BLI Sidekick help needed

[twhite]

Wally--I'm with Virginian on this one. You have it wired correctly, so I'd say that your unit is definitely defective. I'd take it back and get an exchange on it. In fact, I'd ask if the guy at your LHS (I'm assuming that's where you bought it) would hook up the exchange to make sure it works. Mine works just fine, once I realized what connector to hook it up to on the power pack. One thing, though--be REALLY careful of when you press the whistle button while the loco's in neutral, otherwise it will reverse on you when you turn the power up. I found that the loco has to be JUST starting to move before you use the whistle signal. At least the steamers I have. Don't know how your GG1 will react.
Tom

[Virginian]

If you have the Sidekick between the power pack and the track and it doesn't work, yours must be defective. The "horn" is just a DPDT, and the "bell" is a momentary DPDT that does not stay on because your finger is on the button. It passes thru the momentary when you press it.

[bigwally]

Tom

Thanks for your response!

It's a small, single track layout so I don't have separate blocks. Based on the diagram, I have wired the reds correctly to the variable DC terminals and I have tried the blacks wired directly to the tracks and screwed into the track terminal with no luck either way.


bigwally

[twhite]

Wally--are you connecting the Sidekick directly to the track, or do you have a control panel between the power pack and the track? Reason I'm asking, is that if you have separate blocks, you'll need to connect the Sidekick to the control panel inputs so that you have control in each block. Also, make sure that the red wires are connected to the VARIABLE DC on your power pack, not the straight DC. I accidentally connected mine to the straight DC when I first installed it, and I got the same thing you're reporting. Hope this is of some help.
Tom

[bigwally]

As my efforts have been focused on O gauge of late, I'm admittedly a bit behind the times in HO (no DCC) so please indulge me here!

Just picked up a BLI GG-1 as well as the BLI sidekick. My problem? The Sidekick doesn't work. I have wired according to the directions and still get only silence. My power is an MRC Tech II 1500 and using the direction switch still works, with or without the Sidekick, but the Sidekick only delivers an occasional lurch on the G's operation.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

bigwally