Class 395 javlin

[Schuie52]

Hi can any one tell me if it is easy to upgrade a class 395 javlin to dcc i have had the body off and it look a bit complicated as it does not have adcc socket on board like the virgin pendilino

any help will be greatly appreciated

Schuie

[96RAF]

There you go...

DCC Hardwiring a Hornby R1139 Blue Rapier

Notes:

1.       This procedure assumes you can solder and that you will heat shrink all wire joints for insulation.

2.       When programming – give both decoders the same address to work in tandem. This requires both cars to be on the programming track at the same time.

3.       In use F0 will enable the headlights in both directions. The motor car light will be on going forwards and the dummy car light will be on going backwards.

4.       The procedure describes hard wiring a decoder but you can install an 8-pin socket instead following the same colour coding. Plastic sprue or dowel can be glued to the chassis as mounting posts for the decoder socket.

5.       If you want to install a Cyclops high level light at either or both ends, just solder a white led in parallel across the existing front headlight led and bend the legs so that it shines through the hole in the bodywork.

6.       Remove the body of each car by carefully prising out the pantograph power feed from the end cap and pulling away the end cap. The end cap is held by detent clips at each side, which are easily broken. The body lifts away from the chassis.

7.       Be aware that in the dummy car the wire from the left pickups in the direction of travel is connected to the TR tag and right pickups connect to the TL wires. Do not be tempted to swap these over.

The following decoder wiring convention is used:

Orange wire - Motor right – used in power car only

Yellow wire – Rear light – used in dummy car only for reverse headlight

Green wire – not used

Black wire – Left rail pickup – used in both cars

Grey wire – Motor left – used in power car only

White wire – Front light – used in power car only for forward headlight

Blue wire – common positive – used in both cars

Red wire – Right rail pickups – used in both cars

Purple wire – if present on your decoder - not used.

Power Car Conversion:

Looking at the PCB left to right you see these connections:

TL : left rail pickups – pair of wires from front and back bogies

M- : a single wire to the motor left side

M+ : a single wire to the motor right side

TR : right rail pickups – pair of wires from front and back bogies

Unsolder all these wires, tagging them for identification (ID) and keeping the paired bogie wires together.

Solder the decoder White wire to the PCB TL tag

Solder the decoder Blue wire to the PCB TR tag

Solder the decoder Black wire to the pair of wires removed from the TL tag

Solder the decoder Red wire to the pair of wires removed from the TR tag

Solder the decoder grey wire to the wire removed from the PCB M- tag

Solder the decoder Orange wire to the wire removed from the PCB M+ tag.

That gives us motor control and front headlight.

Dummy Car Conversion:

This PCB has only 2 wires TL and TR from the single bogie pickups. I installed a second bogie with pickups and connected it to the existing bogie wires.

Unsolder and tag for ID both wires from the PCB TL and TR tags

Solder the decoder Yellow wire to the PCB TL tag

Solder the decoder Blue wire to the PCB TR tag

Solder the decoder Red wire to the wire removed from the PCB TL tag

Solder the decoder Black wire to the wire removed from the PCB TR tag.

That gives us reverse headlight.

 Test both cars on address 003, if Ok reassemble the bodies and readdress to your chosen number.

 

Rob

[Schuie52]

Hi rob thanks for the info and yes i can solder so will give it a bash and as i thought you have to program the power and the dummy cat to the same adress , can this be fone with both on the track or individually i forgot to mention that i have a select do your instructions still apply

regards

schuie52

[96RAF]

Yes - stick both on the track at once. Select should handle that OK. Most decoders need a motor load to accept programming changes so you fool it by having both done together.

 

If,you,had sockets then you could do one in the motor car, swap out the decoders and repeat. Not that easy if you hardwire them in.

 

Javelin by the way is the DCC ready one, with see throuh windows, interior detail and Cyclops lights. That version has different PCBs mounted higher up near the roof, so you cant just buy the newer PCBs and swap them over.

 

Rob

[Schuie52]

Hi rob have completed the up grade and all is fine every thing working, just one thing I noticed with the lights it does not appear to ave any red lights when the train is in the forward directions but the headlights are on and when in the reverse directio the headlights are on but none on the power car ,is this normal

regards

michael 

[96RAF]

The blue rapier doesn't have any red lights as marketed Michael, but looking at service sheet 345 for the later DCC ready model there appear to be 4 leds at the pointy end of each car plus the hi-level headlight, so I assume red lights are fitted to that one (2 x white and 2 x red).

 

It wouldn't be a diffcult job to either add separate red lights or to replace the existing white one with a red/white led as long as you get a common anode item and in the front car use the yellow wire to run the red light and in the rear car use the white wire to run the red light.

Rob

[Schuie52]

Hi rob that's great news will look for the red /white LEDs which should do the trick as all of the wiring should b the same as for the white only

regards

michael

[96RAF]

Just be aware that the wiring will be direct to the red side of the led as there is no connection for it on the basic pcb.

Rob

[dwright]

I have just tried to convert my Blue Rapier to dcc as per the instructions above plus the decoder has a capicitor stay alive

When I put it on to the track to test it the elite trips out and the decoder gets hot, and nothing else happens - what have I done wrong? When I put the dummy car on the track nothing happens with that either (no lights)

I have also tried to install a decoder into a hornby class 58 loco and that will only travel very slowly in one direction.

