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Problem with Sound Value loco and command station

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  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 15 posts
Posted by decapodman on Monday, April 30, 2012 5:28 AM

Problem solved! I was advised by Uhlenbrock's support team to try and change the command station voltage to 12 V AC and that did it. The user instructions say 16 V for HO scale, obviously too high in this case. The Mogul now starts beautifully at speed step 1, responds nicely to throttle and sounds great. I still need to fiddle with the CVs to tune the DC operation, sometimes the loco will run  on a DC layout as well.

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions! 

  • Member since
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  • From: S.E. Adirondacks, NY
  • 3,246 posts
Posted by modelmaker51 on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:04 PM

The Uhlenbrock (German) is very interesting:

http://www.dcctrain.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=1223

Jay 

C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1 

Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums 

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Friday, April 20, 2012 5:40 PM

Neither am I familiar with the specific system you have.   However this might help somehow.  I have an older MRC command 2000 system.   So many of my first DCC installations were the original 14 step.    Those decoders when put onto the Lenz system will now only respond to ever other step where odd numbered steps have the headlight off and even numbers have the headlight on so it "flashes" when one is trying to accelerate or decelerate.    Are you certain the Uhlenbrock is not set to a 14 step compatiblity mode somehow?

  • Member since
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Posted by locoi1sa on Friday, April 20, 2012 4:58 PM

Hi.

 I am not at all familiar with your DCC system. It sounds like the track voltage may be too high. The value line Soundtraxx decoders work better on 12 to 16 volts. In program track mode there should be no sound at all. Program tracks should have very little current so a miss wired or defective decoder will not go up in smoke. The clubs Lenz system had a power supply failure once that put way too much voltage to the rails from one of the boosters. All the QSI equipped locos just stopped and the horns and whistles were blowing and the Tsunami equipped locos stopped and the lights were flashing.

  If you do not use DC with these locos it is best to disable DC in CV29.

   Hope this helps.

      Pete

 I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!

 I started with nothing and still have most of it left!

  • Member since
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  • From: Sweden
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Posted by Graffen on Friday, April 20, 2012 2:48 PM
It seems to me that the speed step setting on the Intellibox doesn't match the speed steps in the loco's. Change it to 28/128 and it should work....

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  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 15 posts
Problem with Sound Value loco and command station
Posted by decapodman on Friday, April 20, 2012 1:57 PM

I'm new with DCC, just playing with my first locos and Command station. I have two Bachmann DCC non-sound locos plus the B'mann 2-6-0 Alco with Soundtraxx Sound Value. The command station is an Uhlenbrock Intellibox II. It's a multi-protocol system but the settings are on DCC at 28 speed steps.

The two non-sound locos run without problems on DCC with full controls, CV reading and programming. The Mogul is another story. It runs on DC, with limited sounds of course. On DCC it will not move under main line power. Sometimes the lights come on and sound functions work but when I try to start it moving the lights just begin blinking and nothing more happens. However, when in programming mode the loco operates beautifully, sounds and all. Obviously  I'm confused, having tried to fix the problem but unfortunately with zero results. I was able to test another Sound Value Mogul, same situation. I'd think there's something wrong with the command station, but then there's the two non-sound locos that run well. So far I haven't removed the tender shell to see the decoder diagnostic LEDs. Obviously I may be overlooking something but what? Advice,anyone?

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