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Post by scanrail on Mar 18, 2024 22:08:46 GMT -5
They are about to arrive very soon. I will post an announcement here as soon as they become available from dealers.
Regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Mar 18, 2024 20:04:12 GMT -5
Once again, about who is who: I am the manufacturer of this product. I take full responsibility of supporting it, responding to inquires from customers who own it and managing warranty cases. You don't have to contact Doehler & Haass about it - they have their own products for which they are responsible to their customers; I only use their proven technology in my own products. I fully agree that the questions regarding the warranty are absolutely reasonable, so let me make it clear one more time: In case of malfunction, replacement can be easily arranged with any of the sellers who deliver my decoders to customers. So no need to send anything overseas at all. All further steps related to replacement/repair process will be managed by me and the seller; the customer is not involved here anymore. Of course, my warranty does not cover the cases when customer hits the decoder with hammer or connects it directly to the power outlet. Yes, it is a kind of exaggeration, but I hope everyone understands that like any other manufacturer, I expect that customers do know how to use my products. Just like automakers expect car owners to know how to drive a car and therefore will never cover the case when a driver purposefully crashed a car into a wall with a warranty. Also for your info, not even a single replacement request has been received so far for any of my digital products. KA is a luxury energy buffer (we all know that), and shouldn't be required in order for a locomotive to traverse or transgress turnouts, let alone tangent track. Good housekeeping habits of keeping track and wheelsets clean, general + regular locomotive maintenance, coupled with track work done proper eliminates that need to rely on it - the scale has long done without it up until now, that's also no secret. What I'm getting at here, is if this Zmodell decoder didn't have those x2 capacitors, would it then be closer to the $50 range? An extra bottom mount smd to feed a light-pipe to non-functional ditch lights surely wouldn't be the reason to drive the price at $80+ now would it. I don't think it makes any sense to continue arguing about why energy saving module may be needed and for what train model scale it brings the most benefit; I already did it in the previous post. If your housekeeping habits are so good that they don’t even allow you to think about using energy storage modules - then you are a happy man, my congratulations. This is one more reason why you don't need my digital decoders with all these bells and whistles. In the meantime, those who know exactly what benefits they get by using capacitors, don't need any of these long explanations at all. In any case, I believe any further discussion of this subject is useless, since we are speaking all the time about the same, but just in different words. I can only add that in order to sell this stuff for $50, I need to be a big company and to produce these decoders in thousands. Also, I think it makes sense to mention one more small manufacturer of digital decoders from Germany - VELMO. I would suggest you to inquire this manufacturer about why he sells most of his digital decoders for 75-85 Euro (which is even more in USD), while none of these decoders even features any energy storage module, unlike most of my ones: velmo.de/html/-_part_numbers.htmlRegards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Mar 18, 2024 13:54:55 GMT -5
For those who are running DCC - does anyone find it a bit concerning that AZL is planning to move forward on future releases with a decoder supplier (Zmodell) who's prices are almost double that of TCS and Digitrax 2-4 function decoders? Both have always been under $50 from most dealers, are known for good warranty support + quick decoder replacement, and availability established in house here in the United States. Are chassis and pcbs even being sent to TCS and Digitrax anymore or are those relationships over? Did AZL even send the SW1500 and SD40 to either of them and will the in-development AC4400s and C44-9Ws be sent? It's great what Alex is designing and the factory is actually producing in 1:220 for AZL products, make no mistake about that. TCS also developed a screw-down design decoder (AZL1D4) for the ALCO PA and it seems to have stopped there; are either of them still working on a decoder for the SW1500 and/or SD40 but are backlogged in other scale developments? I hope I am wrong about this but, I can't help feel like all the new and future AZL releases are moving in the direction of: either you run with Zmodell DCC decoders, or non at all - anything else, and your on your own. *Does anyone here in the US actually know of Zmodell warranty & product support - does it fall under Doehler & Haass Control Systems GmbH & Co. KG - is there even a warranty? The circuit board and some decoder parts are sourced by Alex in Ukraine from what I understand, but the actual decoders themselves are produced by D&H in Munich, Germany? Zmodell has no official customer website that I am aware of that states the warranty support & replacement process, part of which I would like to believe is included with the higher cost per decoder of $80-$100+. As someone recently and adequately put on here in another post, first world problems. Dear Scalecalamity, I'm sorry for calling you by your nickname - perhaps, you have serious reason for not revealing your real name. Although I may be wrong, but after reading your two very first messages on the forum, it looks like you have just registered here for only one reason - to criticize my products. Once again, I wish I'm wrong. Nevertheless, I think it makes sense to clarify a number of important