Stainz decoder problems

[Graham]

Hi folks I decided to get ambitious and opened up my 20212 to fit 55021 decoder. After getting past the mysteries of opening it up and fitting the decoder, remembering to set all the dip switches to off and then getting it all back together it does not work...sigh.

If I put it on my test rig that uses an old LGB analog system it works fine. On my massoth system nothing wprks either on DCC or analogue. I must add the decoder is second-hand and the only thing I changed was the address. Any clues?

 

[MTheStrong]

I would suspect the decoder.

 

[PhilP]

Did the wheels/motor 'twitch' when you changed the address?

You say it works on an analogue controller?
Do the lights work on an analogue track?

On a digital track.. Will it run on address '0', and does it 'buzz' if it does?

On your digital system:
Have you tried..
The 'old' decoder address?
Address '3'?
The new decoder address? - Again, just in case, please.

 

[Graham]

Did the wheels/motor 'twitch' when you changed the address?

You say it works on an analogue controller?
Do the lights work on an analogue track?

On a digital track.. Will it run on address '0', and does it 'buzz' if it does?

On your digital system:
Have you tried..
The 'old' decoder address?
Address '3'?
The new decoder address? - Again, just in case, please.

Ok I changed the address before putting it in.
The lights work on the analogue track.
No it will not run on 0 and does not buzz.
I think I must try to read the cv settings once my pc is free from the cnc machine that it is currently driving.

 

[Deleted member 4232]

Moved

 

[PhilP]

CV 29 ? - Speed-steps, long address bit??

 

[Graham]

Long shot, what and how did you change the address prior to fitting it into the 20212?

Plugged it into a massoth service board.

 

[Zerogee]

Someone feel free to correct me if any of the following assumptions are wrong.... when you plug a decoder into an LGB main board and turn the DIP switches "off", I presume that disables any direct connection between the pickups and the motor, thus any power (DC or DCC) then goes through the decoder? Thus I assume that even if you then run the loco on analogue power, that is still being fed to the motor via the decoder?

So, if the loco (with the decoder installed) will run on analogue DC, then the decoder cannot be completely "dead" because it is doing part of its job by allowing the loco to run on analogue....?

This probably doesn't help the OP very much with diagnosing them problem, and I'm certainly no expert on the inner workings of decoders, but to me it suggests that the decoder may well be faulty, though not totally dead.

Jon.

 

[PhilP]

Correct Jon..
A number of things come to mind:
Speed-step setting?
What CS is the OP using? - 'We' tend to assume Massoth. but may not be..

If we assume the decoder is OK.. Then I would think the address is not as thought.

Hind-sight being the exact science it is, I would not have put the loco back together without running it as a 'chassis', even if only n rollers..

Let's wait until the CNC-ing has finished, and the PC can be used..

 

[Deleted member 4232]

Moved

 

[Ralphmp]

Plugged it into a massoth service board.

Graham

Did you check that the jumper that sets the electronic load for Programming is ON (left hand and centre pin) and that the LEDs along the edge next to this jumper flashed when you made the address change?

Forgive me if this is “ teaching granny” but I have had decoders which needed a physical motor attached to the service board before they could be successfully programmed, and the only clue I had was the LEDs didn’t flash when I tried to program them using the electronic load built into the service board.

 

[dunnyrail]

Graham

Did you check that the jumper that sets the electronic load for Programming is ON (left hand and centre pin) and that the LEDs along the edge next to this jumper flashed when you made the address change?

Forgive me if this is “ teaching granny” but I have had decoders which needed a physical motor attached to the service board before they could be successfully programmed, and the only clue I had was the LEDs didn’t flash when I tried to program them using the electronic load built into the service board.

I use an old chassis and couple all decoders up to it to test prior to installation. Proves things before you start to dig into locs such as Stainz! the Nails are for using LGB Crimps, otherwise I wire plain wires from a decoder via the Chock Block.

 

[Graham]

Graham

Did you check that the jumper that sets the electronic load for Programming is ON (left hand and centre pin) and that the LEDs along the edge next to this jumper flashed when you made the address change?

Forgive me if this is “ teaching granny” but I have had decoders which needed a physical motor attached to the service board before they could be successfully programmed, and the only clue I had was the LEDs didn’t flash when I tried to program them using the electronic load built into the service board.

I bought two if these second hand decoders at the same time and changed both addresses at the same time. The first I used to modify a gandy dancer and that works fine so may be this is just a blown decoder.

 

[Graham]

er..um..that man that suggested I got the wrong address go to the top of the class works fine must just reset speed steps.

 

[PhilP]

Excellent result..

 

[Ralphmp]

Hey, at least you proved that the Occam’s Razor principle is still valid