Getting nowhere with this!
I've soldered my power buffer components together.
Have used my Central Station 2 to turn off analogue (DC), and have incorporated a switch to disable the buffer.
Identified the pins to connect to, thanks to Phil, Rik and John, and electrically the power buffer appears to be working (using multimeter). Nothing has blown up, and the loco continues to operate normally.
Initially tried just a 2200uF cap, (but later added another 3300uF in parallel).
You can see my driver performing his duties bearing the buffer parts on his shoulders!
But, it ain't working!!
I wondered if disabling the mfx protocol to force the 55028 decoder to use DCC might help to allow the decoder to work with a power buffer?
But my Central Station 2 (the only method I have of CV programmimg) doesn't provide any means for me to change CV50 (via the mfx screens) to set the protocols to use.
I wanted to try turning off bits 1 (Analog DC off/on) and 3 (mfx off/on), so that it reverts to
DCC only.
I also tried re-adding my loco using the DCC search/connect method, but it refuses to idenitfy/connect to the loco. I wondered if I could then utilise the DCC CV programming screens of the CS2 to disable mfx. It's a bit of a catch 22.
I'm not sure that I want to buy a specialised PC module to do CV programming.
While doing some further research I came across this older post here in GSC which effectively suggests MFX decoders do not work with power buffers!!!
Is there a more definitive answer, or yet more hearsay?
MFX and other digital systems
Suppose I manage to enable DCC only operation of the 55028, is there any chance the decoder will then allow the power buffer to work?
Think I was hoping to be a pioneer and provide some useful info for the forum about making a power buffer work with the 70530 / 20752 DR99-5015 loco and the 55028 mfx decoder, shrug. Should I give up?
Phil, you said...
My guess, power-buffers are connected to the decoder, and not to the loco/interface, as they are then under the 'control' of said decoder.
Perhaps I should I be trying to connect the buffer elsewhere?
Or is the only alternative to install a different decoder like the Massoth eMotion XLS-M1?
(And then presumably I'm into a whole load of other issues, like programming the whole CV setup, functions, lights, upload loco sounds, and so on)
How shortsighted of Marklin/LGB if mfx doesn't allow power buffers to work, and why ever not when third party DCC decoders can !?!?
. In my late teens I owned a Mini with a knackered loud exhaust and 2 lorry horns under the bonnet, which phased against each other, and made people wonder what the hell was approaching.
