The gensis Challenger DIED I think. Works on the DC test track BUT on DCC the number lights are on BUT nobody is HOME!
Before it went wheels up, running fine in the yard area at low speed went over a turnout (frog was NOT powered yet) and it stopped. Gave it the 0-5-0 and no life. Tested another uinit on the next traxk and it was fine. Removed from layout, put on test bench applied 12v dc and it was fine. Switched to DCC and no one home.
Yes this is the same one I have been trying to program for 6 mo. It was running on factory settings still (03 address).
Sounds like a possible short, It could have fried the decoder, but sometimes the RF from the arcing is enough to scramble the brains of a decoder. It sounds strange but has happend to me a few times. If thats the case you can reset the decoder, but since you cant program it you are kind of in a bind…
Then again it could just have been a typical MRC moment and the decoder decided to quit. My friend’s challenger has decided to “quit” a few times. We would leave it where it was and come back the next weekend, sometimes it would work again, sometimes not. His is still working though, however unreliably.
I think your decoder might still have some hope, it runs on DC and seems to sit on DCC without smoking or anything, try it tommorrow, and if that doesnt work try to find a way to reset it. Oh, and in the future try to stay away from MRC[;)]
I seem to remember something about you having trouble with this loco and decoder in another thread some time ago. The only suggestion that I can think of is to take it to a friend’s house that has DCC (or a dealer) and see if it will program and come back to life. Next step would be to make sure that there is not a pinched wire somewhere in the decoder wireing harness that is making an intermitant short or open. After that I would call the company that made the decoder or Horizon Hobbies and see what can be done.
Yep. Has happened to me several times. I think JPM 335 has the right explanation and its brain is scrambled. It may now have a new address for you to discover. Which DCC system are you using?
Ultimately, I put a Tsunami Heavy steam in mine and I have an excellent running machine now. I have posted detailed instructions on replacing the MRC decoder on this site previously.
I installed a Heavy Tusunami in my Genesis also and that solved the decoder problem completely. I do have a question about the set up you used for the Tsunami installation. I used the Articulated sound with medium slip for the chuffs.
Did you have any problems setting up the chuff speed using the articulated chuff to match the Genesis model?
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I was once able to change the address on the MRC decoder using JMRI and a Power Pak booster for the programming track. It has been some time now since I did it, so I do not recall the specifics. After a while, I just gave up on MRC and went with the Tsunami.
I am the club “medic” for decoder problems and it seems like we often have MRC decoders scrambling their brains on our large Digitrax system. It seems like an MRC decoder may scramble when another engine has a “clattering derailment” on the layout. We see this with other decoders sometimes, but it seems that the MRC’s may be more susceptible to scrambling.
I had a similar problem with a Bachmann loco. It ended up being the momentum. Somehow the momentum was set at it’s highest level and I didn’t know it. When I gave it throttle the light would come on and work but it would not move. Just out of cruiousity I changed the momenutm to 0 and it worked fine.