Hello again,
Second topic I am posting, is about another issue that has my frustrations at an all time high. If some of you recall, I had purchased an MTH DCS Commander some time ago, and the advice you gave me was to switch to a DCC controller. And so I did, I sold my Commander, and now I own the NCE Power Cab. (It was the right price)
So controlling trains seems simple on this controller, EXCEPT.... I still have my MTH HO SD70ACe with Proto-sound 3.0. Now I hear MTH loco's are DCC compatible. So I can run them with a DCC controller. Maybe less functions than the DCS Commander but all I really wanted was sound, horn, bell, speed control and running more than 1 engine at a time. I love this thing but those select few who remember my problem with not being able to get power to the locomotive, well it's happening again. 2 Different controllers and now I'm starting to think its the loco. I have tried factory resets, on both the loco and powercab, but I can't seem to get it working, AT ALL! No sound, no movement, no anything. I apply track power, I select the loco(Either on '3' or a different address), Hit F3 or '3', and nothing happens. No engine startup, no headlights, no nothing.
I am certain I have track power because I had purchased the terminal rail jointers and hooked them up on an oval. I am just so frustrated and now I'm thinking about ridding myself of the MTH loco and going to something else.
Can anyone help me please? I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks
WHat do you mean by "can't get power to the locomotive" - you can;t even make it move, or you just can;t get the sounds on? Do you have the PowerCab plugged in to the proper connector on the panel that comes with it? It only work son one side. ANd which cord are you using to connect the PowerCab to the cab jack? the flat cable has the two extra wires in it for track power - the other one will not work when you have just the powercab, it is for using the PowerCab as a throttle only on a PowerPro system.
Also review the address selection - NCE can address either short address 3 or long address 3. To run a loco on the default address of 3 you need to be sure you are selecting the short address 3, not long address.
It definitely should run on the Powercab. If it runs but no sound - you have to have it stopped and hit F3 first to "start it up". And every time the power is interrupted, you will have to do this.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have heard that MTH locos can be a pain in the rear. Because of that it is not a good loco to start with, particularly if it is your only DCC loco. If I were you, I would get a second DCC loco that is inexpensive with no sound. That can be your test loco for the track and Power Cab system so you can learn about them without having to deal with a finikey loco at the same time.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Randy,
I can't do either.... make it move nor get any sound.The powercab is plugged into the proper connector, even if it wasn't I had switched them to make sure. I used the flat cable, because I knew the coil one was for extra throttles and such. I was messing around with the addresses but maybe that was the issue I don't know. I tried both short and long ones but maybe I didn't program them in correctly. But will the MTH loco run by default on just "3" or no?
Also, when I was ready to go I had pressed 3, and nothing happens. I know it takes like 3 seconds or something but nothing at all.... can't even get the darn thing to move.
Sorry If I'm being resiliant, I just want to set this straight.
Time to reset the decoder. It should then run on the default address "3".
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage Time to reset the decoder. It should then run on the default address "3". Tom
Tried that. I tried resetting the loco, and even the powercab. Still nothing. Wish someone would do it for me, but none of the hobby shops where I live support MTH products all that much.
Do some sanity checks to make sure it's the loco and not the PowerCab. Make sure you have the PowerCab in the proper jack, as shown in the manual, it only works in one, if you plug it in the other, it will not work. I believe there's a light on the jack panel that indicates power is on. Take a quarter and set it across the rails, you should get an overload indication on the PowerCab. if not, you probably aren't even getting power to the rails. Until that's working, no loco is going to work.
Assuming that is all good, then it pretty much has to be the loco. The MTH locos do come default to address 3, however, try the cab number - if someone messed with it, they may have set the address to the cab number.
All else fails, do you have another loco you can install a decoder in? Or get one of the inexpensive Bachmman locos with DCC OnBoard. Not the sound ones, just the DCC motor control, you can pick those up pretty cheap.
I suggest taking the loco to your local hobby shop. Most will have a test track to try it on.
Another good option. They DO run on DCC, so even if the shop doesn;t deal with MTH, if they have DCC< they ought ot have a test/demo track of some sort. Thge MTH loco shoudl also work on DC, although then you only get the motor sound and any of the automated stuff, no control of bell and whistle.
Selecting a loco with NCE s a three step process. Press 'Select Loco', enter the address numbers, then press 'Enter. Just pressing 3 like you posted won't get it.
I will give that a try tomorrow. But if that is not the case I'll need to buy a loco with DCC and test that. We shall see.
gandydancer19 Selecting a loco with NCE s a three step process. Press 'Select Loco', enter the address numbers, then press 'Enter. Just pressing 3 like you posted won't get it.
Tried that as well. I did everything the manual says.
If you still can't get any sound or get the loco to move, you may not have power to the track. Do you have a meter you can test the track with? You would set it for AC and you should read about 13 volts from one rail to the other. If you don't have a meter, you could use a 12 volt automobile bulb, although you would have to put some wires on it. You could also get or buy an auto test lamp from an auto parts store that can be used to test for voltage and use that.
ad1013 tstage Time to reset the decoder. It should then run on the default address "3". Tom Tried that. I tried resetting the loco, and even the powercab. Still nothing. Wish someone would do it for me, but none of the hobby shops where I live support MTH products all that much.
My LHS does not sell or support MTH products any longer and that seems to be fairly universal with a few exceptions.
I purchased some of their products for testing and found they were not really compatible to the other DCC decoders with speed matching and other functions. Try calling or emailing MTH since it is their product and they should be happy to help a customer.
CZ
Update....
All of the suggestions you guys have left me, have not worked for my MTH loco. I haven't gotten around to buying a cheap DCC loco to test but I will do that in time. The MTH loco I think will have to be sent back or sold to someone who knows how to operate and fix such items. I'm really dissappointed because I love my sd70, but if I can't run it its worthless. (Unless I gut it and make a dummy out of it) Anyways, I'm looking into Intermountain or BLI for high quality prototypical engines that will hopefully treat me better with DCC and sound.
I know for a fact my Powercab works, its just a matter of finding the right engines to run.
How do you know for sure the PowerCab works if you have no other DCC locos? Did you check for track power? If there's no power to the rails, you can;t be sure your PowerCab is working.
Give me time. I'm almost certain its the loco. But I will get one with DCC and test it.
Hello everyone again, and thank you for your help.
Unfortunately, the past few weeks have proven that there was a problem with my MTH SD70M-2. And that there is apparently no way to fix it. I sent the loco to MTH, and they sent it back to me with no feedback, no results, and a still broken locomotive. I am frustrated that I wasted $220 on this piece of crap. Oh well, live and learn I guess. I feel like I'm the only one that has problems or makes the wrong decisions.
Anyways thanks again guys.