decoder gone :(

lynxface

lynxface

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Dear LGB experts,

Hope you're are all surviving out there...

I think I've toasted the decoder on my LGB Furka DFB5 Rack loco (29272). :sweating:

Basically I was running a croc (with a first gen LGB decoder from the noughties), and the engine stalled, and *I think* this caused a voltage spike. The Rack loco was stationary, at the time, but it's now doing that erratic jumpy business, and now won't run at all. Textbook toasted decoder symptoms...

Can anyone help me with a) the decoder I'd need to source, and b) why this keeps happening? That's the second decoder that's blown on my now. They never used to do this. Aren't they supposed to have voltage limitation? All the wiring is correct. All I can think is that I'm running off a (reasonably old) LGB MTS system with a Mark II parallel CS...

Any thoughts on these matters would be massively appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

Alex
 
I wouldn'thave thought it was caused by your MTS II system?

You can get a replacement Massoth decoder that should be a straight swap for your LGB 55021 decoder, from GRO or SGR....
 
Ah ok, thanks.

Will a 55021 do the job? The rack loco in question has an mfx decoder + sound... was thinking it might need something more like a 55028 decoder...?

Thanks for your thoughts :)
 
lynxface said:
Ah ok, thanks.

Will a 55021 do the job? The rack loco in question has an mfx decoder + sound... was thinking it might need something more like a 55028 decoder...?

Thanks for your thoughts :)
Click to expand...
Ah it's a MLGB loco! I didn't realise sorry.

I'm not familiar with later MFX stuff, so maybe someone else can chip in here please....
 
What caused the Croc to stall? As to the FDB#5, I'd try a decoder reset before giving up on it if you haven't already. CV8 is the reset CV but none of the mfx decoder equipped loco manuals I've got say what value needs to be written to do a reset. You may need to find someone or a dealer with a Märklin CS2 or CS3. These have a loco reset "button" in the Edit Locos menu. Not sure what the replacement decoder is, 55028 or 55029, in any case you would need to find someone to program it with the correct sound file for you.
 
You might try writing the value 8 into the reset CV8. This is the value to reset the MLGB replacement sound decoder, 55029, to its factory values.
 
phils2um said:
What caused the Croc to stall? As to the FDB#5, I'd try a decoder reset before giving up on it if you haven't already. CV8 is the reset CV but none of the mfx decoder equipped loco manuals I've got say what value needs to be written to do a reset. You may need to find someone or a dealer with a Märklin CS2 or CS3. These have a loco reset "button" in the Edit Locos menu. Not sure what the replacement decoder is, 55028 or 55029, in any case you would need to find someone to program it with the correct sound file for you.
Click to expand...
For mfx mLD/mSD decoders write 8 to CV8 to do a decoder reset.
 
I have to say that I would always look to a beefy chip for the rack loco, just look at the size of the motor when you open it up. Must be capable of pulling some serious amps or whatever it is that blows chips. I agree with Gizzy I doubt it was the Controller, more likely an inherant fault with the chip. Though have you had any thunder around recently? We managed to blow a chip once on one of my locomotives when a storm hit completely out of the blue.
 
Dear All,

Thank you very much for your replies. We did have thunder yesterday -- how strange. Could've been that. As I say, the loco was sitting stationary in a siding at the time.

Phil S -- the croc panto pulled down the catenary and held it back. It was also pulling a wagon with a track cleaning block on it so, all in all, a lot of ampage probably hit that motor suddenly.

I think the 55028 is the way to go, but Phil you've just reminded me... I to programme the sound files somehow. What a minefield! Could I even do this with my 55015 loco remote, I wonder? Probably not...

Would love to think I would just order a 55028 and plug it in, but getting tempted to just send the whole thing away now and get someone more expert to sort it out.

Thank you so much for your thoughts everyone...

Alex
 
lynxface said:
Dear All,

Thank you very much for your replies. We did have thunder yesterday -- how strange. Could've been that. As I say, the loco was sitting stationary in a siding at the time.

Phil S -- the croc panto pulled down the catenary and held it back. It was also pulling a wagon with a track cleaning block on it so, all in all, a lot of ampage probably hit that motor suddenly.

I think the 55028 is the way to go, but Phil you've just reminded me... I to programme the sound files somehow. What a minefield! Could I even do this with my 55015 loco remote, I wonder? Probably not...

Would love to think I would just order a 55028 and plug it in, but getting tempted to just send the whole thing away now and get someone more expert to sort it out.

Thank you so much for your thoughts everyone...

Alex
Click to expand...

I would have thought that Massoth XLS with perhaps the Small Electric Loco sound loaded would work for this loco? You will be able to buy it like this. No down loading no faffing, Muns in here would likely be able to supply.

eMOTION XLS Sounddecoder – Massoth Elektronik GmbH

www.massoth.de www.massoth.de

you can get a preview of the sound by scrolling down on this link to Eloks.
 
Hi again Alex,

Have you tried running the FDB#5 again since it "quit"? Sometimes a loco that behaving strangely just needs to be removed from the track for a few minutes till the keep alive is expended. This lets any temporarily scrambled instructions in the decoder clear. I had to do this to a mfx decoder equipped loco today. It runs and responds to commands fine after being removed from the track for a while. Might try re-booting the central station too if you haven't.

Jon, the FDB#5 is a steam cog loco, not electric. But, I see Massoth does have a cog wheel steam loco sound file. I've not opened up the FDB#5 I have but I suspect there may be a lot of "faffing" to fit and program the XLS-M1. But, again, as you said Muns will likely know.
 
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phils2um said:
Hi again Alex,

Have you tried running the FDB#5 again since it "quit"? Sometimes a loco that behaving strangely just needs to be removed from the track for a few minutes till the keep alive is expended. This lets any temporarily scrambled instructions in the decoder clear. I had to do this to a mfx decoder equipped loco today. It runs and responds to commands fine after being removed from the track for a while. Might try re-booting the central station too if you haven't.

Jon, the FDB#5 is a steam cog loco, not electric. But, I see Massoth does have a cog wheel steam loco sound file. I've not opened up the FDB#5 I have but I suspect there may be a lot of "faffing" to fit and program the XLS-M1. But, again, as you said Muns will likely know.
Click to expand...



Hi Phil!

Thanks for your thoughts. I had a vague hope this might happen, but alas no. After a good hour of being off the line, I put it back...and nothing. Sometimes it races for a couple of seconds and then stops dead. And no response to any commands.

That's two mfx decoders pooped, now, and I only have a tiny ceiling layout in a city centre flat. It's a mystery! I know folk say it cannot be the running system, but I'm quite suspicious of my old LGB transformer and MTS II, I have to say... I'm running 4 locos -- 2 with with Lenz decoders and 2 with mfx. I think it's too weird for the old system... maybe it's freaked out by the decoder mix, or can no longer regulate voltage accurately, who knows? I also have a flickery old LGB RhB restaurant car; I've heard once that their capacitors can mess with DCC. Either way, I'm going to take the plunge, and update to a newly (albeit simple) running system.

Here's the culprit decoder from the sound-equipped rack loco. Going to send it away to get looked at, after which it'll either be rebooted by some miracle, or I'll have to folk out for a new one!

Thanks very much for your thoughts everybody -- much appreciated! I'm still pretty rookie at G-scale... the last 48 hours has been a huge learning curve!

Alex

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