it says 255 moving on it should read ver 3.5 or the like,but 255 comes up.I tried a reset up comes255
I fitted this T1in aIHC 080 shunter i have had for years,the frame seemes to made from plastic so i did not do any moter isolation .COULD i be wrong. I was trying my new found skills at decoder fitting.
Did you hard wire this decoder in yourself or was there a plug? If you have a multimeter then you can determine if the motor wires are separated from either the right or left side.
YES PETE.
I hard wired the decoder the loco must 10 years old. I have a multi meter ,i will give it try. I also replaced the lights with LEDs . may be i am getting ahead of myself on the know how front, do you think i fried the T1.
Have you tried programming it on the main line (Ops mode) instead of using the programming track? Have you tried running the locomotive on default address of 3? The decoder showing 255 on the programming track is not a good sign -- 255 is the same as 00, but the decoder should not show this if you're just entering the programming cycle with your NCE ProCab.
I've never had this happen with a TCS decoder, but not all is lost. Even if you have fried it because the motor brushes were not properly isolated, TCS has a "Goof Proof" warranty and will replace it for free.
I have installed decoders into 10 or more IHC locomotives and never had to do anything to the motors other than remove the wires that were connected to them and substitute the decoder's gray and orange wires, because they all had can motors with totally isolated brushes, but yours may be a lot older than the ones I have.
Good evening Calcole.
And thanks, iexamined the work and saw that i had the tender pickups taking power from the same rails ,iswitched them, and low and behold the decoder read 153 ver 047.i programed the address and away she went.The TCS decoders seem to almost bullit proof.thanks again.
patrick
Thats great Patrick.
Thank you for getting back with a solution.
Some systems would have probably given a 'no decoder' indication if they couldn;t see the decoder on the program track, but values of 255 usually means it 'ran out' of numbers to try. "Reading back" CV's is somewhat of a misnomer, the decoder doesn't tell the command station what the value is. How it works is the command stations takes the CV you are tryign to program, say CV1, and 'asks' the decoder if it's 1 - is no, it asks, are you 2?, if no, it tries 3, and so on, until the decoder responds yes with a short pulse usually generated by momentarily turning on the motor (thus a loco with a good quality low current motor will tend to 'creep' on the program track as you program it, and also why decoders often will not program if they don;t have a motor attached, or a resistor in place of the motor).
As to the other thing - if the deocder does not work on the program track, DO NOT put it on the main. Outside of certain combinations of sound decoders and systems (and some decoders that don;t have readback, for whatever silly reason (yes, this means you, MRC)), a decoder in a properly wired loco will repsond on the program track. If it doesn't - something's probably wrong witht he wiring. Carefully check it and get it to work on the program track BEFORE attempting to put it in the main. The program track is current limited and it's darn near impossible to fry a decoder on it. But put it on the main with full power, and if it's wired wrong it's goign to go poof and let out the magic smoke real quick.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi RANDY.
Once again many thanks for information on decoder preformance,i learn something new every time i read one of your posts .I now have to find out why my newly installed leds will not work.the motor in the ihc 080 shifter seemes to be very poor but it moves the loco,this is a good model to learn about hard wireing and relighting locos.
regards.
You might just have the LED backwards. The blue wire on the decoder is PLUS, that's usually the longer lead on the LED, or if they are already cut to size, there's usually a flat spot in the base of the LED next to the negative lead. If they are clear LEDs you can see the inner bits, the smaller chunk of metal is plus, the larger is the negative.The resistor can go in either side, it doesn't matter.
Thanks RANDY.
I will examin wireing at the weekend.