MTH is frustrating
Changed address to 19 and it works ok until track power is turned odd then it goes back to 03
same with long address
Cannot turn the sound down f6 and f7 do not do anything - the pot under the radiators does nothing and it is so loud its infuriating
Is there a CV that controls sound volume?
MTH web site offers no solutions and they dont reply
Using Digitrax DCS100 and DT400 in ops mode
Any solutions our there
Welcome to the forums
Are you programming using the main or a program track?
You should be setting the address on the mainline by setting CV29 to a value of 38.
The sound will always reset to max when you power down and has to be lowered each time.
Springfield PA
Craig Hepburn MTH is frustrating Changed address to 19 and it works ok until track power is turned odd then it goes back to 03 same with long address
This is a known problem with MTH Proto Sound 3 locomotives. Out of 3 locos a friend bought, 2 of them have the same problem. The only thing to do is to return those units to MTH for servicing and hope to receive them back repaired in some distant future.
Craig Hepburn MTH is frustrating Cannot turn the sound down f6 and f7 do not do anything - the pot under the radiators does nothing and it is so loud its infuriating Is there a CV that controls sound volume?
Unfortunately there is not much one can do to modify any factory settings in these locos.
Craig Hepburn MTH is frustrating MTH web site offers no solutions and they don't reply Any solutions our there
MTH web site offers no solutions and they don't reply
I personally bought 2 SD70 ACe DCC ready. Both units run so hot that they will melt/ fry decoders. Again a known problem and the fix is to replace the motor.
MTH don't reply to their customers, after sale service is non existent. My units where bought last January and after a first email from MTH requesting for Amps reading, they are ignoring me since. My last email to them was March 2011 and I am still awaiting for a reply. I am thinking they are stretching time until their warranty, if any, expires.
I finally located one of their service center some 100 miles from my home and ordered at my expenses 2 motors. It took MTH a month just to reply to their service center to give the price of these motors. How long will it take to receive them, only God can tell.
Jack W.
jalajoie Craig Hepburn:Same problem with my MTH SD locos they all have bad motors,Can you let me know where to get motors for them dont wont to deal with MTH anymore. MTH is frustrating Changed address to 19 and it works ok until track power is turned odd then it goes back to 03 same with long address This is a known problem with MTH Proto Sound 3 locomotives. Out of 3 locos a friend bought, 2 of them have the same problem. The only thing to do is to return those units to MTH for servicing and hope to receive them back repaired in some distant future. Craig Hepburn: MTH is frustrating Cannot turn the sound down f6 and f7 do not do anything - the pot under the radiators does nothing and it is so loud its infuriating Is there a CV that controls sound volume? Unfortunately there is not much one can do to modify any factory settings in these locos. Craig Hepburn: MTH is frustrating MTH web site offers no solutions and they don't reply Any solutions our there I personally bought 2 SD70 ACe DCC ready. Both units run so hot that they will melt/ fry decoders. Again a known problem and the fix is to replace the motor. MTH don't reply to their customers, after sale service is non existent. My units where bought last January and after a first email from MTH requesting for Amps reading, they are ignoring me since. My last email to them was March 2011 and I am still awaiting for a reply. I am thinking they are stretching time until their warranty, if any, expires. I finally located one of their service center some 100 miles from my home and ordered at my expenses 2 motors. It took MTH a month just to reply to their service center to give the price of these motors. How long will it take to receive them, only God can tell.
Craig Hepburn:Same problem with my MTH SD locos they all have bad motors,Can you let me know where to get motors for them dont wont to deal with MTH anymore. MTH is frustrating Changed address to 19 and it works ok until track power is turned odd then it goes back to 03 same with long address
Craig Hepburn: MTH is frustrating Cannot turn the sound down f6 and f7 do not do anything - the pot under the radiators does nothing and it is so loud its infuriating Is there a CV that controls sound volume?
Craig Hepburn: MTH is frustrating MTH web site offers no solutions and they don't reply Any solutions our there
Russell
Hi Craig,
I live in United Kingdom. I own several MTH SD70aces with Proto Sound and overall I don't have any problem with programming the address on my Lenz 100 with the exception of two of my SD70aces.
