How did you wire the lights? Even if the loco was listed as "DCC Ready", if you replaced the factory board with a decoder, you need resistors for the lights. If it even truly is DCC Ready (and that term is essentially meaningless), it would mean you cna connect a decoder to the 9 pin or 8 pin connector on the factory board and be OK. Since you say 1.5V bulbs, I'm assuming Athearn - yes, you can just plug a decoder in the 9 pin connector and they work fine, no worries about the bulbs. But if you swapped the whole board out, well, you've removed the existing resistors that protect the bulbs, so you need to add your own. Or replace with LEDs and resistors, so they never blow again.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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I have 2 DC locos that I can run with my Digitrax Zephyr Extra. One is an original Varney Docksider with a replacement NWSL can motor. It runs well but noisily. The other is an '80s brass steamer with original motor and transmission that runs very smoothly and quietly.
Dante
P.S. I did have my own decoder programming issues that were successfully resolved by resetting the decoders to factory default and then redoing the programming. If interested, please refer to the recent thread on another DCS50.
The track and wheels are clean, and all dc engines act like this for me. And as for the lights, the 1.5v lights still work on the rear and ditch lights, only the front ones blew. And i was told this decoder was ready to drop in the engine and ready to go. And it worked fine, rolled foward and backwards under its own power, untill i wired the lights
PennCentral99 1. The lack of control for a DC loco could be dirty wheels and/or track. Also, some older DC motors just don't respond well to newer technology (DCC systems). 2. Having issues with changing addresses with a Zephyr is not uncommon, especially with Soundtraxx Tsunami. Use the "blast mode" for programming addresses. Some decoders require a little extra "umph" for programming. Here's a link for blast mode: http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB33/programming-soundtraxx-tsunami-decoders-with-digit/ 3. If using incandescent bulbs, you must program the decoder for the difference. But since they're blown anyway, you might as well just change them to LED. The steady red on the decoder is normal (forward) operation. That means you got power. You already see that changing direction. This is the same on all Soundtraxx Tsunami's. As far as "no movement", are the motor leads connected? Could also be that something is binding the motor and/or driveshafts. Make sure nothing is putting pressure on the drive mechanisms. Try running the loco without the shell and see what happens.
1. The lack of control for a DC loco could be dirty wheels and/or track. Also, some older DC motors just don't respond well to newer technology (DCC systems).
2. Having issues with changing addresses with a Zephyr is not uncommon, especially with Soundtraxx Tsunami. Use the "blast mode" for programming addresses. Some decoders require a little extra "umph" for programming. Here's a link for blast mode: http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB33/programming-soundtraxx-tsunami-decoders-with-digit/
3. If using incandescent bulbs, you must program the decoder for the difference. But since they're blown anyway, you might as well just change them to LED. The steady red on the decoder is normal (forward) operation. That means you got power. You already see that changing direction. This is the same on all Soundtraxx Tsunami's. As far as "no movement", are the motor leads connected? Could also be that something is binding the motor and/or driveshafts. Make sure nothing is putting pressure on the drive mechanisms. Try running the loco without the shell and see what happens.
It has to be the use of a DT400 throttle rather than the Zephyr console - that was one of my first purchases after getting the Zephyr and a few decoders all those many years ago. Mainly it was because I dislike potentiometer controls (I don't use the UT4's at the club, either) but the fact that it doesn;t attempt to send the CV29 change until you push the Y button when asked if you want to enable 4 digit addressing also seems to fix the 'problem' of the addresses never getting set on the Zephyr console - the Zephyr does not prompt, you enter a 4 digit address and it just wham wham sets all 3 CVs needed. Works on most but not all decoders. Bet 90%+ of the time when someone has a loco that doesn;t program the address with a Zephyr, iof they read back CV17 and 18, it will have the correct values for the address they picked, just CV29 will still be set for 2 digit addressing.
I just traded away my only Tsunami anyway, Loksounds run better, are cheaper, and in most cases have better sound anyway. Now if Athearn would finally move into the present and stop using those silly light bulbs on their diesels... sure all my Proto 2000's had incandescent bulbs, but even though a couple of them were still sealed in the package, they are runs from 10 years ago. My Atlas RS3's have a single light bulb in the middle, not even directional lights - but those are over 20 years old, the made by kato years.
