Help with Atlas DCC installation


SpaceMouse

SpaceMouse

Fun Lover
I have an Atlas GP-38 and it was my favorite engine. Now it runs so crappy I pulled it off the layout.

It came with a Lenz chip and ran smooooooth. I decided I wanted sound so I got a drop in replacement from Tony's, a SoundTrax LC. The engine sounds good, although weak--it's high volume is drowned out by Broadways on the other side of the club layout. The real problem for me is that is stalls on turnouts and jerks and sound cuts out for no apparent reason. A million people told me that the LC series is crap, so I added an N scale NCD to run the locomotion functions. Nothing improved.

Last night, I checked continuity from front to back wheels, and that is good. It thought I might have a pick-up problem.

I've cleaned the wheels a million times, and cleaned parts of the track for testing with no noticeable results.

Any ideas?
 
I don't have a lot of sound decoder experience, but how much trouble would it be to plug the Lenz board back in? That would positively verify that the problem is in the Soundtraxx board (and get you running until a solution could be found).
 
I would have to de-solder the two boards that are in there now and resolder the Lenz board. In all, 14 solder joints out, 10 back in. I'm about to that point. I'd be tossing about $75 and saving for re-use $45.
 
Chip,I think you may have the wrong DCC/Sound board..If this is plug and play the DCC/Sound replacement decoder should have been
DSD-AT100LC for the GP38..Or is this the one you used?
Also you may need to reset the decoder if you haven't all ready tried that..
The end solution you may have to have a buddy help you reprogram your decoder..
BTW..Sound Traxx decoders are not junk...Must are exactly what they say-plug and play..I use 4 DSD-LL110LC in 4 of my P2K GP9s and 2 DSD-AT100LC ALCO for 2 Atlas RS1s when I was using DCC/Sound and had no problems.
 
The LC motor control is less than stellar. The common way to fix it is use a separate decoder for the motor, as it sounds like you did. If it still stalls and jerks, then there must be a problem with your motor decoder (I'm not sure what an 'MCD' is). If you're sure that the motor decoder is working properly, the loco should run just fine, but there may be some sound cut-outs. The LC's were designed in '98 or '00, I believe, so they aren't going to perform as well as the newer decoders.

But if all the track and wheels are shiny clean, and there aren't significant dead spots in the track, you should be getting decent performance.
 
lemscate said:
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But if all the track and wheels are shiny clean, and there aren't significant dead spots in the track, you should be getting decent performance.
Click to expand...

Other locos are running smoothly over these same turnouts? Also, I'd recommend a factory reset of the decoder. Do you have any acceleration schedule programmed in?
 
The only adjustment to the CV's were done to the SoundTrax and have to do with sound levels. The SoundTrax tech helped me through that one. The NCD has all the factory settings. I have not dared modify these CVs for fear that setting a CV on one decoder might alter the CV on the other and have an effect I don't want.
 
Chip I fitted a Lenz decoder to my QSI SD 40-2 and it runs much better, I have a plug on the lenz to remove power while I programme the QSI. Can you fit the Lenz decoder back in for functions and leave the LC for sound?

Ken.
 
Chip, I just installed an LC in a GP7 and get very good performance from it. Yes, the sound level is about 1/4 that of a QSI, but...hey...for the price difference and the fact that the speaker is user installed and not pre-engineered.

Still sounds like a pickup problem. Don't know where you measured continuity from, but take it all the way from the wheels to the decoder. Jerk around on some wires while you do it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
SpaceMouse said:
No, both are very large. 3/4 x 2". And the speaker, just barely fits as it is.
Click to expand...


Chip,For your next sound equipped loco try this speaker from SoundTraxx.
Its 810113 and it is a oval speaker and messures 0.63" wide, 1.38" long and 0.28" deep..Its small and compact and should fit just about any where.
 
Brakie said:
Chip,For your next sound equipped loco try this speaker from SoundTraxx.
Its 810113 and it is a oval speaker and messures 0.63" wide, 1.38" long and 0.28" deep..Its small and compact and should fit just about any where.
Click to expand...

Thanks Brakie,

The SoundTrax I got is especially built for the Atlas GP-38. Is has snaps that corespond to posts on the frame. But putting two in there, is a little much even with the dimentions you gave.
 
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