This does not seem to be my day

[96RAF]

@dwright

If you followed the intructions and there is a fault (which there obviously is on more than one loco/car) then you didnt do it correctly as Michael has achieved the same modification without problems.

 

You should check the wiring colours of your decoder accord with the NMRA/NEM standard colours I quoted in the instructions. If not  then you will have to reinterpret the instructions to suit. As your decoder has a stay alive it may not be wired to the standard colour code.

 

The Blue Rapier factory DC wiring connects the pickups to both the motor and the lights by way of a pcb. All these wires are black so easy to mix up once you have disconnected them and/or get crossed between front and back bogies.

 

The instructions disconnect the pickup and motor wires from the pcb and connect them to their equivalent wires on the decoder (or a socket if that is the way you are doing it) and then routes the decoder lighting wires (positive and switched negatives) to the pcb. It could not be simpler.

[96RAF]

...that's great news will look for the red /white LEDs which should do the trick as all of the wiring should b the same as for the white only

michael

Be aware that if using 3 legged red/white leds then you will need a resistor in the red leg as you are not going through the pcb which has a resistor for the white lights.

Rob

[dwright]

Firstly allow me to apologise if in any way you felt that I was critical of the instructions - that is not the case - it is something I am doing that is wrong.

What I have done so far:

a) I have checked continuity between wheels and red and black leads and they are correct (I have fitted a socket to the loco and all these tests are being done with the decoder removed)

b) Ihave checked continuity between the grey and orange leads to the motor - all is correct.

c) I have shorted between the red and orange and the grey and black and the loco runs fine on DC - so the motor is not seized.

d) The stay alive is connected correctly and the decoder is installed the correct way round

My conclusion is that either the stay alive or the decoder is faulty - I cannot see any other issue BUT I would welcome a second opinion

David Wright

[Rog RJ]

Try the decoder in another model that you know works ok on DCC to see if it works.

[96RAF]

Firstly allow me to apologise if in any way you felt that I was critical of the instructions...

No need to apologise David,

 

The diagnostics you have carried out point to a duff decoder and Rog's suggestion to try the decoder in a known good loco is a standard next step to prove/disprove that, so please plod on and keep the reports coming in as to how it goes.

 

If you have a meter then you can check continuoty twixt wheels and socket and motor and socket to prove those links are true And can be ruled out.

 

A point of note based on previous member reports, if the decoder plug is pushed in too far it can possibly,short,on a metal chassis below. In this case a bit of insulating tape under the socket is a valid fix.

Rob

[dwright]

Well I have tried the drcoder in another loco and it ran but only in one direction - does that mean the decoder is duff?

David Wright

[96RAF]

If you put the decoder from the good loco in your suspect loco and all is well then it certainly seems to point to that one-way decoder being duff. 

 

If a reset hasnt worked then that also points to the bin or you may be able to use it in a coach for lighting only.

[dwright]

Talking of lighting - can a kind person explain to me how to turn the lights on on my rapier possibly from begining with "turn the elite on - loco on track"

Thank you

[96RAF]

With Elite switched on and the loco on the track, press Elite Loco button, enter your loco address, then press a rotary knob. This gives you control of the loco.

Now press the Function button on the Elite repeatedly until the screen shows F0-9. Now press number 0 and the lights will come on In the direction selected. Reverse direction and the lights will also reverse - if you wired it up correctly. 

 

[dwright]

Thank you once again _ finally it all works and the problem was the pickup on the wheels all of them seemed not to be in contact.

This does not strike me as being terribly good quality

[96RAF]

Update:

I have just finished installing bicolour red/white positive anode Leds and Hi-level Cyclops lights to my Class 395 Blue Rapier. So now it is DCC and with full standard directional lighting.

Unable to upload an image at present due to forum problems.

I will write the conversion up as an article and add to my web-site page later.

Rob

 

 

[96RAF]

...that's great news will look for the red /white LEDs which should do the trick as all of the wiring should b the same as for the white only

michael

Be aware that if using 3 legged red/white leds then you will need a resistor in the red leg as you are not going through the pcb which has a resistor for the white lights.

Rob

 

 

Having just completed my red/white light conversion I can safely say the additional resistor spoken to above is not required as the blue (commonpositive) wire connected to the circuit board is in series with an onboard resistor which then looks after both red and white current restriction. Full details of the conversion will be on my webpages soon.

[96RAF]

Update:

I have just finished installing bicolour red/white positive anode Leds and Hi-level Cyclops lights to my Class 395 Blue Rapier. So now it is DCC and with full standard directional lighting.

Unable to upload an image at present due to forum problems.

I will write the conversion up as an article and add to my web-site page later.

Picture as promised of my R1139 Blue Rapier with dual colour headlights and Hi-level Cyclops light. Camera has washed out the red lights a bit but you get the idea....

 

/media/tinymce_upload/a9bf62fed07261b3372301750d97d8a6.JPG

[96RAF]

Details of this conversion is now on my website.

Rob