Decoder fitting for Aristo Consolidation - advice please

railwayman198

railwayman198

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Ok the time has come to fit a decoder to my Aristo consolidation. Be patient with me as this is well outside my comfort zone. My only other try at fitting a decoder did not go well - I did not flip the dip switches and let the smoke out. In the years since then I have had my locos professionally fitted. I feel it`s high time I plucked up the courage to have another go.

Here is the loco
IMGP0201-(800x530).jpg

and here are a couple of pics of the board
IMGP8051-(800x530).jpg

IMGP8052-(800x529).jpg

My first question is - what is the best decoder to buy? I bought the loco from Garden Railway Centre and Andrew recommended QSI, even though he does not stock them. I found this stockist, and assume this is the one to go for http://www.digitrains.co.uk/ecommerce/search/3101-801-3101-801-titanaristo-6a-steam.aspx. Is this the best (and simplest) option, or are there others?

My second concern is that I can see no dip switches on the Aristo board. Are there any cunningly hidden away somewhere that I need to know about?

Final question (for now) is that the narrow plate J3 looks like a blanking plate that needs to be removed to allow the decoder to be plugged in. However it seems very firmly attached. Can someone confirm that it does need to be removed before I take a crowbar to it and break something?

Replies in nice simple language please for DCC numpties like me  ;)
 
Looks like a standard Aristo plug'n'play socket to me, so yes you do have to remove the blanking plate. There shouldn't be any switches to flip!

Are you looking for a sound decoder or motor-drive only?
 
railwayman198 said:
Final question (for now) is that the narrow plate J3 looks like a blanking plate that needs to be removed to allow the decoder to be plugged in. However it seems very firmly attached. Can someone confirm that it does need to be removed before I take a crowbar to it and break something?

Replies in nice simple language please for DCC numpties like me ;)
Click to expand...

J2 in your photo is a socket, you'll need to remove the board J3 in J1 by pulling straight up. You'll see it plugs into a similar but larger socket than J2. No action is needed on J2.

I can't add a pdf file to an email generated directly from the forum, If you'd like a pdf copy of the Aristo plug in connections send me a P.M. with your email address.

Aristo loco to tender connections aren't always wired correctly. I suggest you take a look at the links below. If I recall one method is for a loco without a tender backup light, the other works with or without the tender backup light. If you do make modifications I respectfully suggest you check all is well on analogue before proceeding with a DCC installation.

http://elmassian.com/trains/motive-power-mods-aamp-tips/aristo-motive-power/mallet/improving-power-pickup


http://elmassian.com/trains/motive-power-mods-aamp-tips/aristo-motive-power/mikado-electric/improving-power-pickup

Edited, I confused myself as the photo shows a board marked J3 plugged into socket J1
 
Thanks for the help guys - it sounds straightforward enough. I'll go ahead and order a decoder then.
 
The QSI decoders are just the ticket for the Aristo socket. They have good power handling (10amp stall), have excellent sound files and are plug in and play. At about £150 or so they are good value too!
I have them in Bachmann and Aristo locos using the socket and they work great. The Bachmann K27 did need a little tweaking of the CVs for the lighting direction but that was all
 
beavercreek said:
The QSI decoders are just the ticket for the Aristo socket. They have good power handling (10amp stall), have excellent sound files and are plug in and play. At about £150 or so they are good value too!
I have them in Bachmann and Aristo locos using the socket and they work great. The Bachmann K27 did need a little tweaking of the CVs for the lighting direction but that was all
Click to expand...
Do QSI decoders come pre-programmed to a specific loco, or do you have to load them yourself?

If the latter, is it a case of (yet another) proprietary programmer needed?
 
Hi Phil
You can buy the decoders ready programmed or any retailer (in UK or USA etc) will programme the sound in if you have a specific request for one of the QSI sounds.
The sounds are available to listen to and to download here: http://www.qsisolutions.com/sounds/index.html

If you want to do it yourself, the programmer is about £65. It not only allows you to download any sound from the QSI website, it also gives you the option of making up your own with custom whistles etc etc.
It also has a graphical interface for setting CV's which tells you what is happening and what you are actually changing as opposed to having to know the actual CV number (you can also do that if you wish of course). This is particularly good as the QSI boards have a fantastic amount of customisable options for sounds and loco performance.
 
