As for the decoder replacements, I have the Zimo wired decoders already, so it looks like what is left are board replacement decoders, and I will tally those up today. It will be a draw whether I use TCS or now ESU for the replacement decoders. I am done with Digitrax completely. While I will not tear out working decoders, only replace them when and if they fail.
I have had far better luck with Digitrax decoders over other brands. TCS have also been good to me. I have had the worst luck with NCE in both N and HO scale. I tend to steer clear of them unless they are all that's available.
The digitrax are my problem children. After speaking with them by email, my issues with digitrax stem from using an NCE DCC system. Huh. So, I just stick with ESU/Loksound and a few NCE in my non sound units. The three Soundtrax I have left, will fail, and be replaced with ESU
I have been having a "great" time talking to Rich B from Digitrax who is quick to throw answers at you without reading what's going on and then saying it's not their issue, it's with my switch box. I have a difficult time typing this stuff out and wanted a phone call so I can accurately describe my issue. Repeatedly I asked for a call and I simply got more it's not our problem responses. I am not impressed with his "help" if it were to be called that.
Do exactly the same with... ... my $15 irons that go to 450C. Leave them on max all the time even if... ... soldering very small stuff. Pre-tin wire and most components.... on... watch it flow... off.... and done in maybe less than a second. Lowering the iron temp just takes more time and the heat travels further into the components. For soldering flux I like ( THESE ) small bottles I bought. For the flux I use the small metal tip and pretty much smash it shut so that when soldering I can control a small drop at a time if I want that for the solder joint on wiring or on turnouts. I've used a number of different fluxes for turnouts and wiring and my favorite now is Superior No. 30 Supersafe gel. It is still liquid but doesn't run as far when applied as most other liquid ones do and like it better than the pure pastes that take longer to apply with a micro-brush. I like the gel on the turnouts as it runs far enough for the PCB tie/rail soldering joint and not further. The Superior fluxes are non-acid and non-rosin so clean up much easier and they work great. I also have the Superior No. 30 Supersafe Soldering Liquid and use it if I want or don't care if it flows further. You can buy them as a 2 pack to try out and they go a long ways. I read where others were using them for turnout construction so decided to try them after putting it off a year or so. Glad I gave them a try and wish I would of sooner. They are harder to find. I ordered direct (see links) and they came quickly. Sumner
The final talley: I was able to reset and revive 4 locomotives and ran them for a while to make sure. The rest well not so much. The list of the dead Zimo - 2 decoders TCS - Z2 - 15 decoders CN - 6 CNGP - 18 VO-1000 - 6 AMD4 - 6 ASD4 -12 ALD4 - 15 Digitrax - DZ125 - 18 Decoders DZ143 - 11 DN163K1C - 15 DN163K2 - 4 DN163K1B -14 Lenz - Atlas DCC locomotives - 22 Lenz - Silver Mini 4 Cie Est La Vie And by dead, means I checked them on two different DCC systems to make sure: Digitrax DCS200 and ESU CabControl I reset each defective decoder 3 times during testing.
I see no ESU on the list. Do you have any of those? Also any explanation why these are going bad over time just sitting? What is the average guesstimation of how old the decoders are? Have you put new decoders in some of the locos with bad ones and have they run fine doing nothing else other than replacing the decoder? Since I just got back into this a few years ago my oldest installs are about 3 years at this point and I haven't pulled but a few of those installs back out to run on the test track. They have all run fine so far. Hopefully a year from now enough of the main layout will have track that I can start using more of them. Hopefully they will be working. Thanks for documenting all of this. Sumner
There are no ESU decoders because I have very few locomotives with ESU decoders, like I think 10 or 11 and they are all just a few years old. I know the locomotives are good because they ran fine before, and let's face it, Kato locomotives are the best made in N Scale. I still have many E Units and SD40's in the blue boxes that are still running like champs. There are more than double the Atlas locomotives than Kato locomotives using the board replacement decoders with bad decoders. There are a few LifeLike and a Bachman S4 that are dead as well. Still not sure what approach I will take, just know I will temper the old with the new. The question is, which manufacturer can I really trust? Lenz pulled out of the US, so they are now off the board. TCS had a bad code base a while back, it is perhaps a better option than Digitrax. All new decoders must be RailCom or Railcom+ So that leaves only TCS Zimo and ESU as the decoder suppliers.
