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Decoder Gremlins

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  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Maine
  • 188 posts
Decoder Gremlins
Posted by mainetrains on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:07 PM

I have a couple of locos which seem to have gotten some gremlins in the decoders. And before you ask no I haven't dropped them on the floor. Anyway, all of the sudden some of the sounds have stopped working...horns, bells...etc. The decoders were only put in a couple of months ago by a reputable dealer. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dave Banged Head

'there's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear' Modeling the Hard Knox Valley Railroad in HO scale http://photos.hardknoxvalley.com/

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Trois-Rivieres Quebec Canada
  • 1,063 posts
Posted by jalajoie on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 3:10 PM

Sometime an electrical short can play dirty tricks on a decoder. I would try a factory reset first and go from there.

Jack W.

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Christiana, TN
  • 2,134 posts
Posted by CSX Robert on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 5:08 PM
Have they been consisted?
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Maryville IL
  • 9,577 posts
Posted by cudaken on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 5:55 PM

 Dave, if you are going to stay DC, better power pack like a MRC 2400 would not be a bad idea. If you are going to a bigger DC tack and want to run constants then a MRC 9500 is the way to go, but is close to cost of a starter DCC set up, around $90.00 but is the best DC power supply I have had.

 If you want to go DCC and want to keep it simple, Bachmann E-Z Command use on E-Bay would be around $50.00.

              Cuda Ken

I hate Rust

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:23 PM

mainetrains
Anyway, all of the sudden some of the sounds have stopped working...horns, bells...etc.

Not meaning to sound condescending, but did you mistakenly shut the sound off?  Good old F8?  Also some units have a sound shutdown sequence something like F9 F9 while the unit is not moving.   Check your manual for "manual start up" or "total shut down". For QSI decoders leaving shutdown mode is a F6 F6.

Another thought would be did the volume accidentally get turned way down.  There are CVs that control the volume of each  This happened to me once when I tried to run the sound unit on DC.   Came back to DCC with zero volume.  The new QSI one can hold down F8 to adjust the volume.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Maine
  • 188 posts
Posted by mainetrains on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5:03 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions, although I'm not sure about the one about going to DCC from DC. Anyway, apparently the gremlins moved on. Last night when I tried the offending loco everything was fine. I may have hit the mute by accident but thought I had checked that when I was having the problem.

Anyway, thanks again.

DaveBanged Head

'there's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear' Modeling the Hard Knox Valley Railroad in HO scale http://photos.hardknoxvalley.com/

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