Upgrading LGB's new V10C....?

[Zerogee]

I recently bought one of the new LGB20320 V10C 0-6-0 diesel (199006-8 in the orange Harz livery) - it's a really nice little loco, with great sound, and I'm very happy with it.
I haven't seen any other mentions on here of other forumites getting one of these, but I'm assuming that several of the usual suspects on here have also purchased them?

Anyway, I've seen mentions of the fact that the loco is already internally prepared for the (relatively) easy installation of a Massoth pulsed smoke unit and/or a pair of Massoth powered couplers - I'm not so concerned about the smoker, but I do have a spare pair of the couplers that I'm quite tempted to fit to the model.
The supplied manual contains no mention of anything about this (not too surprising with M/LGB's documentation), but there is an article in a recent GB Profi about it that I really must translate to English on my phone... I just wondered if by any chance, anyone else on here had already tackled the job and could share any tips?

Jon.

 

[idlemarvel]

I think there are a few tricks to attaching Massoth uncouplers to the LGB mfx decoders. I know sleepyplanet (Bob) has done this on this very loco, but he is not a very active forum member so you may need to PM him.

 

[Zerogee]

I think there are a few tricks to attaching Massoth uncouplers to the LGB mfx decoders. I know sleepyplanet (Bob) has done this on this very loco, but he is not a very active forum member so you may need to PM him.

Thanks Dave - I may well drop Bob a PM as you suggest; in the meantime I'll dig out the relevant GBP issue and see what I can glean from the article.
Anyone else here done this particular job?

Jon.

 

[sleepyplanet]

Hi everyone

Sorry I don't post much, but I enjoy the forum a lot and have been around since the old G Scale Mad forum was around and I have a Massoth/LGB based garden layout with mainly Harz type rolling stock. This may be a ramble, sorry, I hope it is helpful to other's though. I bought an LGB 20320 earlier this year and it is a lovely loco with great sound and wanted to improve it by fitting the auto uncoupler's from Massoth as the places are built in for it.

Massoth have posted a video on YouTube Massoth TV episode 39, have a look it shows the loco and the internal connections, the uncouplers fit easily and the cables route through the underframe with ready made holes so all good, I connected them to the nearest terminal to the fitment end.

Now the difficult bit, I looked at the manuals both for the loco and the decoder and could not find the answer, the factory fitted LGB 55029 Mfx decoder fitted is not like any Massoth decoder I have worked with before, it uses what it calls pages for function mapping, not individual CV's so I contacted both Massoth and LGB for assistance but neither was very helpful. I don't have access to a Marklin central station CS2 or 3.

So I tried using my Massoth Central Station programming track to make the required changes but had missed something and they did not work, so I left it and kept searching online for the answer, nothing was helpful.

Recently I came back to it and found the answer, you need to enter the following into the decoder in order so it is saved in a page of information.
First run the loco on DCC to ensure the decoder understands your system
Then change CV50 to 2 to turn off Mfx and Motorola.
Remember you can change CV8 to reset the decoder, I don't have the value to hand but I think it reads as 159 and you send 8 to reset it but I may be wrong, the reset will take it back to factory original settings, not vanilla decoder settings so you won't loose the loco specific functions etc.
Function mapping changes, I used the sound of uncoupling (197) to activate the couplers, so when I use Function 24 both the uncoupler's operate as well, you need one page per coupler.
So read CV33 to establish the next line available, mine showed 45 so the next available page was 46 therefore set the following CV's
CV34=197 (activator uncoupling sound 24)
CV35=0 (no stipulations i.e. no dimming etc.)
CV36=85 (Function AUX4)
CV37=46 (write to next available line)
That's it for rear uncoupler then to operate the front
CV34=85 (activator rear coupler operation)
CV35=0 (no stipulations)
CV36=86 (Function AUX5)
CV37=47 (write to next available line)

Eureka both uncoupler's operate when function 24 operated

I have a Sprog 3 as well and during my deliberations I read the decoder using this and the Trix 60987 template which shows all the function pages that have already been set, this is useful if you decide to change an existing function or want different functionality. I have retained all original functionality and now have access to my uncouplers using the existing function buttons. Happy to answer any questions but I am just an interested railway modeler, not a pro at all this.

Enjoy
Bob

 

[idlemarvel]

I don't think I imagined it, that Bob sleepyplanet wrote a long answer to this which seems to have disappeared?

 

[sleepyplanet]

I Have it's awaiting approval? Hope it appears at some point.
Bob

 

[Zerogee]

Weird... Bob, if it doesn't appear here soon would you be able to send it to me as a "conversation" (PM)...?
I could always then re-post it with your premission, for the interest of others.

Jon.

 

[muns]

I Have it's awaiting approval? Hope it appears at some point.
Bob

I have now approved it ) - very interesting reading may I say

 

[idlemarvel]

I found a PDF copy of the 55029 manual which might give a bit more background to this.
https://static.maerklin.de/damcontent/53/ef/53efc34f6cf3a488158eebcb145768d31597737980.pdf
They do seem to have found a way to complicate things unnecessarily IMO. The 55028 sound decoder lets you assign multiple actions to the same F key in a much simpler way, not quite sure why they couldn't use the same method. But when I worked for various technology companies (including IBM and Cisco) I always used to start any presentation with the words "I will answer any question as long as it doesn't start with the word 'why'...".

 

[Zerogee]

Very much appreciated Bob, Dave (and Muns for approving Bob's post!).

I may get round to trying the install sometime soon-ish, and your help and advice will be invaluable.
Just got to translate and read the GB Profi article now...

Jon.