[I posted this on the Bachmann forum, too, but am thinking I may get a few more eyes on it here. Need help.} I recently bought a Spectrum 2-8-0 with DCC. I programmed the long address to the cab number (705, the C&O paint model) and ran it successfully around a club layout pulling several cars for about an hour. Several days later, at home on a test loop, I ran it forward and then backwards for about 20 minutes. Everything seemed to be working fine. Then I tried the 'momentum" button on my NCR Power Cab, and things started getting hinky. First, after selecting momentum level 5 (between 0 and 9), the engine would not run forward, but would still run backward. I tried resetting the momentum to 0, but that did not get it to run forward, but it still ran backward. I tried resetting the momentum to 0 again, and it would not run forward or backward. I tried resetting the decoder, and the address changed from long 705 to short 3, but it still will not run in forward or reverse. The headlight still functions with the off-on command as well as when I change direction from forward to reverse and back, but the decoder does not seem to be sending power to the motor. Some help, please.
When you say Spectrum 2-8-0 with dcc, I understand that to mean the version produced by Bachmann. Have you tried to reset function to reset the locomotive dcc? I do not know NCR Power cab. I have an NCE Power Cab and one option with the program on track is option 7 to reset. This has worked for me when I have encountered loss of function of the full locomotive functions.
Hi Roger, As I said, I did reset the decoder (as well as I could) with option 7, and the decoder did go back to short address 3, but still would not run the motor. Later, when I tried to read the decoder again on the program track, it would not read. It had read properly before I tried to use the "momentum" button on the Power Cab. And, it gets worse. I have a duplicate C&O version of this model, which had previously run well when I tested it and broke it in. I had not programmed that one to address 705, so I got it out and was going to use that to do some other things. I did NOT touch the "momentum" button while that one was on the track. BUT, I had not previously programmed it to 705, so I did that. As soon as I programmed it to 705 and started running it, it seemed to draw higher currrent and run more slowly. I tried cleaning the track and wheels, but it keep getting slower and stalling. SO, I am thinking that the Power Cab is still trying to do something related to "momentum" with whatever engine is numbered 705, and that is somehow damaging the decoder, or motor, or both. At this pointl, I am afraid to use the power cab for ANY engines until I can talk to NCE. Steve
Its been a while for me but I would look for bad connections in all wiring. Also open up the Powercab and make sure the long chip is seated properly.
Pretty hard to believe setting CV3 and CV4 can make the motor control die. Sound like you have some other problem like a flaky decoder or wiring issues. Does the powercab read and write cv's ok on other locos? I would not open it up unless necessary. How much current is showing on your powercab? Greg
Did you use program track mode to reset CV8 to 8 ? If that is how you did it , try using OPS mode to set CV8 to 8 . Sometimes one way works better than the other . I've never used option 7 , that resets the power cab , doesen't it ?
i don't know the nce power cab but i had similar things going on with my digtrax system. one particular address just didn't work as it should . lights went on but little to no motor output. changed decoder. same issue. changed loco. same issue. changed address. everything worked fine. so obviously it was something related to that number (9524 if i remember correctly). what finally did the trick : open the digitrax station, take out the battery, wait for 5 minutes and reassembly. never had this strange behaviour again. so you might consider resetting your nce power cab instead of the decoder. or take any other engine and reprogramm to 705.