Ok I'm feeling pleased with myself because I installed the decoder and it worked! At first I was unable to get any sound because the plug and play fit on the Aristo does not include the speaker wire connection, although the loco comes with a speaker installed. I disconnected the speaker wire from the loco board and connected them to the decoder and all was well. As this decoder supplies stereo sound it recommends using 2 speakers so I knicked one from a grungy old diesel that is seldom run and wired that in as well. For once the only glitch was not my fault. The retailer had supplied the decoder with a diesel sound file instead of steam! So I have just sent it back to be re-programmed. Narrow Planet say the plates should be with me in a day or two so within a week the loco should finally be ready to roll :D
 
Hmm...I knew I was bound to hit a snag sooner or later. The nice gentleman from Digitrains just phoned me to tell me that he had tested the returned decoder and that it did in fact have the correct steam sound file on it! Raising the question why was I only hearing some short bursts of a horn, a vaguely dieselish motor sound and the bell ringing? Any ideas?
 
Did you DEFINITELY only take the speaker from the 'grungy diesel'?

Many sound-cards 'play' the whistle (and possibly the bell) as you wind up the power at start-up..

Did you ONLY have this loco on a programming track, or was it on your main track?? - Could there have been another loco being powered somewhere.

Sorry if these seem basic questions, but we are unable to see your setup from this end of the Internet!
;)
 
It was on my main track. I was not trying to programme it - just testing to see if all was working before changing anything. An LGB mogul is parked in the shed but that is address 15 and the new loco is still on default address 3, so I did not think that would effect anything. I have just noticed that I also had a live steam r/c transmitter propped on one of the tracks in the shed - could that have interfered with the signal maybe?
 
I doubt the transmitter would cause interference.. As you switch-on track-power, every loco (with a decoder) 'wakes-up, and you quite often get them all starting up with sounds, lights, and generally sorting their lives out..

First 'golden rule' of testing..

ONE loco only on the track initially. Apply power, look for lights, signs of sound starting, lack of 'magic smoke' (something getting hot and burning out). Then try a sound, or two. Motion forwards and backwards a short, slow run.

Then pause, turn off track power.. Think 'is there anything that I need to change here?'
Are the lights way too bright? - Divider CV for light voltages.
Did the loco run in the correct direction? - CV 29 direction bit.
Did I get the right sort of sounds? - Was the decoder supplied with the correct sound loaded?

If all seems well.. Have a 'play' you deserve it!
THEN RIGHT ALL THE CV's YOU HAVE CHANGED FROM STANDARD, THE ADDRESS OF THE LOCO, AND ANY 'SPECIAL' FEATURES DOWN.
Keep a copy with the loco, and a backup back at base.

Works for me!
PhilP.
 
Thanks Phil. I will get the decoder back in a few days. This time I will run it on a dedicated programming track and see what happens. Here's hoping.. :o
 
Having got the decoder back and re-installed, things are still not right. Whether on a dedicated track or on the main layout the results are the same. I have not attempted reprogramming in any way, so I am still testing it on default address 3. The loco will move correctly back and forth, but the sound is a mess. There is the faintest chuff sound only really audible at very low speed. At higher speeds a loud vaugely dieselish drone is heard. Function buttons 1-8 all sound the bell, even the mute function is inoperable. Standing sounds are also weird, mainly some sort of irritating banging noise like the fireman bashing the loco with his shovel.

Any ideas folks?
 
Sorry Philip, I do not know the QSI kit, but it does not sound right..
The 'bashing noise' could be the fireman coaling the fire??

What make / model Central Station and Throttle are you using?
 
Massoth central station and Massoth navigators. I have a few locos with LGB sound which sound very authentic. None of the sounds this loco is making sound right except the bell. Even the whistle which sounds on starting and when changing direction is more like a foghorn. Very odd.
 
It does sound as though the decoder has 'some sort' of default programming in it..
I know a 'raw' Massoth decoder will 'speak' the function numbers as the keys are pressed..
Do not know the QSI kit, so for specifics will have to defer to others..

Does the QSI decoder 'just plug in' to the Aristo board, or have you had to be more creative to connect it up?
 
My guess is the decoder has been 'factory defaulted'.. So needs the correct sound-files loading for your loco..
As I said, I do not have intimate knowledge of the QSI kit, so am unable to offer more than 'generic' help on it..

I you bought the decoder with (supposedly) the correct files pre-loaded, it may be whoever has looked at the decoder for you did not realise it needed the correct sounds installing before sending it back to you??
Give them a ring and have a word with the Tech who looked at the decoder..
It might be worth cutting your losses, and taking the loco and decoder to the dealer??
 
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