I posted a topic yesterday about a blown ditchlight on my sound equipped Genesis SD60M but now its worse it wont move on DC or DCC! I took the shell off and there doesnt appear to be any wires loose or anything. So did i just blow my decoder or did i just get a lemon?
Do the lights still work? Have you tried resetting the decoder?
Rotor
What does it smell like?
Try a reset?
Also, more information would help.
David B
The lights dont work and it doesnt really have a smell. I donty know whats wrong with this thing. BTW how do i reset it?
The reset depends on the decoder. More info please.
David B
Hi SD60M,
Look on the instruction that came with the decoder for reset , all of them i have had give you instruction on how to reset them it can take a few attempts at a reset as i have found from time to time, as davidmbedard mentioned more info on the decoder will be helpful, if you dont have the instruction they can be found online so no problems there.
Well i found out i didnt fry it but there is indeed something wrong with. Sometimes the loco will turn on and sometimes it will cut off especially when i put the shell on this will happen on dc and dcc. I have checked all the wires and none of them seem to be loose and there is no burnt smell coming from the decoder. But there is one wire its red its hooked up to the left front corner on the decoder and its not hooked up to anything else is this like an antena or something for the conrtoller that comes with sound equipped Genesis locos? BTW i dont have the instructions for the decoder can anyone tell me where to find it? Will reseting the decoder even help since it wont run on dc power either?
http://www.modelrec.com/train-controls/dcc-decoders.asp
Here’s a link to the MRC decoder page if that’s what you have. They have download-able manuals for their decoders.(if it IS an MRC)
On all the decoders (non-sound) that I’ve worked with the red wire goes to one of the power pickups on the truck.
Now that SD60M has finally told us that it is a sound equipped Genesis loco, the fault is in the decoder. The behaviour he is describing is exactly what one would expect from a loco with a faulty MRC decoder.
SD60M, you have 3 choices…
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Return the loco to where you bought it.
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Return the loco to Athearn for repairs.
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Rip out the MRC decoder and put something in there worth while.
David B
Here is a pic of the decoder and the red wire that doesnt seem to have a purpose.
All wires have a purpose.
The red wire is supposed to go somewhere. [:-^]
That could be the reason the loco doesn’t work.
Rotor
The red wire is supposed to connect to the right-hand rail pickups on both the front and rear trucks. If it’s not connected to the locomotive wheels, you’re not getting any power to the decoder.
If you don’t know how to perform electrical wiring, return the engine to the place from which you purchased it and get a replacement.
There is another different red wire that is hooked onto the motor and then the decoder. I have one question though can i take an athearn jumper from a rtr engine and take the decoder and speaker out and put the jumper board in its place?
The Athearn jumper board has diodes on it, so I am not sure how nicely it will play with the MRC board.
David B
Well i want to take the MRC board out and put the athearn board in. So i can maybe put a decent decoder in the 60M if that will work.
That isnt what you asked about before…
No, the board from a RTR wont fit (it utilizeds a clip to the top of the motor). Why not just purchase a Digitrax DH165A0 and a sound bug and be done with it?
OR…you can wait and buy the new Quantum Revolution-A chip and drop that in?
David B
When does the Quantum Revolution come out? Also since i’ve just started with DCC how hard would it be to wire the Digitrax DH165A0 and sound bug do they have to be hard wired or do they have plugs?
I have a feeling that you should be letting someone else do these installs for you. Installing a replacement board is a simple as it can get…remove old wires…replace them in the same spot on the new decoder.
In terms of the sound bug, it just plugs into any DH165xx decoder.
David B
The DH165AO is offered as a board replacement. It can however also be used in a loco that hasn’t had decoder and/or lightboard by hardwiring it. Here’s a link to the page on it at the Digitrax site. DH165AO