Loss of Function Control

[Bengineer81]

Hi all.

Yesterday I tried adding my first new loco since the software/firmware update but can't seem to get the lighting functions to work.

All functions on my previously installed locos work just fine, but the functions on the new loco wont work at all.

I tried swapping the decoder for another new one but got the same result. I then tried it back on DC and the lighting worked. I then took a decoder out of another of my existing locos which had lighting functions and the lights worked!!

The supplied decoder is an ESU lokpilot basic. I also tried a bachmann 36-557 which I had lying around, neither would operate the lighting.

When I took a gaugemaster DCC27 out of one of my other locos which has the ligting functions, the lights on the new loco worked perfectly. I then tried the ESU decoder in one of my old locos and the lighting didn't work.

It's like the software isn't applying commands correctly to this new loco decoder but the old ones work fine. Or am I just unluck with 2 duff decoders.

Thanks in advance.

[Chrissaf]

This is an absolutely classic CV29 not set correctly on the loco decoder issue. For lighting to work, you have to ensure that CV29 is configured to initiate 128 speed steps (Bit 1 is set ON in the CV29 8 bit BYTE).

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Let us assume just for a moment that you DO NOT have a Hornby Select controller, else you are stuffed. You need to 'Read' the loco decoder CV's and look at the value of CV29. I suspect that you will find it set at 0 (zero). Many 'after market fitted' decoders are supplied with CV29 set at 0 as default.

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Have a look at this 'on-line' CV29 calculator. If after looking at this link you are 'none the wiser' then come back here and say so and mention what DCC controller you are using. Then more in-depth instruction can be given.

[Bengineer81]

Hi Chris, thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I should have stated I'm using railmaster & e-link.

I'll check CV 29 now.

Thanks.

[Bengineer81]

Hi again Chris.

Thanks for your reply, it was spot on!!!

Naively I thought as I'd bought the loco brand new 'dcc fitted' everything would already be set up to run.

Checking CV29 didn't even occur to me.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

[Chrissaf]

CV29 very well may have been set correctly 'out of the box'. My latest Bachmann purchase was working fine (lighting) when initially tested 'out of the box' using the default 003 DCC address. For some inexplicable reason CV29 got reset to zero when I changed the default 003 DCC address to its new permanent address (0107), after changing JUST the default DCC address (Railmaster & Elite) I found the lighting stopped working. Restoring CV29 to Decimal 2 cured the issue and the loco now runs fine on the newly configured address.

[Bengineer81]

Sounds like I may have suffered the same fate here then, mine is a bachmann also.

I did re-address the loco when I first put it on DCC.

Never had this before though, strange really.

 

[96RAF]

In RM once you have read all CV values on a programming track if you double click in the CV29 value a tick list will pop up - fiddle with it at will, then write the values to your decoder (the pencil icon on my screen). It should change the value to the proper decimal value, and verify it for you.

[Chrissaf]

I did re-address the loco when I first put it on DCC.

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That's why I recommend that any new loco is fully tested for expected functionality using all the default 'out of the box' settings (including the default 003 DCC ID) first, BEFORE making ANY changes to CV (and DCC Address) settings. That way, if something doesn't subsequently work you can be fairly certain it is because you have done something inadvertantly to disable it (whatever "it" is).