ModelRailroadForums.com is a free
Model Railroad Discussion Forum and
photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
I have a AT1000 EMD 645 installed in my GP40. it has been working fine for the past 3 weeks. today it was working fine. then when I came home, I turned the power on to the track and a loud buzzing noise came from the train. Now no sound will come from it. the motor control still work fine so it didn't overheat. nor did the speakers blow. I've had it relatively quiet recently also. does anybody know what happened? has anyone ever had this happen to theirs? I'm pulling out my hair! There is no voltage reading from the speaker out put.
I've been hearing way too many cases of this almost same thing happening lately. Engine works fine, then for no apparent reason, next time the layout is fired up .... nothing ! I can't help but wonder if there is a possible power surge or something during power up of a system that is hitting these decoders too hard ? And it always seems to be the Tsunami decoders. (?) Are they overly sensitive to something ?
I've noticed in the past, whenever I powered up my system, all the headlights on my TCS decoders flashed a single time. So there IS some kind of surge / void packeted information on the rail as the system engages. All my staging tracks and engine terminal tracks have the ability to be turned off so as to prevent this such a thing from happening.
Wish I had the answer as to why this is happening.
Mark.
Gomez Addams
Staff member
If you recently got the decoder, call Soundtraxx NOW. Several of us have waited a couple weeks trying to diagnose the problem, and the very short warranty period expired.
Thanks for the advice!i will call the Monday when they open.
Since this will be my first and last. Soundtraxx decoder, what is the best one out there? Most stable? I hear the digitrax you can load your own sounds. I just don't want to be fixing things every week.....
In no particular order, LokSound, Digitrax, QSI Industries. I use a lot of QSI's. I have grown tired of the generic Tsunami steam sounds. They were top-of-the-class in 2006, but the rest of the world has moved past them.
I use Loksound exclusively myself. Their latest releases are way ahead of Soundtraxx in my opinion. I invested in their programmer as well - these things are only limited by your imagination. That, and the motor control is second to none.
Mark.
what's sad is the digitrax one is half the price of the tsunami....
what's sad is the digitrax one is half the price of the tsunami....
Yes .... and you get what you pay for ....
Mark.
Not the new Digitrax WOW. It's getting rave reviews from a multitude of users....check youtube. Price is competitive. Slow motion control is excellent.
The WOW decoder is made by TCS (Train Control Systems), not Digitrax ....
Mark.
The horse has probably already left the stable, but you may want to protect your layout or various subdivisions with circuit breakers. I have the PSX circuits breakers and they supposedly protect decoders from the initial rush of track power when your DCC system is first started. I've had them for about two years now and never ruined one (at least not that way). Just a thought...
The WOW decoder is made by TCS (Train Control Systems), not Digitrax ....
Mark.
OOps, right you are!
I wonder if an on off switch to the main bus would work too?
I wonder if an on off switch to the main bus would work too?
An on/off switch would make more sense placed on an individual feeder, that way you can kill the power just to a single track, and not the whole area beyond the switch.
An on/off switch would make more sense placed on an individual feeder, that way you can kill the power just to a single track, and not the whole area beyond the switch.
An on/off switch on a feeder wire would only work if you installed plastic joiners to that section of track to isolate it .... then you'd be back to block wiring ....
Mark.
I know that. I have all my track isolated, including the turnouts, so if I need to I can kill the power to that track for troubleshooting, repair etc, and not affect the rest of that power district.
Spot on! I just got off the phone with them and I'm sending the decoder to them for repairs under warranty. I got 0 volts from the speaker out put.
They said the amplifier is sensitive to static electricity. What can i do after i solder the connections to eliminate the risk of this happening again? Wrap it in electrical tape?
if loksound is good why did they get a bad rap when they were installed in the 07/08 run of genesis big boys & they swapped to tsunaimi ???just curious ??
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website
(Learn More Here)
