I ordered a Digitrax DH165IP chip from their website which indicated that this was the correct chip for the S4 engine. It didn't work. I had no speed control. I sent it back to Digitrax twice and they returned it twice. It still didn't work. They indicated that they had returned it to factory settings. Evidently, they never tried it in an actual S4 engine. I conclude that the Digitrax website is wrong in indicating that this is the correct chip for the S4 engine, at least of the Bachmann variety. The engine works fine as a DC engine.
Does anyone know of a chip that actually works in the Bachmann S4 engine to convert it from DC to DCC?
Is it a plug 'n play decoder? IOW, does it just plug right into the 8-pin NMRA socket, or a 9-pin harness?
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
when you said you had no speed control, did you mean zero speed all the time, or maximum speed, or ?
As the decoders are pretty much the same at the basic level, I would suspect there is something else going on. Please provide more info. What brand DCC system are you using? Do you have any other DCC locos that work correctly on the system? I hate to ask, but is the track power on? Have you verified it with a test meter? How did you install the decoder? Are the pins in the correct direction?
Welcome.
As was said, all decoders are basically the same. If the decoder is plugged in wrong, the loco will run opposite of what you select. Some have noticed this. I have. I have Bachmann locos.
Did you attempt a decoder reset yourself? CV8, enter 8. Cycle DCC power. Headlight should flash I think sixteen times and the loco run on address 3.
My NCE Power Cab shows about 13.6 VAC on the rails as an example.
Even a auto light bulb will show track power.
As was said, maybe a controller issue. Something is strange it seems.
Cut the caps on the PC board. They usually affect slow speed running. They have a C prefix. If you see something that looks like two green resistors, those are inductors. They have an L prefix.
I believe you posted in the Bachmann forums. You do not want the Bachmann decoder. They are low end Lenz. Compare the specs at the Bachmann site. Most replace those with quality decoders.
Couple times I used Digitrax decoders. DZ125. Much better.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Hello all,
John LawrenceI ordered a Digitrax DH165IP chip from their website...
If you could give us a few more details...
After checking the Digitrax web site I couldn't find the DH165IP decoder.
All decoders are NMRA compliant.
If you are using an 8-pin NMRA plug it is possible to plug it in the wrong way.
On the PC board, next to the 8-pin socket, there should be a small number 1 printed.
The Orange wire on the 8-pin plug goes in the #1 slot.
If you "reverse" the 8-pin plug strange things happen.
I use Bachmann, Digitrax and TCS decoders. Some are hard wired and some use the 8-pin NMRA plugs. All of these decoders respond to my DCC system.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Well this seems to be your decoder. Everything is mounted on the eight pins and plugs directly in. Definitely a quality decoder. Far, far better than a Bachmann decoder.
It shows a Kato loco but the eight pin socket is what your loco has. Is the decoder fully seated? Do the lights work? Your loco has lights and a motor which other locos have. Nothing special about the Bachmann loco.
Logic says, the loco and lights work with the DC adapter, than the socket and wiring is ok. Digitrax says the decoder is ok.
Are you running the loco with decoder with a power pack or a DCC controller?
You have not answered any questions yet.
http://www.digitrax.com/media/apps/products/mobile-decoders/dh165ip/documents/DH165IP.pdf
That is the correct decoder.
What address are you giving it? Try address 3, that is the default right out of the package - what DCC system are you using? NCE can address 3 as both a long and a short address, the default address 3 is a short address. Digitrax is no issue, 3 is always short, so selecting 3 with a fresh out of the package decoder should run it.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
to the forum. Nothing else to add to what has been said.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
It took off at a moderate speed, but I could not increase or decrease the speed nor could I stop it without turning the power off.
It's a Bachmann EZ Command control system. 3 other DCC locos run correctly. Track power on. Installed the decoder by taking out dummy plug, installing digitrax. Tried pins in both directions. Same result. I can change the address from 3 though.
I did not attempt a decoder reset. That is beyond my skill level. Track power obviously is on. Light's on.
It's an HO system. Bachmenn EZ Comand controller. Other DCC locos work well. I don't know how to do anything else except setting address on loco. I used address 3 for this test. I can change address though and it responds to that. I've tried plugging it in both ways. Same result. It's an 8 pin plug.
The decoder is fully seated. Numerous times. Lights work. I am using Bachmann EZ Command controller.
Been there. Done that.
John Lawrence I did not attempt a decoder reset. That is beyond my skill level. Track power obviously is on. Light's on.
Actually a decoder reset is quite easy, John. It's really more beyond the ability of your E-Z Command, which is a decent but very limited DCC system. You'd need a DCC system with more programming capabilities in order to reset your decoder.
The EZ Command can do the streched DCC thing to fake DC power and run a normal loco, I'm wondering if the DH165 is thinking it's on an DC track and switching to DC mode.
Address 10 controls the DC signal. You might try making sure it is set to speed 0. Or, if you know someone with a programmer you can try disabling Analog mode on the decoder.