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NEED help

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  • Member since
    August 2009
  • 54 posts
NEED help
Posted by Shep'sKCSrailroad1987 on Saturday, October 24, 2009 2:12 AM

i have just installed a digitrax dh123at in my athearn bb and i running an MRC dcc system. i followed the instructions and nothing happen. need help and tell me what i can do.Bang Head

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Saturday, October 24, 2009 9:03 AM

You say you followed the instructions, but did you remove the motor and isolate the bottom of it from the frame during the installation?  If you didn't, the motor is short circuited.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, October 24, 2009 10:09 AM

"Nothing happened" is a pretty open category.

Can you read back the address on the programming track?  If you try to set the address, what happens?

As a general rule, don't ever put an engine on the main line without trying it on the programming track first.  The programming track operates in a restricted-power mode, so that you can't burn out your decoder if it's wired incorrectly.  If you get an error when you try to read back the engine address, you probably have the decoder wired wrong.

Unfortunately, "nothing happened" might not be quite accurate.  You may have burned out the decoder by putting it on the main line improperly wired.  Hopefully not, but that is one possibility.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Saturday, October 24, 2009 12:19 PM

Shep'sKCSrailroad1987
i have just installed a digitrax dh123at in my athearn bb and i running an MRC dcc system. i followed the instructions and nothing happen. need help and tell me what i can do.

Well, we cannot tell exactly what is going on here from the description given. Start from the top.

1.  Do you have other locomotives running on the DCC system or is this the very first one?

Knowing that the DCC system is running properly then we can consider the locomotive. 

What instructions did you follow? 

2.  How did you get the track power from the frame into the decoder?

3.  How did you isolate the motor from the frame?

4.  Nothing happens? Nothing happens when? When it is on the programming track, when it is put on a meter, when it is just thrown on the track????

Are you certain the throttle is on channel 3?  Does the control unit show any short circuit or error message?  Does it "see" the decoder when the locomotive is on the programming track?

  • Member since
    August 2009
  • 54 posts
Posted by Shep'sKCSrailroad1987 on Saturday, October 24, 2009 12:56 PM

i follow the instructions for the decoder and for the mrc system for prog a decoder on the program track and the light come and the is a buzzing noise of the decoder. and yes i did put some tape to keep the motor and frame from tuching    sorry about the spelling. i do have and youtube account if you would like to see more if you do tell me and i will make a vid of it. youtube name is guitar446

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