things which may be completely unknown to newbies. About ZmodellI am Alex, I am from Kyiv, Ukraine. I moved to Germany together with my little children in 2022 when a cruel and unjust war struck my home country. I am a small series manufacturer who produces models and accessories for Z scale since 2016, such as load inserts and digital decoders. I own a license from German company Doehler & Haass for development and production customized digital decoders using Doehler & Haass proprietary hardware and software technology. By hardware technology I mean Doehler & Haass' own microcontroller which is the basis of all their and my decoders. For your information, this piece of hardware (surprisingly) costs money. By software technology I mean using Doehler & Haass firmware which I customize for needs of my own developments. Also, Doehler & Haass has one of the best in class load regulation technology almost no one other can compete with. For more information, you may explore their website (in German, use in-browser translation): doehler-haass.de/cms/pages/haeufige-fragen.phpI produce my products on my own and also with a help of my brave friends and colleagues who decided to stay in Ukraine. Doehler & Haass company has nothing to do with this except providing me with their microchips and software. Major manufacturers vs small series manufacturersFor your information, there is a difference between major manufacturers and small series manufacturers. It has always been so and it will always be, too. I'm one of the latter. Major manufacturers (in almost any area, not only model railroading) are always in winning position in terms of prices because they produce everything in bigger quantities and therefore can save on bulk and can also 'dissolve' development and all other overhead costs between higher number of pieces of given product. Small series manufactures in most cases face higher production costs due to the lower quantities. On the other side, they are more free in implementing some specific features and advantages in their products which it would be difficult or unreasonable to realize in mass-produced articles. Why do we have to go far - just remember brass models from AZL. You also wonder why they cost 5-10 times more than plastic models from the same manufacturer? About SD40-2 digital decoderMy digital decoder for SD40-2 diesel locomotive offers some extra features which cannot be found in most decoders from other manufacturers. These extra features have been realized by adding a number of electronic components which (surprisingly) cost money; some of them are quite expensive. I don't mean that I chose these expensive components intentionally just to make my product more expensive. If you want to bring me any ideas about how to make this digital decoder cheaper without cutting off any of its features - please go to Mouser or Digikey, explore tons of datasheets and come back here with any good news. I would be glad to hear about this. Integrated energy storage moduleEnergy storage or "Keep-Alive" (TCS' trademark) modules help digital decoders to remain functional when the locomotive runs over dirty tracks or other potentially problematic track sections like turnouts etc. In Z scale, the problem is more pronounced than in bigger scales because of the weight and size of rolling stock and all related elements and structures. Thus, necessity of such 'helpers' in Z scale is often even more obvious. But there is also a downside: any good storage capacity often cannot be packed in small enough size to be fitted inside tiny Z scale locomotives. Despite all these difficulties, I managed to integrate a very efficient energy storage module to my new digital decoder. For this, I used high-end types of the newest electrolytic Tantalum Polymer capacitors with the highest energy density ever currently on the market. As much as 940 µF is actually packed in an extremely small volume - only 7.3 x 6.1 x 4 mm. And all this is rated for 16 Volts. I don't know if all these numbers mean anything to you, but if you want, you can delve deeper into capacitors and check out the latest technological advances in this area to understand why all this is quite expensive. But it is not all - my integrated energy storage module also features thermal and overvoltage protection by means of small LDO chip. The inductor is also present in the module for trouble-free programming and compatibility with braking sections. The only inductor with suitable parameters was automotive-grade type from Coilcraft which is more expensive than other chokes, too. I don't think I have to justify such my choice here either. If you don't know what all this means and what all this is actually for - welcome to DCCWiki, you will learn a lot of new things. But please don't expect that I will do all this for free - developing and producing decoders is indeed a fun for me, but I won't do all this as a charity work. Here is some more information to consider. Some manufacturers offer energy storage models for sale separately. For example, let's remember already mentioned Keep-Alive modules from TCS. They sell them for not less than $30-40: www.tcsdcc.com/keepaliveOf course, I realize that understanding 'decoder for $55' and 'keep-alive for $30' is much easier than 'decoder with integrated keep-alive for $85' for an average customer, but please believe me, production costs aren't lower in the last case. About warrantyThe warranty for all my electronic products is one year from the sale date. Some conditions apply. Warranty information is included in User's Manual for SD40-2 digital decoder which can be downloaded in PDF on the product page where you added these decoders to cart. Printed manual comes with each decoder, too. I will post updated User's Manual in PDF here on the forum in according thread, too. ConclusionIf you don't like my product - don't buy it. If you are not happy with its price - don't buy it. If you don't see any