HELP!!! BR80 DCC.

[duncan1_9_8_4]

Today, i have installed PIKO'S specific Chip for the BR80 to make it DCC. The loco has been programed with the LGB Multi-train system. The loco as a engine works great, has has programed ok. BUT..... i cannot opperate the lights with the light button on my controllers. I have checked, checked twice and once again that the wiring is ok, and this is ok. I have done the wireing religiously and correctly. Any help please??? Thankyou very much!

 

[whatlep]

Today, i have installed PIKO'S specific Chip for the BR80 to make it DCC. The loco has been programed with the LGB Multi-train system. The loco as a engine works great, has has programed ok. BUT..... i cannot opperate the lights with the light button on my controllers. I have checked, checked twice and once again that the wiring is ok, and this is ok. I have done the wireing religiously and correctly. Any help please??? Thankyou very much!

Are the lights showing at all in either direction or completely dead? Bearing in mind that the lights are LEDs, there is always a chance that +ve/-ve wires have been transposed. If you have a multimeter (voltmeter), it's worth checking what polarity is emerging from the chip terminals.

If I remember correctly, Piko's chip is really an Uhlenbrock 77050 - just in case that helps debugging.

 

[muns]

Some questions....

1) What version of MTS do you have?
2) Is it "p" enabled.
3) Do the lights flicker at all, either when you send it a command or change the speed setting?
4) What is the value of CV29?

I am not familier with the decoder but....

If your MTS system is not "p" enabled (i.e. cannot send parralell function commands) then check to see if the decoder can accept a serial command pulse.

Check to see if the decoder is using the correct number of speed steps for your MTS system, (MTS1 & 2 use 14 speed steps and not 28 or 128, I'm unsure about MTS3). This is normally the cause for flickering lights.

Edit: Added Q4.

 

[duncan1_9_8_4]

I have tested the lights in Analogue and they work fine, but just not at all with the MTS. Not sure what you mean by P enabled. There is no P button on the controller. According to the MTS Instructions the central station is 55005 with 2x 55016 controllers. Only able to programe 15 loco numbers 1-15. Hope this helps???

Not sure what anyone means by CV whatever and spped steps.

 

[whatlep]

Bingo - I think Muns has the key clue. The 77500 (sorry about the previous typo) has an online manual here. http://www.uhlenbrock.de/germany/index.htm

If you access that link, you'll see that the decoder automatically chooses 28 speed steps as the default (NMRA standard). LGB MTS of any flavour can only use 14. If you look on page 4 of the Uhlenbrock manual, it says definitively:

So that the decoder can work correctly with an LGB digital center, the following CVs must be changed:
CV29=4 (14 speed steps, automatic changeover on analog layouts)
CV49=2 (special function control f1-f8 with an LGB controller)

Although it doesn't help any, LGB, Massoth and ESU decoders work "out of the box" on LGB with the BR80 and Piko Railbus.

Good luck with your CV-ing!

 

[muns]

I have tested the lights in Analogue and they work fine, but just not at all with the MTS. Not sure what you mean by P enabled. There is no P button on the controller. According to the MTS Instructions the central station is 55005 with 2x 55016 controllers. Only able to programe 15 loco numbers 1-15. Hope this helps???

Ok, does the central station have a "p" sticker on it anwhere or a p suffix on the part number.

In any case its a MTS2 system and is only capable of 14 speed steps.

I suggest you program CV29 to 4 for this decoder - that will set it to use 14 speedsteps and work on both analogue and dcc layouts.

 

[duncan1_9_8_4]

I have tested the lights in Analogue and they work fine, but just not at all with the MTS. Not sure what you mean by P enabled. There is no P button on the controller. According to the MTS Instructions the central station is 55005 with 2x 55016 controllers. Only able to programe 15 loco numbers 1-15. Hope this helps???

Ok, does the central station have a "p" sticker on it anwhere or a p suffix on the part number.

In any case its a MTS2 system and is only capable of 14 speed steps.

I suggest you program CV29 to 4 for this decoder - that will set it to use 14 speedsteps and work on both analogue and dcc layouts.

So how is this done in simple instructions, please? Not very good with this. And if done will all the other locos of LGB origin work the same unaffected?

 

[muns]

I have tested the lights in Analogue and they work fine, but just not at all with the MTS. Not sure what you mean by P enabled. There is no P button on the controller. According to the MTS Instructions the central station is 55005 with 2x 55016 controllers. Only able to programe 15 loco numbers 1-15. Hope this helps???

Not sure what anyone means by CV whatever and spped steps.

I think you may have a little problem here if you only have 55016 Loco handsets as you can only program the short loco address.

Do you have any other way of programming the decoder apart from the MTS & Loco handsets? If not do you know anyone local who can program it for you?

 

[whatlep]

Duncan

If you only have 55016 controllers, you can't reprogram the necessary CVs. You need a 55015 or access to someone with a reprogramming facility. Suggest you ask around for one of the various G Scalers in West Yorkshire to help.

If you are prepared to venture over the M62 to Lancashire, Tim at Arcadia could well have the kit to assist.

 

[duncan1_9_8_4]

Thanks ppl, thats a bit of a dissapointment, but atleast the loco works fine, il have to do without lights for now.....

 

[Zman]

Thanks ppl, thats a bit of a dissapointment, but atleast the loco works fine, il have to do without lights for now.....

Duncan,

if you can wait 'til the New Year, I'll be able to offer assistance

 

[Zman]

and a visit just over the nearby hills has now been authorised