None, yet. Since Rapido has no previous track record with the manufacture of an N scale locomotive, I'm waiting to see if there are any problems. I had suggested, in a previous thread, that they should offer a DC only version of the upcoming FL9. That suggestion was shot down with the assurance that the performance of the dual-mode decoder version will be superior. That remains to be seen. The downside of Rapido's build-to-order policy is that, if you wait to see if the product has any issues, you may not be able to find one to buy. The conservative customer may lose out on the opportunity to make a purchase and the manufacturer may lose out on the opportunity to make a sale.
Update Time!! For those who are interested... So I disconnected the Varipulse throttle and hooked up my MRC Railpower 1370 Power pack straight to the layout. Unfortunately I received similar results. the Loco doesn't move until about half throttle then... whoosh! There she goes, off like a shot! So I don't know, maybe it's a bum decoder? Maybe the decoder wasn't designed to operate smoothly on a DC Layout? It's a shame because I have an Atlas C420 that works perfectly on my layout with a dual-mode decoder in it. Hopefully Digitrax will have some enlightening news for you Mike. Looking forward to the update from Rapido. Oh and By the way, I'm not posting this information to "Flame" Rapido. I love their stuff, and will gladly buy more. This is a hiccup, that's it that's all. Is it extremely annoying? Yes. Did I shell out a lot a cash for what is currently a shelf warmer? Yes. But I trust that Rapido will resolve this problem.
Mike McG, I don't see anything mentioned and I am sure this would not be the case, without you talking this idea up. Do these locos have a coreless motor? I still say thank you for not "passing the buck" on this problem. Unfortunately, that is not the norm in today's world. Carl
No sir; they don't..... Our techie dude Dan will be conversing with the fine folks at Digitrax on Monday and I will report back on some of what has been asked here..... why didn't I take up knitting as a hobby... and career....? LOL
Hopefully whatever the problems are with this run will be fixed (as I am sure they will be) on the next run of the GMD-1, I really like the look of them but the ones I have seen in the US are 4 axle beasties and not 6 anymore, so I too will wait till I see the ones I see now are produced lol.
Are you serious, you've never dropped a stitch have you! http://www.dummies.com/how-to/crafts-hobbies/Knitting/Fixing-Mistakes.html
I had a minor issue with the spitter valve making the lights shut off. I simply did a decoder reset and then added my own long address back into the decoder. Now my only issue is, i have the NAR #312 and I have no clue what the 2 yellow horn shaped things are for in the bag of extra detail parts. If someone could kindly fill me in please.
I grew up in Grande Prairie and if I recall, NAR Locos had both type of stacks depending on road number. I have a photo of #312 here and it has the spark arrestor style.
A question then... Do the "silent" DC/DCC GMD-1s that are rapidly (no pun intended) running out of stock at at least one major retailer have the issue noted above? I'm still considering bending time and space for my shortline to have one and wondering what to do... although I would run it on DCC. I might make it to Copetown on Sunday (weather permitting) so might ask in person-- you've been warned
The latest Rapido News is out and discusses the issue as well. http://rapidotrains.com/rapidonews65.html Click on the "HO and N Scale Shipping Update" link to go directly to that information. Or this might work: http://rapidotrains.com/rapidonews65.html#anchor7
Received my NAR"s today . One sound, one not. Run great alone, not so together. Being not a DCC wizard is there anything I can do easy to get them to play together...If not does someone want to trade a sound NAR even up for a plain DCC NAR. Any number but 311. Jim
Unfortunately, they have different decoders. The non-sound one has a Digitrax, while the sound one uses an ESU LokSound. That's probably why they are running slightly differently. But you might try this to begin with. The LokSound has an auto-BEMF adjustment circuit. Enter 0 in CV54 (you can do this with ops mode programming, or on a programming track). Take the engine off the track, count to five, and then put it back on the track at a place where you have several feet of clear track (preferably straight) in front of the engine. Press F1. The engine will take off like a banshee, then slow down to a stop. This automatically sets the BEMF parameters for the engine in question. Once you've done this, you can try running them together and see what happens. It might be OK. If it's not, then do the following. Try using CV's 2, 5 and 6 to speed match the LokSound engine to the Digitrax engine. To do this, first make sure that CV's 3 and 4 in each engine are set to 0 (these CV's are for adjusting the momentum effect). Put the Digitrax engine in the front and the ESU in the rear, separated by about a foot. Consist the two, and crack the throttle to speed step 1. If the ESU engine is gaining on the Digitrax, go to Ops Mode programming (programming on the main) for the ESU, select CV2, and enter 1 (the default value is 3). If the ESU engine is losing ground to the Digitrax, enter a value higher than 3 - something like 5, and increase that value as necessary until the two engines can keep the same distance between them. Now go to half-throttle. Select CV6 for the ESU in Ops Mode programming, and adjust that CV up or down from 128 to keep the engines separated by that same one foot. Finally, go to full throttle, select CV5, and see how the match is. If the ESU is gaining on the Digitrax, enter a value in CV5 lower than 255 until they match. If the ESU is losing ground, first enter 255 in CV5 to make sure the ESU is running at max voltage. If that doesn't work, then select the Digitrax unit for ops mode programming, select CV5 for it, and enter a value lower than 255 to slow it down. Now recheck how the engines run at half throttle and at speed step 1. If necessary readjust CV's 2 and 6 to get the best speed match. Now see how they play together - they should do fine. You won't have any momentum effect for either one, however. If you want to add back some momentum, set CV's 3 and 4 on the Digitrax loco to some value between 0 and 31 until you get the momentum effect you want. Put the two locos on the track, consisted, with about five feet between them. Put some value in CV's 3 and 4 in the LokSound loco - I'd probably start with 15. Open the throttle to about one-quarter and observe whether the LokSound gets up to speed faster or slower than the Digitrax. If faster, increase the value in CV3 for the LokSound until it reaches speed at about the same time as the Digitrax. If slower, reduce the value in CV3. Now up the throttle to half-throttle, and then immediately run it to zero. Observe whether the engine slows down more quickly or slower. If slower, put a lower value in CV4, if faster, use a higher value until you match them in slow-down rates. Once you've got the speed-up rates (CV3) and slow-down rates (CV4) matched, you're in business. All this would have been easier if Rapido had used the ESU Lokpilot decoder for the non-sound units, since it has the same motor control circuits as the LokSound. But I'm pretty sure you can get these two to run fine together with a little patience. John C.
If they are both on DCC, it would not be too hard to get them to run together depending on the decoder. Since this isn't a locomotive I am interested in, I am not sure which decoder is used. I am betting it is ESU and the following process will work. WHat you want to do is Speed Match the locomotives. Use the speed table and give them both the same settings, CV67 through CV94 Next adjust the value of CV66 on the faster locomotive to a number less than 128. This slows down the locomotive to closer match the slower unit. Now put them both in reverse and change CV95 to slow down the faster locomotive. This is the easiest way to get locomotives to run well together. Saw that the Digitrax is in the non-sound unit. It supports the trim values too, like ESU does, so the above process will still work.
Yes it would have been John. The intent had been that but a number of things including availability of product, development times on decoders and other factors complicated the issue so we made the decision to use the tried and true Digitrax decoder in the DC/DCC units.... sometimes you have to do what you can.... I appreciate the help you, and others are providing to those struggling with issues.
