Hello all,
I have been playing with my spiffy new (sat in a box for a year!) HO lionel challenger with DCC and it seems the front headlight is a bit dim? Anyone else notice this? The back-light in the tender seems much brighter when I go backwards? Just wondering if any of you other lionel challenger runners noted this? Is it something I can program? Or does it need a new brighter LED (a bit scared to do this… my priciest engine and all…) Thanks for any input in advance!
Brian [:)]
The headlight in mine is plenty bright, although it does come on slowly, which is prototypical. I think these engines use incandescent bulbs, not LEDs. When you turn on the FL function, you should hear the dynamo (steam-driven generator) spinning up to full output, and the headlight should slowly increase brightness as the dynamo increases speed. If you turn FL off, the dynamo should slowly wind down and the headlight slowly go off.
I think there’s a headlight dimming feature in this engine, too, but don’t recall exactly right now and I don’t have the documentation with me. Go to the Brodway Limited or QSI web site and download the manual for their Version 2.0 sound decoder if you don’t already have it. That’s what’s in the Lionel engine, and it will give you all of the relevant CV values.
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I have 2 of these beauties, and yes THERE IS A DIMMING FEATURE. When the train is set to forward, BUT IT IS STOPPED, the headlight will be DIM. When the engine STARTS MOVING (forward ), the headlight gets BRIGHT. The front headlight is always dim in reverse.
Hi. I am fortunate enough to have one of these fine locomotives. I can’t say that mine has a dim headlight, but like all other QSI-equipped locos, of which I have several BLI’s, they all dim in neutral when the auto-reverser enters that position with a “psst”. It will stay dim, as stated above, when it enters reverse and moves in that direction. I feel that mine is quite bright when it is in forward position and when moving.
I am glad to hear that you are at last enjoying this for the first time. I prize mine highly; it is a strong puller and reasonably well detailed for a metal loco.
Hmmmm. Mine stays one brightness… I looked at the handbook… seems CV 55.70.x …where x =1 for automatic…hmmm dunno how I would have changed this, but I will try it tomorrow when I get home (on call tongiht [:(] )… Thanks again.
Edit: Hmm guess that wont work…that is for the NEW Q1a… hmmmm…
Brian
Hmmmm. Still unable to get it real bright… time to call/email Lionel…
Brian
I think you’re going to be wasting your time by contacting Lionel – they didn’t make the sound decoder and probably know nothing about it. Go to the QSI web site at http://www.qsindustries.com/ and download their manual – the complete one, not the useless one that came with the loco.
Not only did they not make the decoder, they do not offer the HO line and probably do not support it any longer.
QSI has the Lionel sound chip on their list of new upgraded future releases, but they have not included the alternate chuff sound for the Challenger as this time.