Adding a decoder to a Stainz 2020 inside is a very small circuit board with a pair of resistors on it, that the lights connect too, I assume it just reduces the voltage to the bulbs ?. Question leave it in or remove it or wire the lights direct to the decoder and just change the Cvs to suit the bulbs and ditch the resistors ?. I can always remove the bulbs while it's being programmed so they don't blow until the CV for them has been changed.
stainz 2020 Lights
- Thread starter LGB-Sid
- Start date
Are you sure they are resistors, Sid, and not diodes? I think they are most likely a pair of diodes to make the directional lighting work....
Junk the little board, wire the front and rear lamps to the "Licht-V" ("Vor" = front) and "Licht-H" ("Hintern" = rear) respecively, and the common lighting return on the decoder. If you want a cab light, that goes to "Licht-I".
If they are the old-type screw-in bulbs they will be 18volt types, so they shouldn't blow even on full decoder output, but taking them out anyway would seem a sensible precaution; set the decoder output to give them 12 volts or so and you'll get a nice old-timey glow, or higher if you want them bright!
Jon.
Junk the little board, wire the front and rear lamps to the "Licht-V" ("Vor" = front) and "Licht-H" ("Hintern" = rear) respecively, and the common lighting return on the decoder. If you want a cab light, that goes to "Licht-I".
If they are the old-type screw-in bulbs they will be 18volt types, so they shouldn't blow even on full decoder output, but taking them out anyway would seem a sensible precaution; set the decoder output to give them 12 volts or so and you'll get a nice old-timey glow, or higher if you want them bright!
Jon.
On a 2020 it would be a pair of back to back diodes likely 1n4001's or similar, you dont need the board if going digital, as Jon correctly posts.
Thanks you are probably right about what they are, writing on them is too small to read
Didn't think about how the lights changed over for direction so that will be what they are, will junk it and wire them direct to the decoder.
Thanks you are probably right about what they are, writing on them is too small to read
Stick it in the 'bits' box... you never know what you might need..
I hate Stainz no 2020, finally got the decoder to fit in the boiler, and all the wires in it , and the silly thing runs the wrong way to the other Stainz 
before I pull it apart and rewire it the other way round, is there a CV that changes the travel direction ? shame the motors don't have + and - printed on them..
before I pull it apart and rewire it the other way round, is there a CV that changes the travel direction ? shame the motors don't have + and - printed on them..
Yes CV 29 bit 0
Read out CV 29, if it's an odd number reduce the CV value by 1, if it's even increase it by 1.
Thanks I assumed I had guessed correct for the wires Black side of the Motor negative and Red side positive, just looked at the pic I took of the wiring before I put it together and black is connected to the negative side of the decoder . Time for a coffee I think before I do any more to it
Using JRMI and a Sprog II changing the box to reverse marked in Red below adds +1 to CV 29, changing it to Normal takes -1 off CV 29 but the Loco still goes in the reverse direction to the throttle control direction, changing this box makes no difference ??
So, read just CV29...
If it is an even number, add '1' to it.. If it is an odd number, take '1' away from it.
Write modified value back, and Robert is your Fathers Brother..
**I know the above should have done the same.**
Oh, and we are talking DCC on-track, aren't we?
If it is an even number, add '1' to it.. If it is an odd number, take '1' away from it.
Write modified value back, and Robert is your Fathers Brother..
**I know the above should have done the same.**
Oh, and we are talking DCC on-track, aren't we?
Hi I have tried it that way just changed CV29 it read an odd number so added 1 wrote value back to decoder and it still goes the opposite way to the controller direction and it is writing the changes to the decoder as I then read them back to make sure they had changed ??
What's the DCC on-track mean ?
Just tried my other stainz which goes the correct way CV29=22 so changed it to 23 and wrote it to the decoder and the direction of travel didn't reverse /change on that one either.
Last edited:
If the readout of CV29 was ODD, you should have subtracted 1, not added it..... bit 1 of the CV is either 0 or 1, so if it's reading 1 (which is the only way the total CV value can be an odd number) then you subtract 1 to make it 0. If the CV value is an even number that means that bit 1 is set to 0, so you add 1 to the CV to make bit 1 = 1.
As you read the CV out as an odd number, that meant that bit 1 was set to 1 already - ADDING another 1 to the total CV value would have affected a different bit instead of the one that controls direction of travel.
I hope that hasn't confused things totally, because I may well have just confused myself.... VERY long time since I did binary in GCE Maths.....
Jon.
Not sure what it was now .... Now it's been rewired it reads 22 same as my other Stainz, both go the direction of the throttle tells them too, would have been fun controlling two trains with one throttle when they go in opposite directions 
Out of curiosity I have tried adding 1 and subtracting 1 to CV 29 when it's set to 22 and it still doesn't change direction of travel , I am totally confused but will leave it alone as they both travel in the right direction the throttle tells them too now. Changed the light outputs, dimmed them to make sure it is storing CV,s and they are now dimmed so set it's address to No 2 and all is working as it should do.
Out of curiosity I have tried adding 1 and subtracting 1 to CV 29 when it's set to 22 and it still doesn't change direction of travel , I am totally confused but will leave it alone as they both travel in the right direction the throttle tells them too now. Changed the light outputs, dimmed them to make sure it is storing CV,s and they are now dimmed so set it's address to No 2 and all is working as it should do.
I've just changed the direction of an ESU chip fitted loco. When first run on DCC it didn't seem to have changed but reversing the loco twice set it up properly. It's as if the decoder remembers its previous setting until after being told to reverse for the first time after changing.
I've got a suspicion that Massoth decoders are different in that changing the direction CV only affects DCC operation but on ESU it does both.
It's important for me to have all locos running the LGB standard non NMRA way on analogue but it means my ESU fitted locos run in the opposite direction to that shown on the Navigator on DCC
I've got a suspicion that Massoth decoders are different in that changing the direction CV only affects DCC operation but on ESU it does both.
It's important for me to have all locos running the LGB standard non NMRA way on analogue but it means my ESU fitted locos run in the opposite direction to that shown on the Navigator on DCC
Found the cure..... Soldering Ironopened it up again and reversed the motor wires...now play for hours trying to get it all back together again
I can reasemble a Stainz with my eyes closed, there are very few in the 75 running stainz in the collection, that have never been apart.
But you have probably had more practice
and know how long to make the wires from the motor block to the decoder.. mine are a bit short getting the screw in the floor that holds the cab on is a pain in the ...
Never fitted a decoder in one as mine are all analogue, but Yes after rebuilding several, I know all the lamp lengths and connector wire lengths
Probably the core-count, and cross-sectional areas, current capacities, relevant standards as well!
But, do you know of a match-colour for the light-browny-buff one?
Can you be more specific? I have 4 brown versions, The more orange brown one, never been able to match, but the lighter choc brown one, I touched up with something I found in games workshop