LGB 55021, Works Analogue not DCC...

[andyspencer]

Hi all,

Just been playing around with a 55021. It seems to work fine on analogue with both motor control and directional lighting, but won't do a thing on DCC... I've done a factory reset using CV55. I've not checked what CV29 is, but assume it will now be set as DCC+Analogue. I will confirm this setting in the morning. Has anybody else come across this issue before and got a solution. Or is it broken?

 

[stockers]

What is it fitted to. Has it worked in the past. What address are you using.

 

[andyspencer]

Tried it in a stainz chassis, and now fitted to an RhB drivin trailer. Trying address 3. Was given it as a near new, but has not worked previously after being programmed but was hoping it was just something silly on the programming side of things. If it was hardware, was expecting it to either work on DCC and analogue or do nothing.

 

[idlemarvel]

Have you tried reading the address (CV1)? If you can't read the address then there is something fundamentally wrong. You can't turn DCC off with CV29, you can set to DCC only (not analogue). What command station are you using? Maybe you have to set the number of speed steps to 28 if you are not using LGB MTS (CV29=6).

 

[ntpntpntp]

Could be speed step mismatch as Dave says, or perhaps you're trying to use "long address" 3 not "short address" 3?

 

[andyspencer]

I'm using an MTS3 central station with a Massoth Nav. I set up an LGB universal remote with the programming head to do the factory reset. The loco did the shuffle so looked like it accepted the changes. How did I flick between short and long address or know which I've got it set to?

 

[PhilP]

I'm using an MTS3 central station with a Massoth Nav. I set up an LGB universal remote with the programming head to do the factory reset. The loco did the shuffle so looked like it accepted the changes. How did I flick between short and long address or know which I've got it set to?

ER..........
55021 will only allow addresses between '0' and '22', so not a long address issue..
Check the first four CV's..
'1' is address (default '3')
'2' is startup voltage (default '0')
'3' is acceleration (default '3')
'4' is delay (default '3')

CV 29 would normally be '4' or '6', 14 or 28 speed-steps with both digital and analogue operation.
CV's 49 and 50, set the voltage divider for F1 and the lights respectively..
CV 51 assigns which key operates F1.

 

[ntpntpntp]

ER..........
55021 will only allow addresses between '0' and '22', so not a long address issue..

Eh? No, that's a limit of the handset used to program the thing. The decoder can certainly go higher on short addresses (99), and I thought the later version can support long addresses but I can't confirm that (I'm probably getting confused with the 55027)

The Massoth equivalent certainly can do long addresses, so in my mind no reason why Massoth wouldn't have added that support to the LGB decoder in later versions.

It was discussed 3 years ago on here...
https://www.gscalecentral.net/threads/lgb-decoders.266941/

Sorry I don't use Massoth gear so no idea how a Navigator would indicate using short or long address. On my NCE throttle I get an asterisk in front of the address if it's a long address. Kind of irrelevant if the 55021 is short address only.

 

[PhilP]

The information is from the 55021 manual.
This is one of the limitations of the LGB 55021.. The Massoth equivalent does not have this restriction.

 

[ntpntpntp]

The information is from the 55021 manual.
This is one of the limitations of the LGB 55021.

I refer the honourable gentleman to the thread I linked to above. May have been true of early 55021s and yes the pdf manual still seems to say 1 -22. OTOH Cliff G wrote he's run 55021s with short address > 22, and pretty sure one of mine is set to 27 (not run any of my G stuff for quite a while so I'd have to check my decoder lists and/or number stuck on it's bottom!)

 

[PhilP]

So IF it is a new 55021 II it will be able to have an address greater than 22..
IF it is an older unit, then it won't..

If we are trying to ascertain whether it is faulty, surely we must assume 'lowest common denominator' for the device.
Address < 22
only 14 or 28 speed-steps.

Decoder and CS to match for speed-step settings.

 

[andyspencer]

Hi all, thanks for the help and info. I originally tried the decoder without reading it, so just tried every address 1-22 (was quicker than getting the laptop out to read cv1) and none worked so its been on the shelf for 2 months... Tried the reset on cv55, value 6 then 5 I think?
I have since read cv1 and found it to be 4... Changed it back to 3 for testing and low and behold it works. Well it works in my RhB driving trailer which is what I wanted it for

For future information, how would one tell if they had an earlier or late 55021?

 

[Greg Elmassian]

The early / late may be a matter of firmware version and/or manufacturer id... read those cv's for a start.

Greg

 

[andyspencer]

Just to nudge this thread back in to life, just by visually looking at the decoder is there a way to tell if it's an old one or a newer version ?

 

[Deleted member 1986]

Version 2.2 - 2.3




Version 2.4 - 2.5

 

[Dan]

It is very important on all LGB decoders to read out address 7 to see the revision.
I have found version 2.5 on the 55021 had the most capability, lower versions had some limitations. Same for the 55027, the higher the rev the more it can do which includes 128 speed steps.
The 55045 programmer is great sat reading this out along with the decoder ID.