difference between my decoders and others - don't buy my products, they aren't for you, choose something else. If you are concerned about warranty and if you are afraid that you will be left alone if smth happens with my decoder you've purchased - please don't buy my products in any case. If you believe that integrated energy storage module containing expensive high-end components should come as a free add-on, or if you just don't need such a feature - don't buy my product and look for an alternative. Or better develop your own decoder and beat mine with twice less price. Remember cars - someone buys Porsche or Lamborghini, and someone buys an old good Chevy, and no one is angry on each other just because of its existence on the market. Please let others decide on their own whether they need my digital decoders or not. Everyone is free to decide if it makes sense for him to pay such a money for this or that product. It's just a market - nothing personal How to contact meUnfortunately, I have no time to run my own website, but you can get in touch with me here: www.facebook.com/ZmodelltrainsOr here: f.z-freunde-international.de/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1508Drop me a message here: zmodell @ ukr.net Or if you can't wait to argue with me further regarding the pricing, feel free to call me directly right away: Ukraine: +380 50 518 11 18 Germany: +49 160 402 89 58 Best regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Mar 18, 2024 4:59:42 GMT -5
Yes, you are right. Let me clarify it: there are 3 separate light functions in this decoder: 2 for the front lights (1 upper LED + 1 lower LED) and 1 for rear lights.
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Post by scanrail on Mar 16, 2024 16:07:09 GMT -5
I will be ordering 3 when they are available in the US. Can this decoder flash a rotary beacon as on the BN version? I am assuming I will have to plumb it with a light pipe or fiber optic strand since it is so close to headlight. I expect these decoders to be available in the US very soon. However, there is no technical possibility to provide any functionality to the rotary beacon without deep modification of the model. All this can be done only by customer. Furthermore, positions of rotary beacons in BN and UP versions are different. If rotary beacons would be functional from the factory, then I would of course have added this feature. In any case, given the scale of the model and position of the beacon, implementing such a feature is technically quite a difficult task which would require a lot of manual work on the customer's side. This can be confusing to many and lead to disappointment in some cases... I developed a decoder whose main task is to be a 100% drop in solution which won't require any irreversible modifications of the model and would offer a very easy installation. Any kind of tinkering with beacons actually kills this advantage. Of course, I don't claim that making the beacon functional is impossible at all, but it is only up to the customer to choose the way to realize it (according to his skills and available materials and equipment). I have been thinking of adding blinking ditch lights here, but once again - it is impossible because of the original construction of headlights - all lightguides coming from the upper headlights and ditch lights are combined together into one bunch, and it is impossible to separate them. Nevertheless, I believe everyone will be satisfied with this digital decoder - such extra features as integrated energy storage module and advanced headlights will definitely contribute to this. I will post an update here once the new digital decoder is available from dealers in the USA. Best regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Mar 12, 2024 17:46:21 GMT -5
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Post by scanrail on Feb 26, 2024 14:12:04 GMT -5
Hi Doug, You raised a good question But please be patient - I have only two hands, pair of eyes and unfortunately, only 24 hours in a day. Be sure - I will post detailed reports about all my recent developments, you won't be disappointed. And RDC with sound is not the last thing in this list. Of course, everything will be available in the USA, too. Best, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Feb 26, 2024 13:52:41 GMT -5
Are these decoders generally available now? I haven't seen them listed anywhere. They will be available in the US soon, too. And yes - I have already delivered certain quantity to my dealer in Germany. Regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Feb 26, 2024 8:20:59 GMT -5
Hello Casey,
Unfortunately, virtually none. The chassis needs to be heavily milled out in order to be fitted even with some small decoder. Additionally, the characteristics of the old 3-pole brushed motor used in this model are not the best in class even among brushed motors - this one is very noisy and consumes quite a high current. I would therefore recommend at least 1A decoder - just in order to stay on the safe side with this loco (of course, if you find a way to install it there).
Regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Feb 22, 2024 13:29:59 GMT -5
Although this thread is quite old, here is a quote from my wishlist:
1. Missing cars from Viewliner family - Diner, Baggage/Dorm and Baggage 2. ASC64 - I believe the first ever electric loco in the whole lineup should be finally made by AZL 3. New run of Big Boy in plastic (cheaper than brass model, but more detailed) 4. Probably, also F40PH - tons of variants possible
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Post by scanrail on Feb 17, 2024 19:38:16 GMT -5
Hello Ed,
Although using DC analog PWM is theoretically possible with some decoders, I would advise strongly against using such a controller with this digital decoder. I won't cover any damage to the locomotive and/or digital decoder in case of running it with PWM controller by the warranty.
