I’ll get right to the point… I tried to run the locomotive on my newly installed Zephyr. There was absolutely no response in motion or lights etc. I double-checked the decoder wiring, and it was correct. Next I checked to see that my bus had no shorts, and was a complete circuit using my VOM, and analog meters. No problem there. No error messages displayed. Set up my programming track, and managed to change my loco number from the factory default of 03 to the number I had chosen. Returned loco to main line, entered the loco number - but still absolutely no response whatsoever. Might I have a bad decoder? How can I test it?
Have you tried programming it on the main? If it moves a little while programming it, that means the decoder is live and is recognizing the commands. If it doesn’t move, it’s dead or there’s a wire loose somewhere.
I should have mentioned that I tried that in my post. No loose wires found. Is there any significance that I could program a new address? Shouldn’t this mean that the decoder is working?
Not really. That simply means it recognized the address change. I had a NCE decoder that would do the same thing all day long but wouldn’t work for anything. I replaced it with another decoder and everything worked fine.
I was anxious to try out my newly installed Zephyr that finally arrived today. Well… I will just order a new decoder and be patient. I installed one once allready, and it was not that complicated - I will just do it again.
You should be able to just unplug the decoder from the wiring and then plug your new decoder in. Then if the new decoder doesn’t work you will know that there is a problem somewhere in your wiring.
Can you read back your loco address with the Zephyr? If you can program an address and read it back, that generally means that the installation is OK.
This is one really good reason to always put the engine on the programming track and set the address before it ever goes on the main. The programming track circuitry protects the decoder by not allowing much current through it. So, even if you’ve miswired something, the decoder won’t fry. I’m not sure if they all do this, but on my Lenz system I can’t program the address if the motor is not wired correctly.
You said this was a newly installed Zephyr system, do you have any locomotives that work or just having problems with this one ? If this is your first and only one, then make sure you don’t have a problem with the main block wiring and power. The quarter trick would be the first place to start and see if placing a quarter on the track causes th breaker to trip. The programming track is separate from the main. Also page 44 of the manual has a good troubleshooting guide.
The fact that it’s recogizing the ID and that you’re able to change it only proves that the decoder is connected to the track - that is, that the decoder is getting power thru the wires connecting to the wheels. You could still have a loose wire going to the motor.
Plus, be sure when you try to run the engine that you are putting the correct ID no. in the Zephyr. With some decoders, you can put in the number directly when you program it, with some you have to use a formula to determine what numbers to put in the CV’s to get the ID no. you want. I had one that I tried to reprogram to like 0300, but when I couldn’t get it to run under that no. I went back to the programming track and read the number and it was like 871 !! Has to do with those hexdecimal numbers and all. Anyway…I’d try resetting the decoder (see the decoder instructions) back to the original factory settings, then try calling up the engine on no. 03 and see if it works or if the lights go on etc.
p.s. I’m assuming the engine ran OK on DC before the installation??
I don’t have a Digitrax Zephyr and an unfamiliar with its programming, but you may need to reset CV29 manually in order for it to recognize the new address if you changed from 2-digit to 4-digit.
First, put the locomotive back on the programming track and reset the address to 03, and see if it runs. If so, then CV29 is the culprit.
The Digitrax Mobile Decoder Manual says to set CV29 to a value of 06, but that is not the value it needs to be if you change to a 4-digit address (numbers above 99).
If you program an address of, say, 1006 into the decoder for the locomotive’s address, CV29 needs to be set to a value of 34 in order for the Zephyr to recognize it.
for your informative advice. I must admit I was stumped. The error turned out to be that one lead of my feeder wire was mistakenly wired to a wrong terminal on one of my blocks. I must have overlooked this when checking my connections.