Hoping someone can shed some light on this-relatively new to decoder installs. I have a couple Proto 2000 GP-30's (old LL blue box) that I am converting to DCC (I replaced the cracked gears in both). First one went smoothly-installed decoder, put on track and it worked. Second one, hooked up the Digitrax DH165L0 decoder and nothing. No lights no movement. Put the DC board back in and put it on a DC test track and it worked fine. Pulled the decoder out of the GP30 that worded fine and tried it, same thing, no response. Put the decoder that wasn't working in the other looco and it worked. Took the wiring harness and removed the black tabs, re-threaded the wires and put the black tabs back on. Tested on DC, worked fine, put decoder back in and nothing. Any ideas/sugestions? Figure it's got be an electrical problem somewhere, since neither decoder worked, but not sure what to look at. Thanks in advance for your help!!! BTW-using MRC PA2 DCC system.
Here you go....sounds like decoder thinks there is a short...
http://tsd.digitrax.com//index.php?a=170
Hi,
I'm no expert but here's what I'd do.
The first thing I would try is to put the decoder into the "good" loco and reset the decoder (usually CV8 but check the manual).
Next, I would solder the wires to the circuit board - don't rely on the black tabs. Those black tabs stretch over time and although you got it to work on DC, I definitely use solder (eventually they'll come loose anyway).
Check that the decoder is fully insulated - it's possible its catching something with the bodywork on (try running it without the shell to check).
You say there's no response. I don't have the MRC system, but on my NCE you can get a read-back of the decoder manufacturer ID and version number off the programme track setting. If you can do that on the MRC and get a response, then you know there's power getting to the decoder. As you've reset the decoder, you should be able to programme CV's and hopefully get things moving.
Ian
Update-connected programming track section and tried to read decoder-nothing.
No readback can still be two things. No track power is getting to the decoder, or no decoder output is getting to the motor.
Out of the box it should be address 03. If you select that address, can you turn the lights on and off with F0? If so, problem is between the decoder and the motor. If not, problem uis between the track pickups and the decoder. If it works wih the diode board back in for DC, then the pickups and wires are ok - however compare to the workign one to make sure the correct wires are on the correct pins for the plug board that plugs in to the decoder. If any of those are out of order it might still work fine on DC but then things would be connected to the wrong pins of the decoder so it wouldn't run.
Sounds like you already tried a known good decoder, so it's not the decoder.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Problem solved, took it the LHS (we have one), orange and red wires mixed up on wiring harness. I felt stupid! I may be going color blind-I could've sworn both wires were red...learned something new though (actually, a couple things, as Mike let me watch everything he did and answered all my annoying questions with a smile).
Thanks Mike (LHS DCC Guru)!!!
Sometimes the most insane guess turns out to be the right one.