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Post by scanrail on Apr 3, 2024 14:58:56 GMT -5
Alex, Makes sense. However I would love to see your high quality boards in these locos!! These existing boards from what I read on the forum here seem to do the job but are outdated in terms of technology. Your boards seem like a logical upgrade given the improvements its delivers such as the capacitor for instance. It would seem like an untapped business opportunity in my book... Interesting question for others on the forum. Let me create a separate thread and post this question. Thanks! -Tiest Hello Tiest, Yes, I agree with you that existing universal decoders don't bring the same driving quality as Doehler & Haass technology I use in my developments does. Although everything is possible in the future, I tried to explain why I would refrain from starting such a development at least in the nearest time here: azlforum.com/post/31742/threadRegards, Alex
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Post by ptitrainrouge on Apr 7, 2024 10:03:01 GMT -5
received the 3 decoders for my ATSF team yesterday
will install them next week end
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Post by hamburgdenver on Apr 15, 2024 12:36:21 GMT -5
Hi Alex, Thanks for your dedicated work! And yes, we pray for the Ukraine.
I was wondering, if your decoder is sending Railcom as it is based on DH technology? Regards Olaf
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Post by scanrail on Apr 15, 2024 14:42:58 GMT -5
Hello Olaf,
Thank you very much for your kind words of support!
Yes, surely, since my decoder is indeed based on Doehler & Haass technology, it supports Railcom functionality, too.
Best regards, Alex
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Post by ptitrainrouge on May 2, 2024 4:32:30 GMT -5
Hello Alex
I have installed one of your decoder in one SD40/2
but when I try to read the decoder adress with my digitrax zephyr , I read, decoder non detected I have changed the decoder for another one of yours, and I always read decoder non detected
I have tried to read the CV29 17 18, but the result is always: decoder non detected
I have checked that the motor tabs are well inside the small holes that you provide on your decoders
my loco runs very well in DC;
I am sure I am doing something wrong; but what ?
could you help me ?
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Post by scanrail on May 2, 2024 5:46:16 GMT -5
Please make sure you are trying to read the address and any other settings on the programming track, not on the main.
Best regards, Alex
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Post by ptitrainrouge on May 2, 2024 9:32:37 GMT -5
Ye the loco is on the programming track and I read all the digitrax decoders (I have made the test again this time) of otherlocos
is there any special trick for your decoders ?
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Post by scanrail on May 2, 2024 12:30:40 GMT -5
Please tell me exact name of your command station? There were different Zephyrs in Digitrax lineup. This may be important here. The possible 'trick' may be not related directly to my decoders, but to the following: when the command station requests the address from the digital decoder, the last one confirms the readout by sending a short series of current impulses through the motor. Small coreless motors used in Z scale locomotives in most cases produce such impulses with a very low current (much lower than motors in bigger scales like N and above, and of course, lower than other types of motors like DC brushed models, etc.). Such low current impulses may not be detected correctly by certain command stations. But it doesn't mean that decoder or the locomotive are malfunctioning. I already experienced exactly this effect with different decoders from various manufacturers with some command stations, but always only in Z scale. What else I can suggest to do: 1. Increase the track voltage to 14 volts. This may help in case if your command station returns reading error. Please be sure that it is absolutely safe to use this voltage in DCC mode due to the following reasons: a) Since the motor is controlled by PWM signal in DCC, it never receives the full track voltage, its absolute value is always lower. Please read "What track voltage do you recommend for Z gauge?" section here (use in-browser translation from German to English): doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/haeufige-fragen.php b) All decoder LEDs are fitted with current-limiting resistors with a good safety margin, so increasing the voltage to 14 volts won't be harmful to them at all. 2. Try to forcibly set the address different from default (3); say, set it to 5. Even if you receive an error again, try to control your locomotive with the new address. In most cases, the command station will indeed write the CV correctly even if it returns an error. And what is always important apart from anything else: please clean up your tracks and wheelsets, even if it looks like they are indeed clean. In other words, minimum required level of cleanness of the tracks and wheelsets is higher for DCC mode than for analog - the locomotive may often run very good in analog mode, but may suffer from the bad contact in digital. Best regards, Alex
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Post by ptitrainrouge on May 3, 2024 5:18:19 GMT -5
thank you Alex I have found and solved the pb
when the locomotive housing is not installed, the little copper pads under the chassis are not in contact with the bogies, so no electricity goes to the chassis, then to the decoder.
Once the housing is in place, there is a good electrical contact , and then the decoder is detected.
In DC it is exactly the same thing, without the housing the loco is jerky.
Now I have a another pb going forward, in DCC, I Can not find how to switch on the front light ? May be it is the light command on the digitrax zephyr system which is not adapted to your decoder.
it works in DC, so the led is ok.
going backward, all is ok I can switch on the light .
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Post by ptitrainrouge on May 3, 2024 10:07:57 GMT -5
finaly it is ok for the front light, it works, but it is so weak that one can think it does not work
the loco becomes slower than a man walk at scale
I will do a video to show it
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Post by scanrail on May 3, 2024 13:40:23 GMT -5
finaly it is ok for the front light, it works, but it is so weak that one can think it does not work I am back here. I am currently in Altenbeken, Germany - the small beautiful town with ancient railway viaduct. The most important Z scale event in Europe takes place here every two years - Spur Z Weekend. So I may be offline during long period of time. Regarding front lights: please tell me what SD40-2 road name have you digitized? It is sometimes useful to read User's ManualĀ I added dual LEDs at the front end of the board not accidentally, but for some exact purpose: to serve all possible versions of SD40-2 locomotives which have different front light configurations. So I guess the fact that you barely see any light is because the digital decoder is not configured properly yet for the front lights configuration your locomotive uses. Front LED on the top side of the circuit board of the digital decoder is used for variants with headlights on the top of the driver's cabin and also for the locomotives with high nose (not delivered yet), while the bigger LED on the bottom side of the board illuminates nose headlights and ditch lights. Here is how to configure the headlights: CV33=1: Lower LED only (default setting) CV33=4: Upper LED only CV33=5: Both upper and lower LEDs Of course, if you write CV33=0, then the front lights will be deactivated completely and will not be switchable by F0. Best regards, Alex
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Post by cwrr on May 3, 2024 18:17:15 GMT -5
Wow, what a beautiful viaduct, great pic Alex!
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abm74
New Member
Posts: 2
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Post by abm74 on May 6, 2024 15:27:57 GMT -5
Got the chance to install Zmodell decoders into a pair of SD40-2s over the weekend... can't begin to recommend them enough! The motor control is up to par with anything I've installed in both HO and N - slow speed control rivals what I've gotten out of LokSound decoders in HO-scale applications. On-board capacitance is a fantastic feature in Z scale, as well.
Thank you Alex for developing such an impressive product.
-Tony
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