Last year, when my BLI paragon Mike was two months old, It shut down for no apparent reason. You kind and learned folks here told me just what to do and the loco came to life. I used the loco every day and everything WAS fine. Now, after 3 months without powering it up, it has died again. What could possibly cause this? Shouldn't the decoders memory stay alive more than 3 months?
The solution then was a reset to factory defaults. I can do that again but another suggestion was to press F6 twice to get the decoder out of "complete shut down" mode.
Next question, is this done on the program track? What about other locos on the layout? I would like to try this before I go the complete reset route.
73
Bruce in the Peg
Does the loco move without sound, or is it totally dead?
Bruce,
IIRC, F9 (shut down mode) and F6 (wake up) are ONLY available on the QSI decoders. Paragon2 is different from QSI decoder.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Maxman, totally dead except for the headlight which is on.
Try the "ez reset" switch on the decoder. I just had this happen to me and it did the trick. You have to hold down the button while you apply track power.
Check the plug on the back of the locomotive. Sometimes they work loose or if you have handled it it could have pulled out some. Then try the reset button.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Does this unit shut down after running for awhile or will it not start up at all? I had trouble with an nscale Paragon 2 shutting down and running eratic when I first got it. I reduced the track voltage and that did the trick. I have also found that reducing the volume seems to make the F9 run cooler. At full volume the sides of the engine get pretty warm. If your unit is shutting down after running awhile it may be over heating and tripping a breaker on the decoder. When it cools it should start up again though. If your unit doesnt start up at all it may not be getting enough voltage to start it. The startup sequence voltage for aParagon2 is quite high.
If it has been handled, ensure the plug is fully set into its receptacle. Do a reset, either with the push button in the tender, or using your DCC unit with CV8 set to a value of 8. I couldn't get a refurbished 2-10-0 to work after setting the new extended address, but it worked fine on address "03". I finally used Paged Mode and reset it that way, which it seemed to take. They seem to be finnicky decoders.
There is another thread here where someone's engines that had sat for more than a year or two would not work. Turns out they were consisted for some reason, and their addresses would not work.
Crandell
The problem has been solved (sort of). This Mike was setting on an unused siding for a long time. When I went to move it, it was dead. I jumped to many conclusions as this has happened before.
Rule #1 don't jump to conclusions!
The cause of the locos inability to move was a dirty siding!!! I physically dragged the loco to a new spot on the siding and it came to life. I figure it must have been an insulatring layer of dust, moisture, old cleaning fluid, Etc. gradually building up over time. Apparently, it doesn't take much to disable a DCC loco. Especially one with sound.
Well, it has happened again!!!! 6 months of no use and tyhe thing is dead again but no amount of pushing or prodding will make it come alive. The headlight is dimly lit but no sound or motion.
I will try another reset to factory if you folks haven't any other ideas.
Can you take a voltage reading,where it was sitting and other parts of the layout,,seems like a dim light is a voltage problem,,,also I believe a good cleaning of track and wheels is in order..Like you said,,DCC don't like dirty track..Six months is enough time for dust to settle and corrosion to form..
Cheers,
Frank
Using my Fluke 77, I measure 13.2VAC at the track output of the controller. There is less than 10 mV difference at any point on the layout.
I tried a factory reset by holding down the reset switch of the decoder with power off, then while holding the switch down, powered up the track. No confirming sound from the speaker.
The plug to the tender is fully seated as are the connectors on the decoder.
Methinks it;s time to send it away.
Methinks,you are probably right..
Sounds to me like dirty contacts and wheels. On the tender you will see the wipers on the axles. These love to pick up gunk. Some of the BLI steamers have bronze contacts to the back of the wheels but most do not and pick up power from a split frame type system. Disassemble of the locomotive is necessary to clean it properly.
Methinks Frank is right about Bruce being right.
But, before you send it back, re-read Pete's reply and clean the contacts and wheels thoroughly.
Methinks that the time on the siding and the dirty track are causing the problems.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain Methinks Frank is right about Bruce being right. But, before you send it back, re-read Pete's reply and clean the contacts and wheels thoroughly. Methinks that the time on the siding and the dirty track are causing the problems. Rich
Apparently Rich doesn't have to worry about dirty track. He's the only modeler here, that doesn't clean his track, and has no problems with locos stalling.
I hate you Rich. LOL
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Nope, me too. I never clean my track, and my trains run fine, even after weeks of inactivity.
I've applied no substance to the rails, either, no goos, no oils, no transmission fluid, none of that stuff.
Loco wheels don;t seem to get too dirty either - yet when I run on the club layout, they do. Both my home layout and the club have no plastic wheels, all rolling stock is required to have metal wheels for the club and I wouldn;t run plastic on mine either.
My layotu is in a spare bedroom with carpet and all, so that helps - but my previous layout was in an unfinished basement with bare cement floors and apart from blowing the dust off things, on that layout too I only cleaned the rails off when painting them.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You could test the decoder using a simple (like Digitrax's) decoder tester. However, I would look at the tender pickup system (assuming it is not a split frame pick up on the loco) and ensure that there is continuity between the tender wheels and the tender frame and then onward to the tender wire connections on the loco. Even if that "checks out" you might want to put some weights in the tender and you might need to install a spring on the tender truck screws to maintain a decent contact pressure between the wipers and the tender bolster contact. You also need to ensure that one of the tender trucks didn't get rotated so as to cause a shorting path in the tender between the trucks. That doesn't sound like your problem but you might as well check it.
My BLI 2-10-4 had bad contact problems with the tender pickups until I added weights and a spring to the trucks. I also tender to use contact lube on the wiper blades to combat corrosion. My final modification was to replace the motor control decoder with a "stay alive" from TCS. Now my 2-10-4 runs on the club layout without "hitches" even when the sound decoder "hiccups".
George...
Olde Newburgh Model RR Club
Blind BruceLast year, when my BLI paragon Mike was two months old, It shut down for no apparent reason. You kind and learned folks here told me just what to do and the loco came to life. I used the loco every day and everything WAS fine. Now, after 3 months without powering it up, it has died again. What could possibly cause this? Shouldn't the decoders memory stay alive more than 3 months?
Well, you posted this back in MARCH, and ever since then I have been reading that it has shutdown again.
Oh well, I got my own railroad to worry about.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
OK folks, I tried everything that was suggested and finally mailed the loco to BLI. That was on Friday the 13th. I did insure it so have a tracking number that shows it is still in Winnipeg.
To dat e, the post office hasn't a clue where it is!
Talk about a jinxed loco, this is it.
You just ain't having any luck,with that Loco at all,,,,,,That sux...
Cheers, Have a couple of these,