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QSI Decoder won't remember address

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  • Member since
    February 2015
  • From: Ludington, MI
  • 1,867 posts
Posted by Water Level Route on Thursday, April 15, 2021 5:19 PM

RICH! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  The locomotive's manual was not on top when I pulled the locomotive out when it arrived.  After reading your comment I began to wonder(hope) if the manual was under the foam to see what it might say about the reset pins.  I pulled all the foam up out of the box(no manual), but there was this little black piece of plastic in there.  Hmmm.  Looks like some sort of female plug.  Sure enough it fit over the reset pins, powered up the layout, no 3 toots, programmed the address and it is holding! Big Smile  You've turned around what had been an absolutely crummy day up to this point!  Thank you so much! 

Mike

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, April 15, 2021 7:53 PM

Water Level Route

RICH! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!  The locomotive's manual was not on top when I pulled the locomotive out when it arrived.  After reading your comment I began to wonder(hope) if the manual was under the foam to see what it might say about the reset pins.  I pulled all the foam up out of the box(no manual), but there was this little black piece of plastic in there.  Hmmm.  Looks like some sort of female plug.  Sure enough it fit over the reset pins, powered up the layout, no 3 toots, programmed the address and it is holding! Big Smile  You've turned around what had been an absolutely crummy day up to this point!  Thank you so much! 

 

Kudos to you, Mike, for staying the course on this issue. This is the proper way to manage a thread when there is a problem. You need that back and forth between the OP and the participating members.

The key to solving this issue was the missing jumper. That sure suggested that the reset commands took place, but the actual reset process was not completed.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, April 17, 2021 11:17 AM

Water Level Route

I began to wonder(hope) if the manual was under the foam to see what it might say about the reset pins.  I pulled all the foam up out of the box(no manual), but there was this little black piece of plastic in there.  Hmmm.  Looks like some sort of female plug.  Sure enough it fit over the reset pins, powered up the layout, no 3 toots, programmed the address and it is holding!

It is still holding?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, April 17, 2021 11:36 AM

richhotrain
The key to solving this issue was the missing jumper.

You left the jumper in place? I wonder why it was not installed in the first place?

We still don't know exactly which decoder version you have. Is there a BLI model number on the box? That may help narrow it down. There is some QSI/BLI documentation on their site for early locos.

https://www.broadway-limited.com/supportdocumentation.aspx

 

Does it look like the photo I posted in my first reply? The jumper pins are clearly visible.

Good Luck, Ed

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Saturday, April 17, 2021 12:43 PM

What this implies:  Some electronic 'resets' involve grounding pins (you short across them briefly, or install the jumper to keep the circuit grounded) whereas others require interruption (e.g. "opening a switch" by removing a jumper.  This turns out to be an example of the latter case.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, April 17, 2021 1:37 PM

Overmod
What this implies:  Some electronic 'resets' involve grounding pins

This is what I gather, as well.

 QSI_reset-1 by Edmund, on Flickr

It has been years, well, since I opened them up to install the upgrade chips, that I had one of my QSI locomotives apart.

I can not say that I recall if the jumper was installed or not. My original BLI Hudson, model # 001 and the first GG1 still have the QSI decoder and they are functioning well enough that I don't have them on the decoder replacement queue.

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, April 17, 2021 2:37 PM

When I asked the OP if it was still holding, I was just looking for an update from him that the decoder was still holding the long address. 

My understanding is that the jumper should remain in place on those two pins on the decoder.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    February 2015
  • From: Ludington, MI
  • 1,867 posts
Posted by Water Level Route on Monday, April 19, 2021 5:58 AM

gmpullman
BLI_UP-tender_board by Edmund, on Flickr

Sorry guys, I've been away from a computer for a couple days.  Weather was just too nice not to get out and get some things done.  Anyway, Ed, the decoder looked closest to the third pic of four that you sent.  I overlooked them the first time around as they are marked "CLR" on the board and I was zoned in on looking for "reset".  The box has 115 on the side.

The jumper is still in place and the address is holding.  What was strange about the jumper is that it wasn't in the little plastic bags of bits that come with the engine.  It was floating around loose in the box.  Not sure why someone would remove it.Huh?  Thanks again guys, I really appreciate it.

Mike

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 28 posts
Posted by Gaucho on Friday, July 14, 2023 8:41 AM

I'm glad I came across this thread and I'm very thankful for the "permanent rest" being identified as the cause of memory loss.

We have been experiencing a lot of frustration trying to program an address on a BLI / QSI cabforward and we were seriously considering a decoder swap. This thread saved our day when we found that the sliding reset switch in the tender was left in the reset position. Once again the problem was not with the arrow but with the Indian.

  • Member since
    May 2020
  • 1,057 posts
Posted by wrench567 on Friday, July 14, 2023 3:01 PM

   That's a good thing.

 I remember some having issues with the magnetic switch resetting the decoder using a magnetic uncoupling tool or an accidental derailment tripping the switch. I have one QSI decoder left in a BLI I1sa locomotive. Still going strong even with the plating completely worn off the drivers. It must have over 200 real miles on it.

      Pete.

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