I went to run a train double headed by a couple of old Athearn Blue Box EMD F7's I equipped with NCE D13SRJ decoders. The train had run perfectly a few weeks ago. This time one loco ran fine but the other loco wouldn't budge. I cleared the consist so I could work with just the malfunctioning loco. It resonded to all its lighting functions but I got no motor control. I disconnected the decoder and tested the motor on DC and the motor/mechanicsm ran fine. I plugged the decoder back in but it still gave lights but no motor. The decoder appears undamaged. I tried resetting CV8 but got the same response on address 3. A friend suggested the decoder might be asleep or locked. Does anyone know how to wake/unlock an NCE decoder?
Hornblower
Did you try to reset CV30 to 2? That is what the NCE says on their site...
The NCE (manufacturer CV8=11) loco decoder reset is CV30=2.
Neal
Also, check the value of CV19. It should be zero since you killed the consist. But, I have had situations where CV19 has not been cleared.
Rich
Alton Junction
Did you do the earlier consist through your DCC system? If so, be sure that consist has been deleted.
This happens a lot with decoders. It it develops Alzheimer's forgets who it is. The solution is to put it on the program track and run through its programming again. Should work fine after that. No idea why that happens to the just motor function, if it was a sound decoder, you would have control over the sound to. Annoying but a quick reprogram fixes it. Links everything back together again
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
hornblowerI disconnected the decoder and tested the motor on DC and the motor/mechanicsm ran fine. I plugged the decoder back in but it still gave lights but no motor. The decoder appears undamaged.
Most decoders - not all, but most - allow it to run on DC unless you've changed a CV to prevent that. So in a situation like you describe, I put the engine on my test track circle and try it on DC with the decoder in place. If it runs OK on DC, then it's most likely a programming issue not a decoder or motor failure.
Depending on ID no. you were using, might not hurt to check CV29. On some decoders, you have to set CV29 to allow a long address, otherwise it only allows short (1-129 IIRC) addresses.
Note too that I've found 'factory resets' sometimes only change some CVs back to original specs, not all. I recently tried doing a reset on a decoder (new Tsunami) and found it didn't change the ID number back to 03 for example.
Okay, as suggested, I put the loco on the program track and reset CV30 to 2. The lights flashed and the loco jumped forward about a quarter of an inch indicating it had accepted the reset. I also took the jump as a restoration of the motor control. So, I put the loco on the main, called up loco address 3, tried the lights (yup), tried the throttle and no joy! The loco just sat there. Now what?
Did you check the value of CV19 in each loco to be sure that it is zero in each loco?
Try running it on DC and see if it works that way. Can even use a 9V battery. If the wheels turn, then the motor and wiring are fine, the problem is with the decoder.
Although it's possible the decoder just failed, I've had similar problems that turned out to just be the decoder ID not being what I thought it was. If you can read back CVs, read CV1 and see if it's 03. Maybe try re-programming the ID to the loco number.
As mentioned above, make sure to check CV19 re consist issues. If you also do consists through your DCC system, maybe see how to delete them out of the system, just in case this engine is a trailing engine in some long-forgotten consist still in the system.
richhotrainDid you check the value of CV19 in each loco to be sure that it is zero in each loco? Rich
This has always proved to be the best and reliable method of resetting the consist. Rich is correct.
Len S
LenS richhotrain Did you check the value of CV19 in each loco to be sure that it is zero in each loco? Rich This has always proved to be the best and reliable method of resetting the consist. Rich is correct. Len S
richhotrain Did you check the value of CV19 in each loco to be sure that it is zero in each loco? Rich
Sorry I couldn't get back sooner. It turns out the problem was more basic than I thought. Since the D13SRJ decoder has a JST connector, I removed the original decoder and plugged in a new decoder but got the same problem. Okay, so NOT the decoder after all. Got out the old multi-meter and started checking for continuity between the JST connector and the motor. Bingo, no continutiy along the orange wire. A little more careful examination showed that I had a cold solder joint at the motor contact tab. A little rosin and a little heat and bingo, the loco runs as before, well, after reprogramming a few CV's. Thanks for all of your help!
Good job, Hornblower.