Hello From South Central New Mexico

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Homenlemitar

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Hello,

I am new to DCC. I am working on a DCC project for my G scale Aristo RDC Budd Car. i am using Air Wire DCC with the AW G3X decoder and a Phoenix P8 Sound card.
The GP light on the decoder is suppose to be on when there is good throttle data, it blinks when I turn on the decoder, than after a minute it chirps 5 times, then the light goes out. I believe the chirping is suppose to happen, but the light is not on, even after making sure the throttle is addressed to the decoder.

I wired up like the decoder and the sound card like it suppose to. A few thoughts came to mind:

I also wonder if I used the right wires from the motor trucks. According to an article I read, blue and green went to the motor, and the red and back went to the contacts that picked up power from the rail. I used the Blue and Green. Also as recommended I used the provided power switch for the decoder and the sound card, but I am thinking that the power switch provided for the sound card is only a momemtary toggle switch.

Would appreciate any help or thoughts

Thanks for any help.
Dave
 
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Can't offer any help on your particular problem, Dave, I'm not familiar with the equipment you're using - but as this is on the New Members forum I just wanted to say welcome to GSC!
It might be worth you re-posting your question to the DCC forum page, more people who coul;d provide useful answers might see it there...?

Jon.
 
I to don't know the equipment..
Do you have a meter? - Can you check continuity to confirm which wires are track pickup?

A picture of your loco would help, as well.


Oh, welcome to the Forum!
Pretty sure some on here use Airwire, so can comment on that part of your installation.

PhilP.
 
Homenlemitar said:
Hello,

I am new to DCC. I am working on a DCC project for my G scale Aristo RDC Budd Car. i am using Air Wire DCC with the AW G3X decoder and a Phoenix P8 Sound card.
The GP light on the decoder is suppose to be on when there is good throttle data, it blinks when I turn on the decoder, than after a minute it chirps 5 times, then the light goes out. I believe the chirping is suppose to happen, but the light is not on, even after making sure the throttle is addressed to the decoder.

I wired up like the decoder and the sound card like it suppose to. A few thoughts came to mind:

I also wonder if I used the right wires from the motor trucks. According to an article I read, blue and green went to the motor, and the red and back went to the contacts that picked up power from the rail. I used the Blue and Green. Also as recommended I used the provided power switch for the decoder and the sound card, but I am thinking that the power switch provided for the sound card is only a momemtary toggle switch.

Would appreciate any help or thoughts

Thanks for any help.
Dave
Click to expand...
Welcome to the FORUM.

TEST TO DO PRIOR TO ANY battery Conversion.
1 make sure that you understand which wires connect to the Tarck. Disconnect all the wires, use a Mater and check to see which wires go to each set of wheels. Note down the Colours and side based on Chimney or Diesel Exhaust towards the front.
2 now do a continuity test of the other 2 wires whilst loco is nit in the track, you should get a reading from the two remaining wires as they will be connected to the motor.

If you have got it right then it suggests something amiss with your wiring setup or reading of the manual. Best to recheck and recheck again all your wiring runs. I hope you have colour coded them all and noted them on a drawing? If wiring appears ok perhaps a couple more reads of the manuals.

Hope this helps you on the way to a working Loco.
 
Welcome aboard, Dave. How's the weather in NM ? Probably better than the sauna up here.....:whew:
 
Welcome Dave, can't answer your question DCC is part of the "dark arts"
 
Homenlemitar said:
Hello,

I am new to DCC. I am working on a DCC project for my G scale Aristo RDC Budd Car. i am using Air Wire DCC with the AW G3X decoder and a Phoenix P8 Sound card.
The GP light on the decoder is suppose to be on when there is good throttle data, it blinks when I turn on the decoder, than after a minute it chirps 5 times, then the light goes out. I believe the chirping is suppose to happen, but the light is not on, even after making sure the throttle is addressed to the decoder.

I wired up like the decoder and the sound card like it suppose to. A few thoughts came to mind:

I also wonder if I used the right wires from the motor trucks. According to an article I read, blue and green went to the motor, and the red and back went to the contacts that picked up power from the rail. I used the Blue and Green. Also as recommended I used the provided power switch for the decoder and the sound card, but I am thinking that the power switch provided for the sound card is only a momemtary toggle switch.