In general, PWM controllers is a good solution for those who don't want to use DCC but still would like to bring some "digital" features to their analog layouts like smoother motor control, especially at low speeds.
Regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Feb 17, 2024 17:04:00 GMT -5
Since all potential users are either mode 1 (DCC) or mode 0 (DC analog) it would be great if the manual stated the following: "Default address: 3 (DCC), 01 (SelecTRIX)" PLUS DEFAULT ADDRESS: XX (DC ANALOG)unless, of course, the board switches to DC Analog mode automatically when no DCC signal is present on the tracks. (Please state that fact in the manual if correct) Thank you! There is no such thing as analog address. Each multiprotocol digital decoder that supports analog mode does analog conversion automatically, regardless of CV1 value. It means that you don't need to set specific DCC address to be able to run analog. dccwiki.com/Power_Conversion/Analog_Conversion
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Post by scanrail on Feb 17, 2024 14:17:32 GMT -5
Hi friends, I am glad to announce that one more development has just been successfully completed – digital decoder for the newest addition from AZL – SD40-2 diesel locomotive, the finest detailed and the best running model from the company. The construction of the chassis allowed to integrate highly efficient energy storage module featuring 2x 470 µF Tantalum Polymer capacitors with thermal and overvoltage protection. The digital decoder is compatible with all variants of SD40-2 family, including versions with all kinds of noses and also with SD40T-2 locomotives. It is also expected to be compatible with upcoming SD50 and SD60 series (compatibility is yet to be confirmed later). SD40-2 decoder has a number of special features, such as advanced front lighting and integrated highly efficient energy storage module. The installation of this decoder is very easy – no soldering needed and only one tool is used – Philips PH0 or PH00 cross screwdriver. So, here is it – the new decoder, top side: The bottom side. Two buffer capacitors are visible here: The digital decoders supports the following operating modes: DCC, Märklin/Motorola (MM), SelecTRIX 1, SelecTRIX 2 and also DC Analog mode. Maximum track voltage is 14 V in digital mode and 12 V in analog mode. FunctionsF0 – Directionally controlled headlights F1 – Dimming function (brightness of headlights reduced by 50%) F2 – Shunting mode (maximal speed reduced by 50%, short acceleration and deceleration time) All functions can be remapped according to personal preferences. Advanced front lightingSD40-2 family of diesel locomotives counts a big number of variations; each of them also features different configuration of front and rear lights: we have ditch lights, headlights on the nose (noses exist in multiple variants, too), and headlights on the top of the cab – all this brings a lot of possible combinations. My idea was to develop a solution that would be compatible with all variants, and I completed it successfully. Front end of decoder’s circuit board features two LEDs populated on both sides of the board; each LED is a different type. LED on the top is a small side-emitting one; it is intended for all versions of SD40-2 with top headlights – with low nose, but with headlights on the top of the driver’s cab, and also ones with high nose. LED of the bottom side of the board is SMD 3528 type. It is a default LED for front lights; it lights up headlights on all variants of low noses, and also ditch lights. Weak lights is a common problem for many AZL locomotives. The reason is also known: the lightguides are often very long and curved, and their rear ends are often not properly aligned with the light source. That’s why we have many models with almost invisible headlights. Ditch lights became the biggest challenge in SD40-2 locomotive, since they are located at the very edge of the front end, and their lightguides are extremely long and have many angles which decrease the brightness of the light dramatically. I decided to fix this issue and after numerous experiments and testing a big number of different warm white LEDs I found a perfect solution. 3528 type LED became the only light source capable of illuminating the ditch lights and headlights in the nose as brightly as if it were located directly behind them. I was so impressed when I saw the ditch lights on my CSX SD40-2 lit so brightly! The only downside of such a solution is that this LED can be soldered in vertical position only manually. It increases complexity of assembly and overall effort, but I have no doubt that it’s worth it! Here are some pictures: By default, only the lower LED is activated by F0. To add the upper LED to F0 function, CV33 should be set to 5. Default value is 1. It is also possible to assign both LEDs to different functions and switch them separately during operation. The brightness of all three LEDs can be adjusted separately. Brightness in dimming mode is adjustable, too. Integrated energy storage moduleDuring assessing the space inside the locomotive available for the digital decoder, it became clear to me that I can easily integrate such a useful thing as energy storage module here. Although most mass-produced decoders do not offer this feature, many of us know very well how annoying can be jerks, stalls and unstable running of the locomotive over the dirty tracks and potentially problem sections