Tsunami AT1000 FDL16 playing "badly" with Athearn RTR P42 ?

[elansp]

All-

 I recently picked up 2 new AT1000 FDL16 boards.  I installed one in a new Walthers/Athearn P42 had almost immediately began having intermittant issues - lights would indicate motor fault - 11 or so flashes - engine sound would reset - then engine would continue to go for a bit and the same thing would happen.  There are no shorting issues.

I tried the second decoder and the results were the same.  I've installed plenty of Tsunamis and have not had this happen before.  The only difference with this engine is that one of the pickups for the front left side of the engine is on the frame body - not sure why Athearn did this for this type of engine.

I've tested this on my loop and at the club's NCE layout with same results.  I spoke to Soundtraxx support that recommended setting undocumented CV 217 to 7 which turns off the motor fault indicator.   The lights no longer flash but the engine doesn't run smoothly.

Anyone have any thoughts? 

 

[wjstix]

I would maybe check to be sure the motor is totally insulated from the frame. On most (all?) Athearn 'blue box' type Athearn engines, you have to remove the motor and put down a piece of tape to insulate the motor.

[Osibisa]

I've converted three non RTR P42's to DCC and eliminated the frame as a conductor for the left rail by soldering a feed directly to the front and rear truck with excellent results. Not sure if the RTR wheelsets on this model are NS, but I had changed mine to NWSL. Is this issue happening when you are pulling other cars or just by itself? If pulling other cars and the couplers you are using are all metal, that might be a contributing factor otherwise I would tend to lean toward insufficent power from the trucks.

Bruce

[elansp]

A good point but for the handful of other Athearn RTR locs that I have installed tsunamis in, I have never had this problem.  I will try this along with what the poster below mentioned (both were mentioned by soundtraxx support).

[elansp]

I spoke to Soundtraxx support and they said to try this and/or isolate the motor.  I don't think there is frame pickup on any of the other RTR locos that I had so this may be the problem.   The wheels are NS.  Only the engine, no cars...

[Osibisa]

Sounds good.....the lower moter connection is just a u-clip that may be loose. The RTRs I have did not have any isolation other that air between that connection and the frame, no issues but no safety either. Would be courious as to how you resolved your issue.

Bruce 

 

[elansp]

will let you know, thanks......

[elansp]

That was the answer.....I also isolated the bottom motor mount with electrical tape. For anyone else who may e struggling with a Tsunami installed in an Athearn RTR where one trucks pickup is directly from the frame and not from the actual axle - you need to solder a wire from the axle to the decoder. It may be difficult to get the solder to adhere to the axle frame - I used some flux and a bunch of solder and it finally took.