What I c't explain as easily as my Zephyr programming Tsunamis, is my PR3 ALSO doing so - with no more than the standard PS14 power supply. No add-on 18V power supply, just the standard wall wart Digitrax sells. Of course, the track it's connected to tend to be VERY clean, since it's also my test track and cleaning track, as well as coupler check and weigh track. And the fact that there is maybe 3 inches total of #18 wire connecting the PR3 to the track, so there's not going to be any loss in the wiring. Heck it's even read back MRC decoders when someone at the club brings over a loco and has no idea what sound decoder they have in it. Usually turns out to be an MRC, fore up DecoderPro and it reads - never a full sheet at a time, that always fails, but if I read just parts at a time, it will read. Do think I'm going to rebuild it with an SPROG though, then i can really run trains for testing. Change my toggle to a rotary for 3 options: Lokprogrammer, SPROG, or DC. Don't see getting any Digitrax sound decoders, so don;t really need the PR3, even if the new 16 bit one is a massive improvement over the old ones, and still cheap.
rrinker See why I don;t mess with Tsunamis? Red = bad, unless it's a Tsunami, then red = good. Sheesh. --Randy
See why I don;t mess with Tsunamis? Red = bad, unless it's a Tsunami, then red = good. Sheesh.
And you're one of the few people that have zero problems/issues with using your Zephyr to program.
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UP Engineer Stokes Now if I push down on the loco to help it along while I move the throttle It will run untill I let go.
Now if I push down on the loco to help it along while I move the throttle It will run untill I let go.
Dirty wheels and dirty track. Try cleaning both and see if that doesn't improve the running characteristics. You should not have to push down on a locomotive in order to get it to run if the wheels and track are clean.
What DC loco is it? Old ones probably draw too much power, some newer ones have capacitors that just short out the DCC system, my Bachmann 44 tonner would not run on address 00 at all, same symptomns, instant short.
Red LED on Tsinami means short. You probbaly didn;t isolate the motor properly. Athearn RTR locos need the bottom of the motor taped to not make contact with the frame - it's also advisable to cut off the tab on the clip, or swap the top and bottom clips so the bottom one doesn;t have that extra tab used to contact the frame.
You need resistors with a Tsunami to use the Athearn light bulbs. Better to repalce the light bulbs with LEDs and you need a resistor for those as well, 1K on each LED.
I recently purchased a Digitrax Zephyr. First problem I noticed right off the bat is I cannot control DC locomotives. I have my Zephyr connected to a 4ft straight piece of track, I place a DC loco on the track and its fine. When i go to try to move the engine the power cuts off and the power light flickers untill I completely unplug the Zephyr from the wall. My grandfather has a Zephyr as well and it does the same thing. Now if I push down on the loco to help it along while I move the throttle It will run untill I let go.
Secondly on the Zephyr when I go to program In OPS mode via the mainline, I cannot get any decoder to respond to address change (2 or 4 digit address), but I can change other cvs like the horn. Ive read the manuals step by step and nothing happens. Most of my engines are digitrax plug and play decoders, some tsunami with sound.
Now my decoder problem is with my first install ever of a DCC Sound Decoder (Soundtraxx Tsunami TSU-GN100) for an older Athearn SD75M. This engine was never fitted for dcc so I purchased a decoder that fit this engine and went step by step installing. I removed the old board and placed in the new one. I rewired the track pickups, front and rear headlights, ditchlights, and motor leads per instructions. I placed the engine on the rail to test it and very quickly the front headlight blew and a second red LED on the board lit up solid. When I turn the front headlight off or change direction the Red LED goes out. But the Rear lights and ditchlighs still worked. I thought this to be bad bulbs so I placed the rear lights on the front and it blew those as well. Im using the standard 1.5v bulbs from athearn, im getting about 1.4v from the light pegs on the decoder. I contacted Soundtraxx and they had me reset the board to try and fix it and I did, nothing changed but now I have no motor control. Ditchlights work, sounds work, but when I try to move the model nothing happens. The decoder makes the reving up sounds, but no movement. I tried the old DC board that came with the engine and it works fine foward and backward.
Does this sound like a defective board or am I over looking something here?