Hi all, I usually try to trouble shoot all of my issues with Google and trial and error but I’ve hit a wall with a DCC issue and I need some ideas. I apologise in advance if it’s long winded or if I sound like a newbie, but I really am.
I have 7 Athearn Genesis DCC ready SD70ACes that I have been attempting to put non sound decoders in. I used the Digitrax decoder selector on their website to select the DH166 and due to availability, I’ve had to order them from different vendors and I’ve finally managed to get 7 of them . I’ve done 3 installs so far and I’m finding that all 3 of the locomotives react the same way in that they will lurch forward in small bursts before eventually taking off on their own, stopping only when power is killed to the track. When in reverse, turning on the 0 function for headlight will illuminate the rear headlight and all other functions will cease to work, no movement, no ability to turn the headlight off, it basically turns into a brick until cutting power to the track and disabling the 0 function and turning it back on. These installs are directly from package to locomotive to track, I haven’t even attempted to program them aside from setting CV8 to 8 in an attempt to reset the decoder.
I have a Digitrax DCS51 and it seems to run other locomotives that have had DCC previously installed without flaws, including other Athearn SD70ACes . I’ve also tested with intermountain ES44s that came with factory installed decoders and they operate without an issue.
The closest explanation I’ve found was a gentleman that was experiencing the engines moving on their own at a club and was told his DCS51 was bad ordered . Is there a way that a power pack can send corrupt data packages to only certain types of decoders ? If it IS the power pack, would there be an explanation as to why only those installs are acting up ? I couldn’t imagine that 3 decoders from 2 different vendors so far
Which exact decoder do you have? There are many DH166’s, the letters on the end matter, they indicate the form factor of the decoder.
If you got ones with 8 pin plugs - you have to remove the dummy plug on the 9 pin cable on the loco to get them to work with DCC. If you have the version of the DH166 that replaces the board inside the loco, you probably have a wire crossed when reconnecting them. It’s not the easiest thing when all the wires are black, you have to trace them out a bit to make sure each one goes to teh proper location on the decoder.
–Randy
[#welcome] to your 1st post in 6 years. You probably know you will be moderated and your replies will be delayed.
Randy, thank you for the help and I’m sorry I didn’t clarify which ones exactly. I feel like it’s been a treasure hunt just to find any Dh166s and upon looking at the packaging, I have two DH166P decoders and a DH166PS. To the best of my limited knowledge, the P and PS refer to the type of harness attached too the decoder itself ? I haven’t been using the 8 pin connectors that have been included, I’ve been unplugging the 9 pin and plugging it directly into where the dummy plug was on the board already installed. I was shown that method by the guy at the train shop that taught me how to install my first decoder on an Athearn ACe. If that’s not the proper way then I still have the 8 pin harnesses that were included, I can try that route and see the results.
That was going to be my suggestion if you had the P or PS versions - unplug the harness and conenct the decoder right to the 9 pin connection as you are doing. That’s the right way to do it. So the problem is elsewhere.
If you remove the decoder and put the dummy plug back in, do they work on DC properly? It’s possible that with taking off the shell and pulling the dummy plug, one of the plastic caps came loose on one of the wires to the main board and is causing the problems.
–Randy