I was wondering the same thing. Whenever I have a loco go bonkers on me, I always set it on the program track to look through all the CVs I set. Then, if I can't solve the issue, I reset CV8 to 8. From experience, I do know the Power Cab does not like it when fiddle with addresses to much at one time. Maybe just me, but it throws the system and you can't operate the loco you just changed. Lights will come on, but that's about it. Try resetting on the program track. And use a different address number. I myself had one that refused to work. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
you can reset the NCE POWERCAB system by pressing 6 to bring back factory settings. you can also reprogram a factory decoder cv's in an attempt to get an insane decoder back to somewhat normal operation by pressing 7 , it would also help if he showed track current on his screen instead of clock.you do this by going into cab parameters and when scrolling thru comes to show track current press 1 for yes.i am convinced it is a decoder problem and not the power cab beleive me if it can be screwed up i been there,but thats how you learn and i have been wrong before.i will say this that if he calls nce their support staff are wonderful in resolving a problem with any of their products,been there done that.i trust this info will be of help and is based on my knowledge of my powercab. regards&later KEWATIN
I am just beginning to learn DCC and its programming and electronics. I do usually have my Power Cab set to display track current. (It did reset to the clock once during this process, so I reset it to current, again. Strangely, it does not reset to clock when powered down, although the manual says it does.) The current reading is now 0.01 amp, no matter what the throttle is set to. I don't think it changes when I turn the headlight on and off or bright to dim, but I was not paying much attention to that. BEFORE I messed with the "momentum" setting, the engine current was reading pretty low, maybe 0.08 amp, going up to 0.20 amp at full throttle on 15" curves. But, I was not paying much attention to the current, because everything was working fine and the current reading fluctuated a lot at constant throttle, which I assumed had to do with back-emf circuitry. The second engine that I tried was reading much higher amps (0.2 to close to 0.4), but had NOT done that about 5 weeks before, which is when I last (and first) tested it. Steve
steve my 2-8-0 when running on my layout shows .04 to ,11 and when running 2 sound equip locos my track current goes between .09 to .16 amps and i have never had any problems, so you should be fine.also the track current does not revert back to clock unless you go into cab parameters to change it.i suspect i will soon need a booster because of the sound equip locos that are starting to accumulate.i run 4 locos ,i in the yard &3 on the outside mains,all on kato track.layout is l shaped 10'x5.i posted an update this morn on the other forum for you and trust you will have a better understanding of your problem with your power cab after talking to NCE today.trust you didn't have to shovel to much snow&will catch you later. regards KEWATIN
UPDATE: I was able to get some time to set-up the track and try some of the suggestions. When I first put the loco which got the “momentum” command back on the track, I was not even able to control the light any more, although I had still been able to control it when I last took it off the track. After quite a bit of messing around with resets using “Programming on the Main” and setting CV 8 to the value of 8, with NO response, I tried the Programming Track Standard option again, and just kept hitting enter past the “Cannot read CV” messages until I got to Page Programming. Using page Programming, I set the short address to 3 and activated it. THAT gave me access to the headlight function on the loco again. Why the CV 8 = 8 attempts on the Main did not work but page programming did work is a mystery to me. So, now the first loco is back to where I left off, with no motor control. Speed step 28 in both directions just reads the standard 0.01 amp. I tried talking to NCE, but the technician there had no ideas for a solution (other than to replace the decoder). I have a call in to Bachmann, with a call-back scheduled between 2 and 4 pm today. The other loco was still set to long address 705, so I set it back to short address 3 and then reset it with CV 8 = 8. It runs forward and backward, but still draws high current and stalls where the track voltage is lowest (opposite the feed on the test loop). The stalling problem seems to get WORSE the longer I run that loco, so there is something DEGRADING with operation. There is also a faint “hot electrical” odor that I smell (only) on that engine when it runs. So, I seem to have TWO UNRELATED problems with these two locos. For now, I want to concentrate on the loco that was running fine until I used the “momentum” key on the NCE Power Cab to try to set momentum to a value of 5. That is when the problem with the first loco started IMMEDIATELY. The NCE technician was unable to provide any insight into how that could have happened. Any more suggestions?
Do you have a new status here yet? When I see a "cannot read cv" that tells me there is not enough current in the track or a poor connection somewhere. The system is unable to read the loco. Those little connies have a pretty tight wiring setup between loco and tender. So it maybe worth your while to check connections. Also, you may have to unlock the decoder through the power cab. Often times, the decoder gets froze and needs to be unlocked, then reset, all on the programming track.. That unlock function just may cure your problems. wish I could remember who taught me that.
steve do you have any non-sound dcc locos to perform a few tests ? guess gcav17 might be onto something mentioning not enough power for programming. if memory servers right programming sound locos on the programming track of a digitrax system does not work either.