Two of my locos had the same problem with not retaining the address. This was approx 10 months ago. I reset using CV55 but to no avail. I even followed the instruction to leave the loco for 20sec before turning the power off but the problem still remained. I eventually e-mailed MTH. Luckily I had a reply from customer service dept after several days. I decided to remove the sound boards from each locos and send them back to MTH. Sending the two locos back to MTH from UK would have been very expensive. After a month, the boards were sent back with instruction to replace the large capacitor at the rear of the loco. I don't think they serviced the boards, otherwise they wound have replaced the capacitor themselve!!!. Fortunately, It was a straight forward procedure and hey presto it works....the board kept the new address.
I then decided to simply re-connect the other sound board to my second loco(as an experiment). This time even without changing the capacitor, the board kept the new address. So...I wonder whether by simply disconnecting the sound board from the loco say for a few minutes to allow the capacitor to discharge its 'memory'. Its worth trying before sending the loco back to MTH.
Nik
Dr Loco
Hi
I am programming on the main using Digitrax super chief (DCS100) and dt400
Pressing f6 or f7 does not change anything and tutning the pot inside the radiator makes no difference
Any other suggestions
Thanks Craig
Hi Nik
Thanks for the help.I am in South Africa and postage is worse than expensive
I have also reset CV55 also no fix
What size capacitor did they suggest changing to?
I will disconnect the Capacitor and see if this trick works.
You would think that MTH would have changed the Caps when the boards were with them - really %&^^### service
What a pity as the locos run like swiss watches
nothing seems to work
I am in ops mode on the main and chanhe cv29 to 38 but cannot get control of loco 1996 in the four digit address
Take loco off the track and put back on and its back to loco 3
Change short address and it runs on this address but as soon as power is off it reverts back to 03
Also nothing will change the volume Have tried the pot, f6 and f7 on my digitrax dt400 and also via my railroad and co functions - all no result
thanks
Craig
I tend to take photos of the steps taken whenever I opened any loco to do some tinkering. Unfortunately I don't know how to post the photos to this forum. There are two large capacitors at the rear of the loco (2.5V 1F).
I hope the photos will appear now.
Thanks for the info
I will spend some time dismantling this loco on the weekend
Do the electric couplers work on your locos - mine do not
When removing the shell there are 4 tabs located above the trucks. You have to press them outward with a thin screwdriver. You also have to disconnect the railings from the Cab before pulling the shell off.
Good Luck
You might be able to get the caps out without removing the shell though. You can see the board just to the rear of the adjustment pot.
I haven't tested the couplers on my loco despite having own 6 DCC sound version!!. I also have 5 DCC ready version!!
There is a youtube video made by The Monster to make slight modification to the automatic coupler. Just type MTH coupler. Its worth watching.
Removing the shell is slightly tricky. First you need to disconnect the hand rails from the front and side cab(using tweezers) as per MTH instruction(I use the DCC ready instruction manual). I leave the rest of the hand rails in situ. MTH handrails are pretty tough though you may chip the paint slightly. Then turn the loco upside down. Instead of removing the truck bottom plates, I simply used a very thin baldder screw driver to disengage to release the tab from chassis. Do this carefully as you might may end up breaking it(how did I know that??). You need good lighting and eyesight for this process. If you struggle then remove the truck bottom plate but remember the position of the wheels!!. Be careful not to bend the freed ends of hand rails(flip them outward) before removing the shell completely off the chassis..I had to remove the whole shell in order to disconnect the sound board. If you remove only the roof hatch, you can't have a good view of the capacitors and the sound board.
Good luck and I hope my theory works. BTW, I had to pay the UK custom charge plus parcel force delivery when I received the soundboards from MTH as they did not declare them as gift on USPS form. Can you imagine if I did send the whole two locos, it would have cost me a fortune!!
The fix for MTH locos is replacing the 2 super caps on the back. I used 2.7v 1.0f from Amazon. pac of 10 $9.99. I also use these building my own Keep-A-Lives