TCS T1 Decoder.

[ntpntpntp]

It blew up.

Oh dear. Time to invoke the TCS "Goof Proof Warranty" then?

 

[stockers]

Yep. It was pulling about 0.5 amp so in theory should have been OK. Will replace with the goof but not wire up the sound and run the smoke straight from the track.
Then we will see how it lasts.
I did get about 40 minutes out of it with everything switched on. Without smoke and sound it pulled about 0.2 amp - a lot less so might be OK. As I said a few days ago - worth a try at this price.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Looks like I was the harbinger of doom!

I'd leave the smoke out......


I fitted a cheapo Hornby decoder to an HO Scale 4-8-2 today, it won't read the address although it moves on the programing track like it is OK.....ho hum, back to the drawing board for me too!

 

[ntpntpntp]

I've just completed fitting another T1 to my old Kalamazoo 4-4-0 (following on from fitting in Playmobil block as per my other thread from today).

Now here's an interesting problem: I can't seem to get my three TCS T1 decoders to work reliably with short (2 digit) addressing with my DCC systems!

It's been driving me nuts with my 4-4-0, which has "11" on the cab side so naturally I initially set the decoder to address 11 to match. But it wouldn't drive via a JMRI throttle and my old serial port SPROG. Sometimes I'd get a runaway where the loco would start up as soon as power was applied and the throttle had no effect.

The same thing happened when I tried the loco on the garden tracks with my NCE system.

Yet, if I set to a long address eg. 1111 it works fine. I tried two different T1 decoders - same problem.

I don't have the problem with the Playmobil loco I chipped with the first of the T1 decoders, but this was assigned a long address anyway. I've got vague memories that this loco may have behaved similarly when I first tried it on the default short adresss 3.

Hmm.... very odd this. I can live with running the 4-4-0 as address 1111 but it's not what I'd expect. I'd blame it on the combination of an old SPROG and latest JMRI, except that I got the same runaway with my NCE system too.

Anyone else played with these T1 decoders and had such a problem?


<PS> The playmobil loco with a T1 fitted trundled round my track quite happily most of Sunday afternoon, no problem with overloading the decoder so far. On my bench supply its only reading about 250 mA </PS>

 

[Jisonga]

Well its my turn for an update and you can probably guess what happened to mine.

After fitting decoder and setting to 28 speed steps and to address 25 without any problems using a Massoth system i placed engine on mainline and went for it.

Everything went fine so i rebuilt engine and began testing.

After engine had been running for over a day with and without any load it all looked ok mind you at times i was running it close to the limit with 4 wagons on, and then the front wheels derailed and caused a short which blew the chip and engine died there and then!

Now i kept my Massoth system at 24v as i could not find a way to change track voltage only track amps, although after working with my dads new Massoth system i see the latest firmware does include and option to change track voltage between 7 - 24v so i will update mine tomorrow and then have another look at the T1 decoder.

As for the warranty not sure if that will cover use on G Scale items but it could be worth a try did not think of it myself.

Jason.

 

[muns]

Well its my turn for an update and you can probably guess what happened to mine.

After fitting decoder and setting to 28 speed steps and to address 25 without any problems using a Massoth system i placed engine on mainline and went for it.

Everything went fine so i rebuilt engine and began testing.

After engine had been running for over a day with and without any load it all looked ok mind you at times i was running it close to the limit with 4 wagons on, and then the front wheels derailed and caused a short which blew the chip and engine died there and then!

Now i kept my Massoth system at 24v as i could not find a way to change track voltage only track amps, although after working with my dads new Massoth system i see the latest firmware does include and option to change track voltage between 7 - 24v so i will update mine tomorrow and then have another look at the T1 decoder.

As for the warranty not sure if that will cover use on G Scale items but it could be worth a try did not think of it myself.

Jason.

Jason,

As you have an older 1200Z (like what I have), even with the latest firmware you wont be able to change the output voltage because the required hardware is not present in the unit to do so. If I recall, you wont even get the option to change the voltage.

 

[New Haven Neil]

Well, my issue turned out to be the cheapo Hornby decoder (NMRA warranted) that has a known issue with the Lenz command station (also NMRA warranted) - so much for the NMRA!!! It works fine, you just can't change the address.

As for the T1 address issue, I have three with two digit addresses that are fine in Proto 1000 Budd Railcars...(HO scale)...but the addresses are '0032' not '32' as an example.....so is that a 4 digit address?? Again, programmed with the Set 90 on a programming track, not with JMRI.

 

[Jisonga]

Mark thanks for that info mate.

I always thought that massoth products could be kept upto date via firmware updates, i just thought that voltage would be controlled via software which would be in the lastest update shows how much i know!

As always you live and learn when you choose G Scale as your hobby.

Jason.