Would appreciate any help or thoughts

Thanks for any help.
Dave
Click to expand...
Dave, you could ask on one of the US forums, where you'll find some people more familiar with the US equipment. Try www.largescalecentral.com
 
dunnyrail said:
Welcome to the FORUM.

TEST TO DO PRIOR TO ANY battery Conversion.
1 make sure that you understand which wires connect to the Tarck. Disconnect all the wires, use a Mater and check to see which wires go to each set of wheels. Note down the Colours and side based on Chimney or Diesel Exhaust towards the front.
2 now do a continuity test of the other 2 wires whilst loco is nit in the track, you should get a reading from the two remaining wires as they will be connected to the motor.

If you have got it right then it suggests something amiss with your wiring setup or reading of the manual. Best to recheck and recheck again all your wiring runs. I hope you have colour coded them all and noted them on a drawing? If wiring appears ok perhaps a couple more reads of the manuals.

Hope this helps you on the way to a working Loco.
Click to expand...
Thank You. I did test them out and found which was which. Thank you again!
 
PhilP said:
I to don't know the equipment..
Do you have a meter? - Can you check continuity to confirm which wires are track pickup?

A picture of your loco would help, as well.


Oh, welcome to the Forum!
Pretty sure some on here use Airwire, so can comment on that part of your installation.

PhilP.
Click to expand...
I did sort it out and found out which was what my problem was. Thank you~
 
Homenlemitar said:
I did sort it out and found out which was what my problem was. Thank you~
Click to expand...

Glad you found a solution. I moved from Jemez Springs NM to Lubbock last year. The New Mexico Garden Railroad Association will be running trains (electric and live steam) at the Albuquerque Bio Park Botanical Gardens this coming weekend (10/19-10/21). Here is a link to the Train Tracks in your Garden Show.

In addition to the 1200 foot permanent layout, club members will be running their trains on portable layouts.

Roger Kruse
 
DSCF1905.JPG

.....the only bit of NM that I've been to, literally in the middle of the desert. I believe there is civilisation SE of here, though.

Welcome to the forum.
 
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Gavin - you definitely missed the good parts of New Mexico (aka: The Land of Enchantment). Before moving to Texas, I lived in the Jemez Mountains (Southern Rockies) in Northern NM . Here is a photo from my deck (elevation 6600 ft) looking towards Redondo Peak (elevation 12,000 ft.) It sits inside a 100 square mile caldera (volcano crater). It is dormant with the last minor eruption about 40,000 years ago. Since you're in New Zealand, I'm expecting you to say "You call that a mountain? :)

Am0XsQH.jpg


Since this is a train forum, not a travelogue, here are a couple of photos of my old layout.

ao3vMqO.jpg


ZEzvxcg.jpg
 
RogerK said:
Gavin - Since you're in New Zealand, I'm expecting you to say "You call that a mountain? :)
Click to expand...

Our tallest mountain was 12,349 ft, until the top 'fell off'.
Nice layout. At 6,000 ft, I presume you don't have to worry about snakes? We don't have any in NZ, fortunately, so that makes for carefree garden railroading.
 
RogerK said:
Gavin - you definitely missed the good parts of New Mexico (aka: The Land of Enchantment). Before moving to Texas, I lived in the Jemez Mountains (Southern Rockies) in Northern NM . Here is a photo from my deck (elevation 6600 ft) looking towards Redondo Peak (elevation 12,000 ft.) It sits inside a 100 square mile caldera (volcano crater). It is dormant with the last minor eruption about 40,000 years ago. Since you're in New Zealand, I'm expecting you to say "You call that a mountain? :)

Am0XsQH.jpg

...
Click to expand...
Wow that's some view from your old house. How could you bear to move?
 
Gavin Sowry said:
At 6,000 ft, I presume you don't have to worry about snakes?
Click to expand...

Lived there for 21 years and only encountered one rattlesnake that was curled up in some grass under the deck. Fortunately, I found and killed it before our Yellow Labrador had a chance to try to be friends with it.

idlemarvel said:
Wow that's some view from your old house. How could you bear to move?
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention bears. They were an occasional problem in the dry years when food became scarce. The game wardens relocated or destroyed (repeat offenders) about 8 bears that they trapped by our house. As to why we moved, a 3 story house on steep property and over an hour from shopping, doctors, etc. was not a place to grow old (67). We never planned to stay there and once the children/grand children were all settled in Texas (Lubbock/Austin/Dallas), it was the obvious place to go after I retired.
 
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