like turnouts, crossings etc. It happens even more frequently when the locomotive runs at low speeds. I managed to allocate 2x 470 µF Tantalum Polymer electrolytic capacitors on the bottom side of the circuit board. This type of capacitors shows significant gain in energy efficiency in comparison to ceramic capacitors (MLCC) due to much better discharge curve. The circuit also has overvoltage and thermal protection. Also, no need to isolate the metal chassis because these capacitors have plastic housing, and it is safe even if they touch the chassis. Integrated energy storage module proved its extreme efficiency during testing on a big modular layout with many potentially problem sections of the track like I listed above. SD40-2 locomotive passed all of them without any problems, while other locomotives without storage capacitors stopped there all the time. It is also worth noting that this energy storage module works in analog mode, too. InstallationThe installation of SD40-2 decoder is very easy, no soldering needed – it is a true drop-in solution. Carefully separate the housing and the chassis of the locomotive, remove four screws holding the stock circuit board and dismantle the board: After this, simply install the digital decoder onto the chassis and fix it with the screws. It is only important to take care of the motor outputs: make sure they sit in the oval holes of the digital decoder correctly and don’t touch the chassis. Actually, the installation is very similar to what we had with SW1500 digital decoder I presented a couple of years ago. This is how the digital decoder looks installed onto SD40-2 chassis: SD40T-2 chassis is longer at the rear end, but installation is exactly the same. Here is a set of pictures showing Southern Pacific SD40T-2 locomotives equipped with my new decoder running on the layout: I already started production run. Manufacturing such an advanced board of course requires time and effort. I expect the new decoder to be available at the dealers in the USA in around 1.5-2 months. User’s Manual for SD40-2 digital decoder can be downloaded here: ZDL-AZL-SD40-2.pdf (351.95 KB) SD40-2 digital decoder successfully passed all tests on the following equipment: - Märklin Central Station 3+
- Doehler & Haass Programmer
All pictures of SD40-2 locomotives have been taken on the wonderful layout of OWL Division of US Z Lines Europe in Löhne, Germany. Best regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Jan 29, 2024 10:45:18 GMT -5
It sounds extremely strange to me to accuse DCC itself for being responsible for melting and anything else. As a person who often provides repair service for locomotives and all kinds of other Z scale stuff, I can say that I already restored a very big quantity of locomotives damaged by melting of the truck frames, wheelsets, housings and anything else that can melt at all. And guess what? 90% of these models were ANALOG! DCC is just the way of controlling trains, it CAN'T be a reason of melting itself! Let me be honest: thinking so only means not knowing what DCC is at all, or just a result of being scared of anything 'alien'.
For info, most DCC command stations are equipped with current limiters right out of the box; such devices also exist as a separate accessory. Furthermore, in most cases, short circuit detection is WAY faster and more reliable in DCC than in analog! Because short is usually detected in DCC digitally, too - which is obviously much faster than reaction of simple thermal resettable fuse in some analog controllers.
As for turnouts, there are two ways of switching them - with electromagnetic drive or with a servo. Rokuhan turnouts use the first method of switching (simply because it's easier to hide it under the trackbed due to a very small size). Thus, it is the Rule #1 to use power impulses SHORT ENOUGH in order not to burn them. It is a very common mistake of beginners when they use too long impulse for switching electromagnetic turnouts or even apply constant power to them and don't turn it off at all. It is absolutely clear that even the best ever turnout will burn or melt down under such conditions.
Furthermore, here is one more advantage DCC offers here: you can set exact period of impulse in milliseconds applied to the turnout for switching - and it will always be the same. This is one of the basic parameters in DCC function decoders intended for switching turnouts.
So, here is a good advice: don't deem DCC as smth bad just because you don't know what it actually is. And watching your trains against derailing and possible melting down applies to both DCC and analog modes to the same extent.
Regards, Alex
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Post by scanrail on Jan 9, 2024 8:22:50 GMT -5
Hi Ed,
Thank you for your interest in my product! Yes, this decoder is actually the only existing DCC solution for AZL SW locomotives at all, since no suitable decoders exist even for manual wiring that would fit in this tiny locomotive.
Although internal hardware architecture of this decoder allows to work with track voltages up to 30 Volts, you should always consider using voltage reducer for Z scale locomotives. You need 12 Volts for Z - this voltage is limited by characteristics of the motor. So, the question is actually not about a possibility of using certain decoder with given command station, but only about the track voltage.
Greetings, Alex
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