Hi all, its been awhile but glad to know your still out there on this forum. I have a 2 yr old, very low mileage Atlas MP-15DC model and it sits silently on the track in either DCC or DC. I haven't run the model for a couple of months but no issues prior to that. I did try the magic wand reset on DC power to no avail. I'm pretty sure power is getting to the QSI system as I show some current at a few points. Funny, maybe, but the only time I see anything is when I'm 'adjusting' the loco on a live track the lights flicker but nothing before (obviously) I place it on the rails and nothing after, seems almost as if an initial spike of current gets through but that is it. no sound, no lights and no motion. Any ideas of troubleshooting before I box and return to Atlas for repair? Any good leads for guys doing these types of repairs these days. Much appreciated.
bobby - Welcome to trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
The first thing that comes to mind is, "Did you try F6?" These decoders have a shut-down sequence, initiated with 3 presses of F9. You get some hissing and clanking, followed by engine-specific sounds including a guy closing the cab door. Then, the engine is dead to the world, and will do nothing, even if you remove power and recycle it. Only true love's first kiss pressing F6 will awaken it from its slumber.
I have a Proto 0-6-0 with a QSI decoder. One day, it passed over a defective crossing track and shorted. This put the engine into a deep sleep that nothing would get it out of. I tried the magic wand reset, writing CVs to reset, pressing F6, all to no avail. Finally, I took it to my LHS. He has a QSI programmer unit, and was able to wake the engine up again. The problem hasn't repeated itself. If your LHS or someone else you know has a QSI programmer, it might be a simple matter of putting it on their track and doing some magic with the keyboard.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thanks Mr Beasley! Did try the F6 kiss of life, not a prince or a frog for my efforts. Worried the chip is fried but will try to find a QSI programmer. Maybe worth buying one as I have about 6QSI locos. Think it's worth the bucks? Best Regards
Try resetting the decoder to factory default settings instead of running around trying to find someone with a QSI programmer.
CV49 = 128CV50 = 255CV56 = 113
Don't know if it will make any difference but...the wake up sequence for a QSI decoder out of shutdown model should be F6 twice rapidly (bang, bang). And you may have to do this a couple of times in order to bring it fully out of shutdown mode.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
bobby t Thanks Mr Beasley! Did try the F6 kiss of life, not a prince or a frog for my efforts. Worried the chip is fried but will try to find a QSI programmer. Maybe worth buying one as I have about 6QSI locos. Think it's worth the bucks? Best Regards
Unless you are swapping sounds, the programmer is going to be of limited use. It only does QSI decoders, like the Digitrax PR3 only does Digitrax SFX decoders. These items are kind of pricey, too, so unless you can really see a need I wouldn't buy one.
Where do you live? Maybe someone who lives nearby can suggest a friendly shop that has a QSI programmer.
I am adding my vote for a reset to factory defaults.
The QSI decoder is infamous for falling into a coma while sitting idle on the layout.
The QSI decoder never gets fried by just sitting there, only when something foolish is done directly (physically) to the decoder.
Rich
Alton Junction
When mine did that, I couldn't reset it. I tried the simple programming track reset, the more complicated programming track reset with 3 CVs, and the magic wand. Maybe the QSI programmer can apply more power than the programming track? If that's the case, then doing Program-On-Main might work.
MisterBeasley When mine did that, I couldn't reset it. I tried the simple programming track reset, the more complicated programming track reset with 3 CVs, and the magic wand. Maybe the QSI programmer can apply more power than the programming track? If that's the case, then doing Program-On-Main might work.
I would do, as I have done, the POM reset because the QSI may need more power than available on the programming track. I have a Power Pax Programming Track Booster hard wired between my booster and programming track, but the QSI decoders have been known to fail to program in spite of that.
Lots of good ideas given. My QSI decoders require the programming booster when in Svc Mode programming. BTW, you need to turn off the acknowledgement when using programming on the main. Several times, I've had to go through the programming sequence a couple of times to get it to take.
Your problem has been seen many times by our group. Decoder Pro can help in working with these decoders as well. For example, getting a readback using decoder pro is handy to make sure the indexed CVs worked.
Between the indexed CVs and these types of issues as well as other's having better sound, I have been swapping out the QSI decoders. But, I do like their functions and motor control. Maybe the Titan will be better.
Richard