I just installed a Soundtraxx Tsunami AT 1000 in an Athearn Genesis SD70. The unit goes great in forward but in reverse, it a completely different story.
In reverse, it will either jump around or go quite fast in reverse. Is there a setting I didn't get right or is the decoder defective?
Thanks in advance.
Will
It's possible that there is something wrong with the gear train of the locomotive. If you can, try swapping the gray and orange wires, which go to the motor. If the engine still works poorly in reverse after you do that, then it's the engine. If the problem moves to the forward direction, though, it's the decoder.
I'm waiting to get a decoder back from Soundtraxx right now. It ran fine in forward, but would immediately short out in reverse. The technician I swapped e-mails with said it was most likely a problem with the reverse motor driver. That make me think that this problem is common enough that he was already aware of it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thank you Mister Beasley, for the response. I forgot to mention that the loco has performed flawlessly without the sound decoder. I will promptly send the decoder in for servicing.
While I have never heard any bad things about Soundtraxx like MRC. I just hope they are quick to permanently fix the problem in current and future product offerings.
Just to bring closure to this, I sent the decoder back to Soundtraxx. They sent me a new one for no cost. It sat on my workbench for a couple of months while I was in a frenzy of tracklaying, but I finally did the installation over the weekend. It works just fine, and sounds great as well.
All's well that ends with a couple of toots and a chuff, I guess.