I was running my trains the other day and all of a sudden my Genesis F3 started to come alive without any input from me. It started ringing the bell and then went through a whole series of random sounds and I hadn't run this engine in a couple of days. I know I dispached it when finished as I always do. I entered the address and took control (it didn't move on its own, just made many sounds!) and exited again. Any ideas as to what might have happened?
Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Did you try setting CV29 to 34? The problem you saw might be a dc mode issue. During system start or if there is a sporatic short in the layout it can cause decoders with DC mode on to take off.
If that doesn't fix the problem try a reset of the decoder.
Springfield PA
I have two Genesis F3,s with MRC sounddecoders that behave like that after approx 1 hour of sitting idle on a powered track. The funny thing is that one of the random sounds is talk in in a funny language maybe Chinese ?
I will replace the MRC decoders with Tsunamis byt have not gotten around to that yet.
That is what I was going to say. MRC decoders? IMHO the MRC decoders are subject to "electrical noise" and don't handle it well and the cause of most of their problems. I have had a couple that I thought for sure were dead no matter what I tried. After months I tried them again and they started working. This was after I got another one working and decided to try those once again. Weird.
Had a total lapse about the MRC and Genesis loco link. That's a definite possibility as well.
You could consider yourself lucky that it's still working though.
Soundtraxx has a drop in replacement for that loco. It's the GN-1000 EMD 567
Is MRC the sound system used by Athearn in the Genesis line? I thought it would have been a better quality decoder for the money they get. Mine is about 4 years old but never ran it much until a few months ago when I switched to DCC. It is a great running and sounding loco though.
They were, but AThearn got enough complaints about the poor quality and frequent failures that a couple of years ago they switched to using Tsunamis from Soundtraxx.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
How can I tell which one I have?
Read CV8 if you can, 141 is SOundtraxx, 143 is MRC.
Or take off the shell and look at the board. MRCs tend to look like some amateur soldered it together in their basement, Tsunamis look professional.
Or, when did you buy it? If it was before 2008 it is definitely MRC. Around 2008 it could eb either, if it is a new run from the past year or so it's definitely a Tsunami.
If it's 4 years old it's an MRC. Just look at the decoder. If it looks like a drunk man designed it, it's an MRC.
rrinker MRCs tend to look like some amateur soldered it together in their basement, Tsunamis look professional. --Randy
MRCs tend to look like some amateur soldered it together in their basement, Tsunamis look professional.
I remember reading how the MRC decoders were very shoddily made and the factory that made them was described in very poor conditions. I'm so glad I opted to buy all my Genesis F units without sound. All but one was pre-Tsnumai. The last one I bought money was getting tight so I just got the non-sound F7 (phase II D&RGW #5764).
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Had the engine apart the other day and took photos. Can anyone tell from this if it is a MRC or Tsunami decoder?
That is the MRC sound decoder.
The 'blob' over what must be some super-secret chip is the giveaway to it being an MRC.
Thanks Randy
At least it's one of the newer MRC's Build quality is better but obviously they still have some QC issues.
I pullled out the mfg literature from this engine to see what CV would lower the volume on the sound system and found a statement in there about Athearn using MRC decoders in these engines. I never thought to look at the booklet? It also showed a volume pot on the pcb that adjusts the overall volume, which I did. It also mentioned that because the decoder was MRC there was no CV read back capabilitiy. I haven't had any problems out of this engine since I first posted this thread. Thanks again for all the help.
BTW while I had the body off it noticed it had the push-on connectors so I removed them and soldered all the connections.
-Bob