Before I email BLI about this I was wondering if someone had any ideas about this locomotive. I got a brand new BLI Blueline F7 today, because it was a pretty good deal with sound, etc. So I just put it on the track to hear the sounds (I use DCC and am going to put decoder in it) and it worked fine, if a bit loud.
So, I come back later to it to put a decoder in, and now it just plays white noise for everything. If I press F8, the mute function, the white noise goes away. If I play the whistle, it plays a “white noise” whistle. I have used their strange double click F8 function to change the volume and it just raises and lowers the white noise coming from the engine.
On a side note, if I plug in a DCC decoder it runs fine, and the lights and everything else works. Just the sound isn’t sound, it’s just hiss. I don’t know why, since it worked just a half and hour before this. I have tried resetting it by setting CV8 to 8.
Hmm…did you use the supplied riser when installing the decoder? Which decoder did you use? Is it shorting anywhere with the speaker wires or the board?
If that checks out, then I would consider giving BLI a call…they will make sure you are whole.
For now I just plugged in a simple Digitrax DH123, I have a better, smaller decoder on order. I did plug in the supplied riser so I could get the decoder to fit. I don’t see why that would cause any problems, but who knows?
I’ll mess around with it, but if it won’t work then BLI will have to hear from me.
Just in case you didn’t know, broadwaylimited.com has a user forum. (It’s at the top of their menu bar with a red “new” indicator. You could try posting your question there if you haven’t already. Sometimes the owners of BLI or their factory store responds there. I believe (if I remember correctly) that their tech dept. asks “us” to email them rather than call describing problems. Check out their site? It’s likely you’ve already been there, though…hope that helps if you haven’t. It sounds like the company goes out of their way to make good with purchasers. I just bought a Mikado from them so… Let us know how it goes?
OK, just a quick update about this. I went to go mess with it a little more, and I discovered that underneath the static noise the engine makes, if you put your ear right up to the speaker on the engine, you can faintly hear the sounds. It’s like the volume is on the lowest possible setting you could imagine and still get sound. So, I tried setting all the volume CVs all the way up, and the master volume, and it never got much louder. I also did a reset again with no change.
Is it possible something then wasn’t soldered well at the factory, like the speaker? I have emailed BLI about it and posted this on their forum in case customer service sees my problem there.
Just a little update to this problem. I had ordered this from FDT, as they have a nice price on some of the Blueline stuff. I’ve heard they are joined at the hip with Broadway Limited in some way, but I have no confirmation of this.
I called FDT and told them what the unit was doing, that BLI had returned an email of mine citing a connection or speaker problem as the likely culprit, and I was told FDT will ship out an entirely brand new F7 A&B set to me, as they still are in stock. All I have to do is ship the old one back once I get the new one using a prepaid label.
So far I’m impressed. Most online businesses I’ve dealt with email you a UPS label and wait to get the defective product back and check the box you sent before sending you anything. I was also surprised they didn’t just want to send me a just the A unit only (the defective engine), but that’s their choice.
I’ll be even happier once I have a 100% working unit.
I bought an NYC PCM F3 A-B (both powered w/sound) from FTD about a year ago for a great price. When they came, the front end of the A-unit would derail on CW curves. (CCW turns it was fine.) Turned out that the track feeders were binding or weren’t long enough.
I contacted FTD. They e-mailed me a UPS sticker to print out and put on the return box. 10 days later the F3s were back in my hands and it’s worked just peachy ever since.
My only regret is that PCM didn’t get the headlights right on the NYC F3s. [:(] (NYC F3 had only one headlight. The PCMs came with dual-headlights.) At some point I’m going to drill out the extra light, fill it in with some sprue, then paint that black. Other than that, the detailing is beautiful.
I had a similar experience with FDT and a Precision Craft Burlington California Zephyr A-B-A locomotive set. The lead A unit’s decoder somehow shorted out and destroyed itself. I sent them an e-mail and they sent a replacement immediately along with a UPS pre-paid return label.
FTD’s customer support is first rate and the best I have ever dealt with.
FYI: From what I have deduced from their advertisements in the magazines and on the web, Broadway Limited and Factory Direct Trains are owned by brothers Bob and Joe Grubba
Joe at FTD is a relative of Bob at BLI, a nephew I think. I have found Joe to be very good at getting anything fixed that is wrong with a model and would recommend getting this model back for repair or replacement. BLI in general has been very good to me also with two repairs and replaced a QSI chip that I broke a pin off while changing it. I wanted to purchase a new one from them since the broken pin was my fault, but they replaced it for free. This is the type of service they are known for.
I can only echo what’s already been said. Both BLI and FDT’s service is stellar. I mean they are superb. Slightest issue they will take the cost of fixing it and make me a happy customer. Can not recomend them enough.
I received the replacement set yesterday, and it works great. Everything was in great condition, sounds good, etc. I just need to ship them back the defective set. I’ve heard the Genesis and Proto F7s are better, but I think these look great and sound very good. I just wish they weren’t so loud from the factory.
On a slightly related note, I bought a Digitrax DH165 decoder for this engine, and I pull it out of the box it was shipped in yesterday for the first time and discover the styrofoam over the pins (to protect them) smashed and the 8 pins all bent or broken. Probably damaged by the place I bought it from, but who knows… Another thing I have to contact someone about.
I can’t really do that since 3 of the 8 pins were broken off of the decoder. It was the others that were just bent. Basically I didn’t pay $ for it to be in this condition, so I’m going to get a replacement.