Canadian Pacific FP7 headlight question

[hon30critter]

Hi everyone:

This topic ended up being discussed in both the Electronics and DCC section and the Prototype section. I think it would be more logical to confine the discussion the the Electronics section so I am going to request that all further posts on the subject be made to this thread:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/216872.aspx

Thanks.

Sorry for the confusion.

Dave

[ChadLRyan]

Thanks Dave!
Happy to contribute, &/or otherwise confuse... ha hah..
That is the exact pinout of the plug I have as well, same pinout here.

If we follow the numbers on the front (LED) side of the board, as in the pictures, they are;

1)  Yellow
2)  Blue
3)  Green
4)  Red

Mine is not numbered on the rear, only the forward facing side.
The Forward Facing Side also has the traces for the Top & Door  lights.

Hope that helps out..
Thanks,

[hon30critter]

Hi Chad!

Your headlight mounting board is the same as mine, at least as far as the number on the board goes. I can't quite tell from your picture which colours go to which plugs. I can see that the first two plugs are the same as mine, i.e. from the left side in the picture the first is yellow and the second is blue. On my plug the next plug is green, and then there is one unused plug, and the fifth plug is red. The sixth plug is also not used.

I'm not going to tear my hair out on this one until I have the new chip. Even then I'm not going to tear my hair out, but I might just do that with the decoder if it doesn't behave!

Until then, we will all have to hold our breath, or not.

Dave

 

[ChadLRyan]

Dave,

I should have looked before I tripped & fell!

On my DC model the lightboard has both the Door & the Top Light traced in Parallel..
Also, I noticed there is not another pin pocket on the board, so it seems like this board would not have an option for an additional function, & the connector's extra place pin..
It's an easy modification though, should one hard wire one, & break the trace for the top light.

Hopefully the board in my picture is clear enough to see if it is the same rev as yours, who know, perhaps the DCC ones are different?  I don't know.. 

Interesting topic, thanks for the inspiration!
On this model I may have to customize the 'Top' light independently with an Ngineering Mars, in DC they work great!  Something to consider!

Thanks!

[ChadLRyan]

Dave,
Great picture, spell things out, as I forgot what they looked like!
So does the high mounted Headlight do the Mars Effect with/due to the programming?
I only see the 4 leades for the Numberboards & perhaps the main LED, or are there 3 signal & only one ground?   Are there surface mounts I do not see?
I think I may have one of these lokies with the dual headlight somewhere nearby, so I will look at mine, in the meantime.... Sorry...

I feel your pain with the 'DCC Accessories!'
But, if we want it done right......  It's Got to be...
I am considering a pricy, but nice, decoder for an F40PH Screamer, I bet it will be neat..
Thanks for sharing!

[hon30critter]

Stix:

Here is what the light board I am referring to looks like:

I'm pretty sure that this 'light board' did not come with the decoder because of the way the headlight functions as a mars light when it is connected to this decoder.  Anyhow, as I have mentioned earlier, I have a QSI upgrade chip on order and I have just received the QSI Programmer. If they don't fix the problem then a new decoder will. Unfortunately, it will be the most expensive decoder that I have ever purchased given the amount of money I have already spent on the Programmer and the new chip. Live and learn! (Actually, I have the 'live and learn' part down pat! Problem is I am really slow implementing what I learn!).

Dave

[wjstix]

I'm curious what the "headlight wiring harness" is you mentioned?? If it's a lightboard type decoder, there normally are four connection tabs at each end. The middle two on each end are for the headlights, two for forward and two for the rear light.

[hon30critter]

Stix:

The decoder is designed to replace the original light board. All of the factory plugs for power pick up, lighting connections and motor power are plugged individually directly into the decoder so there is no eight pin plug involved.

I have the components for Decoder Pro on order, and I have just received the QSI Programmer as well. All the QSI Programmer told me was that it wouldn't work with the decoder until I upgraded the decoder chip, which is now on order.

I will win this one! Eventually!!

Dave

[wjstix]

If it's an eight-pin plug, it could be the connection is wrong-way around...though usually that would make the lights not work at all.

Decoder Pro might help, if you have a programming track hooked up to your PC.

[hon30critter]

Stix:

Sorry for the slow reply.

I have spent a lot of time trying to adjust the CVs to fix the headlight. In theory, even if the light is set up as mars light I should be able to turn off the strobe effect and have it operate as a normal headlight, but I have been unable to do that. The engines responds to CV changes by moving slightly but nothing changes in the operation of the light.

One possibility is that I have the wrong headlight wiring harness for the decoder. The frame with decoder was originally installed in a B unit. I switched shells and added the headlight wiring harness to convert it to an A unit. It could be that the plug on the decoder has the connections wired differently than the wiring in the headlight harness. Even if that is the case however, I should still be able to change the mars light operation to a steady headlight by changing CVs only.

In any case, I have a QSI Programmer on order from Tony's. If that doesn't sort the problem out, then I always have my blow torch and 20oz hammer!

Thanks for your help.

Dave

[wjstix]

The decoder might be set at the factory for two-headlight engines. You just have to change the CVs to get the lighting effect you want, usually CV 49 and 50 control lights. Sometimes you can work out from the decoder literature what to enter, sometimes I find it comes down to trial-and-error.

I guess it's also possible that one of the function buttons is set to turn on the Mars light setting, and you may have pressed that F button without realizing it??

[hon30critter]

Chris:

Thank you. You confirmed what I thought. To have only a mars light operating would drive the engineers bonkers very quickly.

I am having several other problems with the decoder so I'm not suprised that the headlight is messed up too.

Dave

 

 

[cv_acr]

No. CP units only had a single headlight.

For units that had double headlights (a headlight and a mars light) the mars light would be in the upper position and the standard headlight would be the lower one mounted on the door. (The rotating mechanism for the mars light would be too heavy.)

[hon30critter]

Hi everyone!

I have an Intermountain CP FP7 with a factory QSI sound decoder.

When I put the engine into forward the headlight acts like a Mars light. Is this prototypical?

Thanks

Dave