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Post by markm on Sept 25, 2018 10:59:40 GMT -5
Joe, Since we have your attention, is my earlier assertion correct that this run of SD40-2s is basically the same as the original run with the same performance and limitations?
To everyone else,
What is the input voltage to your Rokuhan throttle? Batteries, then it's 12V. Using 10V will drop the zero point voltage a bit.
Mark
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Post by arsenix2001 on Sept 25, 2018 11:10:18 GMT -5
Regarding our products, I would hope if you have problems you'll contact us so we have an opportunity to take a look at the engine in question and the rest of the run. Given production runs are in the thousands, there will be bad apples and we have always stood by our products. Anyone in the hobby for any amount of time knows we are as helpful as possible and want to make good your purchase. It's always best to deal with us directly, your dealer is not really in a position to fix anything and regardless of their return policy, give us the chance to make it right. Joe Joe, thanks for following up with your email to which I just replied. My locomotive will be on its way to you today.
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Post by domi on Sept 25, 2018 11:59:40 GMT -5
Tried to get an RA to send it back but all I received were several tips on how to fix it. Really? ? You should try to contact this lady : "Sara Crawford" <sara@micro-trains.com> Dom
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Post by arsenix2001 on Sept 25, 2018 13:25:48 GMT -5
After speaking with Joe I have sent mine in so he can have a look at it. He stated he will test on a Rokuhan controller and see what may or may not be going on. Seemed on top of it and eager to help. Will let you know any findings.
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Post by neverland on Sept 25, 2018 13:59:54 GMT -5
After speaking with Joe I have sent mine in so he can have a look at it. He stated he will test on a Rokuhan controller and see what may or may not be going on. Seemed on top of it and eager to help. Will let you know any findings. Please keep me in the loop. Changes at home so my mind isn’t on this loco matter at the moment. Thanks for all the updates.
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Post by arsenix2001 on Sept 25, 2018 22:17:38 GMT -5
After speaking with Joe I have sent mine in so he can have a look at it. He stated he will test on a Rokuhan controller and see what may or may not be going on. Seemed on top of it and eager to help. Will let you know any findings. Please keep me in the loop. Changes at home so my mind isn’t on this loco matter at the moment. Thanks for all the updates. Of course, will do.
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Joe
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by Joe on Sept 26, 2018 10:14:43 GMT -5
I was told that the locomotive was probably shaken hard during shipment (really???) and that the drive shaft & contact points were no longer aligned & I should stop the loco on end to reposition. I don’t think so! I could also remove the shell & see what may be hung up. No! Like you I think I’m out big bucks. I don't see how you are out big bucks? I'm not sure where you are getting that advice, the customer service reps here only relay information I give them when someone calls in and I don't recall giving that advice...possibly your dealer? All you have to do is email me, or send your loco back to MTL and I'll fix it. Anyone who has been on this forum over the years knows that I take our products seriously and have on more than one occasion made the situation more than right. All it takes is asking. I stock all the components to repair or replace any part of the product, no waiting for care packages from China. I'm more than happy to turn the frown into a smile Joe MTL
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Post by arsenix2001 on Oct 11, 2018 16:36:16 GMT -5
Just wanted to wrap up my saga. Joe at MTL did testing on my unit as well as others and basically got the same results we did. The constant lighting circuit on the rohukans do not play well with the maxon motors being used on these locos. He send me a video of it running smoothly with an mrc controller. So not much to say here. I will say that after I informed Joe that I was sticking to my rokuhans due to my layout he went above and beyond was kind enough to work something satisfactory to me to resolve the situation. So kudos to MTL for working with me and hopefully markm perfects his emf blocking device!
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Post by markm on Oct 11, 2018 17:48:46 GMT -5
So do we need an accessory for the Rokuhan throttles to eliminate the constant lighting pulse?
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Post by arsenix2001 on Oct 11, 2018 20:01:43 GMT -5
So do we need an accessory for the Rokuhan throttles to eliminate the constant lighting pulse? It seems yes, as MTL really wasn't able to offer any solution to the situation occuring with the rohukan. They worked with me in other ways to come to an agreeable situation.
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Post by BAZman on Oct 11, 2018 21:33:39 GMT -5
I would have to go back and look at the period but likely a 10 or 100 uH (microhenry) choke will knock it down and is polarity independent. There are AC Capacitors but usually just a few uF (microfarads) which might not impede that quick upward pulse. You can find these in Audio Speaker departments or quite a bit larger for 120 volt motor/fan speed controls.
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Post by markm on Oct 13, 2018 12:44:53 GMT -5
From my work so far, I found that if you run 2+ AZL GPs, the lighting pulse is below the starting voltage of the locomotives. SO a bit of a work around.
For the techies:
I've looked at adding a capacitor. While if may be desirable to add a 0.1uF capacitor to reduce RFI, it seems to reduce the edge rates on the pulse but does little to change the amplitude. I figure I need about 10-20uH choke added to the locomotive self impedance. The iron-core ferrite example I posted above is left over from a filter project I did a l-o-n-g time ago for a 5kHz cutoff, which should be more than adequate for the 25kHz pulse.
I'm still playing with the concept so I don't have a final answer. When I do, manufacturers might consider adding a choke to their lighting board: physical size is .2x.2" by .1" high and material cost increase, beyond PCB tooling would be about $1.50 per unit.
Mark
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Post by husafreak on Jul 30, 2019 11:27:04 GMT -5
markm did you ever find an electronic solution to this problem? As you may know the new Marklin locos with bell shaped armature motors are also running away on Rokuhan constant lighting power. I think it would be preferable to most of us who run a variety of brands to solve the problem at the RC02/03 controller. But a modeler who has mostly Rokuhan locos might want to handle it at the loco. Unfortunately the Marklin steam locos with this issue can be very small indeed, while the larger dual truck Marklin with more space have enough drivetrain drag that they might not have the problem , at least my new Crocodile loco doesn’t.
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Post by husafreak on Jul 30, 2019 11:50:56 GMT -5
I can’t help but observe that this thread contains a cautionary tale. When we mix brands we should not expect to be covered by warranty or return policies. There is nothing wrong with the locos or controllers discussed here. They are operating as designed and up to spec. If a dealer ships pre ordered locos as non returnable unless damaged or faulty then I do not believe should be responsible for changing compatibility with other brands. Just my 2 cents.
Now let’s get on with finding a bandaid that allows them to run together. And no, I’m not that good at electronics!
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Post by markm on Jul 30, 2019 11:58:39 GMT -5
I'm afraid that is a project I had to put on the back burner for a while. Guess it's time to pull that project box out again. What I was looking at was a large value, NON-POLARIZED capacitor. I got results using a 1uFd disk capacitor. I wasn't fully satisfied with the results and a larger value might be better. The other path I was looking at is a choke: wrap the wire of a Rokuhan power extension cable around an iron core and insert it after the throttle. Something like; I think this is the neater solution, but I need to come up with a better core than in the image. Mark
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