No Standing Sounds On LGB F7A-B

Appreciating that you have sound when running, 6 triggers the start up sound and 8 is sound on/off. If the sound is off then you can't hear the start up so it's a case of going through the variations of pressing 6 and 8. I usually find that if there's no sound I press 8, still no sound press 6 and if there's still no sound press 8 again and that usually does it, this is done when loco is stationary and the loco 'diesel engine' is then ticking over. My F7 A+B is an old one with lgb boards. The other thing, as said, are the connecting wires between A and B in place and for the sake of checking does the sound control on the loco work?
 
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kim, none of the keys 1 to 8 work. I can't use 8 to switch off the sound, let alone any other sound functions.
I've tested both connecting wires and also substituted them with replacements - no difference.
Not sure what you mean by - ''checking does the sound control on the loco work?''.

Alan
 
Is the controller set for serial, or parallel. - I think you will need serial commands for a lok of this vintage?
 
PhilP said:
Is the controller set for serial, or parallel. - I think you will need serial commands for a lok of this vintage?
Click to expand...
I have several loco's older than this one. The only time that they worked in serial mode was when I was using the MTS2 system. Since using the Massoth they have all responded to parallel commands. And pressing F1 multiple times would simulate serial commands.
There is something else going wrong because the loco has lost it's standing sound of engine idling

Alan
 
AlanL said:
None of the keys 1 to 8 work. I can't use 8 to switch off the sound, let alone any other sound functions.
Click to expand...

From this description, implies that the sound card decoder in the "B" unit, has a different decoder address, from the motor decoder address in the "A" unit.
 
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AlanL said:
kim, none of the keys 1 to 8 work. I can't use 8 to switch off the sound, let alone any other sound functions.
I've tested both connecting wires and also substituted them with replacements - no difference.
Not sure what you mean by - ''checking does the sound control on the loco work?''.

Alan
Click to expand...

On the back of the A unit Alan you have the 2 sockets for connecting the B unit, the function switch and a round volume control switch. Just to see if it's working turn the switch from zero to full whilst the loco is stationary and then again whilst moving slowly, just a test I would do. Do you have access to an LGB 55045 programming module and a Windows XP pc? This allows you to restore factory presets. If not try both units on a programing track connected to the 1200z, connect them together and re-address them. I don't think you can restore factory presets via the 1200z but I could be (and usually am) wrong.
 
I was under the impression that the sound card was not a decoder. The serial pulses from the decoder in the A unit pulsed the sound card in the B unit via the connecting cable. Does the A unit decoder actually produce pulses and are they reaching the B unit?
 
PhilP, thanks for the instruction manual link. It's always good practice to RTFM :)
The switches on both units are in position 2
The volume control on the 'B' unit is at the train end.
Loco address is 2
Speed steps are 28
Can't read bit 29 on the 'B' unit, it gets it's power from the 'A' unit (via the 'A' unit decoder) so reading bit 29 will show the value for the 'A' unit. I'll check the value later anyway.

Alan
 
kim, thanks for the suggestions. I will try both switches later, moving them from 2 to 0 and back a few times. I'm fairly sure that I've already tried but you never know it might be a dodgy switch.
I don't have an LGB programming module and XP computer so factory reset is not possible.
Will try re-addressing them both connected together later.

Alan
 
Alan, as it should only take a minute.. Could you try a different address, please? - Say anything between 5 and 20?

Reason:
I have seen 'odd' behaviour, with low addresses, and the paperwork says short address up-to 22.

Probably won't make a scrap of difference, but.. Thanks, PhilP.
 
dutchelm, thanks for the suggestion but how can I establish that the decoder is producing pulses? Possibly a decoder swap?
I think that you are correct that the sound card is not a decoder.

Alan
 
PhilP, I will try a re-address later and also do it as kim suggested with the 'B' unit connected

Alan
 
Does the 28 step setting affect it as decoders of this vintage were designed for 14 steps only.
 
PhilP said:
Is the controller set for serial, or parallel. - I think you will need serial commands for a lok of this vintage?
Click to expand...
New in 2012 - I hope not.
 
PROBLEM SOLVED :) :) :) :) :)

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Spent a few hours in the workshop (shed) today. Tried the earlier suggestions regarding the address and the slide switch etc.

None of the above made any difference.

I decided to swap the decoder and put it into another loco and the decoder worked normally with sound functions and standing sounds.
Having proved that the decoder was not the problem, I returned it to the faulty F7-A unit.

Powered up the loco and now I have the original problem and started looking at the internal connections between the decoder and the rear sockets. I decided to remove the rear socket from the loco to check the power switch etc. but as I tried to remove the 3 way plug from the F1 socket, the wires pulled out of the plug. This stopped me in my tracks until I realised that I had another F7-A with a replacement sound equipped decoder. This loco doesn't have a 'B' unit therefore the rear socket was not used.

Replaced the rear socket and then all the sound functions F1 to F8 were available.

F6 started the engine into idling mode, (the standing sound), problem solved.

It may have been a coincidence or a bad connection that had started working and to prove it, I may re-instate the original connector board to prove it.
I did try unplugging the F1 connector and the F keys still worked so this connection seems not to be the original fault.

I started this thread stating ''No Standing Sounds' but in hindsight it should have been 'Sound Functions Not Working'
Live and learn and thanks again for everybody's help.


Alan
 
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