Hi folks. I just purchased a very nice Kato HO SD40-2. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered it had a lighting control only decoder already installed, requiring only a plug in motor control decoder to run it on DCC. I played with the lighting, including flashing ditch lights - not happy with the yellow surface mount LEDs but very nice flashing action with no on/off switching look but rather actual ramping on and ramping off looking very much like incandescent lamps just like the proto.
Here is my problem. After removing the PC board (dummy) from the 8 pin socket and installing a Digitrax DH165IP FX3 plug in decoder I had laying around and programming it on the program track (I use MRC Prodigy Advance 2 - yes I like it) it ran very nicely, but I lost all control of front, rear and ditch lights, including the flashing function. Since then I have not been able to get back to even the factory lighting control that originally worked so nicely. I put the PC board back in, reset everything to the original factory settings (set CV8 to 8) and still nothing but constant on front headlight.
Kato instructions very minimal with just a list of basic out of the box settings and a statement that says can set CVs but can't read them back.They are correct on that - can't read anything. I tried setting CVs for the lighting decoder as well as the DH165 with no success. It doesn't seem to respond to anything I do.
Does anyone have any experience or know who's lighting decoder it is and/or any additional info or suggestions that will help??
I plan to replace the yellow LEDs with sunny white ones and would like to use the great effects that came with it.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
jb
This sounds like a typical dual decoder problem look up CV15 and 16 decoder lock use. Unfortunately with duals if you change the engine address only 1 will take. Follow the reset to factory procedure and see if both will work on address 3. If possible I'd re-wire everything on the motor decoder to avoid future hassles. Broadway limited blueline engines have the same issue with sound.
Springfield PA