With you having the cab control I'd recommend staying with ESU for the decoders. I use the lokprogrammer to setup and name all of my ESU decoder installs from my desktop. When I place the finished result on my main track with the cab control it automatically picks up the new loco and prompts me to save it in it's database. Maybe that isn't that important to you but I'd think with all the locos you need to update that may help streamline the process a bit.
Well I have Zimo decoder in all my FVM ES 44C locomotives, and they need to stay with Zimo to work. The rest can go to ESU for the ones that will fit the locomotives without modifying them. I do use the LokProgrammer for all my ESU locomotives. I am waiting on the ESU decoders for the Kato WideBody locomotives before I jump onto the ESU band wagon. The problem is that it seems they only want to make LokSound decoders and not LokPilot for a lot of the decoders I need to replace, and at more than double the price, it may not be the right way to go, that is more than double the cost of a TCS decoder. And it is not a sure thing I will be staying with the Cab Control, it has too many flaws that make me miss Digitrax.
I thought FVM were all the 6 pin/NEM651 connectors? I do share your concern with ESU not making drop in lokpilot decoders. I've only had a few lokpilot installs and besides the FVMs they all required tapping into the existing light boards so I can understand not wanting to do that with all the locos you have. It'd be sweet if at the least they made an adapter light board for the different manufacturers with maybe a NEM651 or NEXT18 adaptor on a ribbon that one could plug their lokpilots into. Of course with that added piece you'd likely be in it for the same amount or even more than a Zimo. I like TCS alright but I am more familiar with Zimo and getting those to run butter smooth in my locos so that would be my preference where they had a drop in solution. Curious what issues you are having with the cab control. Besides the short battery life of the handheld I've really enjoyed mine but I'm not that sophisticated of a user.
There are many problems, mostly that the storage design did not take into consideration that you may have duplicate locomotive numbers with other road names and within road names. For example CSX had a SD70MAC with the same number as a ES 44AC locomotive. Or that DRGW has an F7A that is the same number as NP EMD GP-7 TT Phase 2, 555. Because of this alternate numbering is needed which restricts the locomotives travel ability, meaning being used at shows without a decoder card of the changes. That, and the locomotive search is a bit wonky, type in 4 digits and get that and several others. German Engineering really sucked on this product.
I see. I had a numbering conflict with a couple of the locos so I just note the new address and put a label on the underside of the loco so I remember it's address. I wonder though if because of Railcom duplicate addresses are not allowed and this would be the same issue with any railcom enabled controller? I use a naming convention for each loco (Road - prototype - number) so I can just scroll through the list rather than search. BNSF 8-40BW #539 or BN GP30 #2246 would be an example of how I name them. I guess with as many locos as you have though you could be scrolling for a while. I think the only other complaint from me is the small screen but I installed their ecos app on my phone and use that which cured that problem although you don't get the nifty throttle knob.
Well I do it just in a different order BNSF 539 8-40BW so when I run a different road name I get to the locomotives fast. So I had the thought to dump all the old locomotives needing a wired install, but a lot of those are near and dear to my heart, as in the first ones that got me started. Still working on the plan to overcome this situation. I did download the app, and I will try that. Personally, I hate the knob, it is my belief that the auto knob action drains the power from the battery faster. I would be happier with a simple potentiometer rather than what they did. They over thought the throttle and under thought the rest of the design. I am going to test a Zimo system and a TCS system. See if they are more suited for my task.
So my workbench today was creating a schematic for my modules and the control box. There has been so much confusion about how I wired the control box. I guess I don't know how to describe it in text form. So here is how it all goes.
