Decoder

What do you see for flashes on the headlight when you reset the decoder? As I recall, you will see a number of flashes, 16, and the loco should respond to address 3. I assumed you cycled track power.

As I recall, after the reset, cycle track power and after six seconds you should see the flashes. If the lights come on right away, the reset. did not occur. Been a while since I have done this with Tsunami powered loco's.

A replacement sound module is available from Bachmann for about $69.00 I see in their parts page. They did not use to have them at one time.

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_68_573&products_id=10483

Rich

Decoder reset

Set CV8=8 on the program track.  Do this a few times in a row.  Then place on the main, apply power and within a few seconds the lights should flash 16 times.  This confirms that the reset was successful.  Soundtraxx decoders also need to have the address programmed differently.  When reset, the default address is 3.  If you are trying to program an address less than 127, then you need to program a 4 digit address first, like 1234.  Then you can program your 2 digit address like 72, 47, up to 127 (considered a 2 digit address).  One of the quirks of Soundtraxx decoders.    Hope this helps.

decoder

Tsunamis can be a bugger to reset. Make sure on your NCE what address 3 is set as: 3,03,003,0003.

Bachmann does offer the sound value decoders.  Joe

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_698&products_id=10483

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately, it's still dead...

Thanks for the helpful suggestions Rich, Nelson and Joe.  I worked on it some more tonight.  I tried resetting the decoder to the factory settings over and over and over and over again.  Every time I did this, the locomotive makes the usual programming clicking noises like it is doing something.  Then I switched it to track power and there was no flashing of the lights.  I also tried physically lifting the locomotive off the programming track after resetting it several times and placing on a main track and still no flashing lights.  Then I tried setting CV 8 to 8 several times, and still no response.  I made sure to try all the possible ways to enter the number 3 on my NCE throttle, and I still couldn't pull it up.  It still makes the clicking noises when I turn the track power on and it makes an interesting little noise as I try to get it going (kind of like water whistling by or something), so it seems like it is trying to live, but it just doesn't do anything.

And I appreciate the link to the Bachmann sound decoder - that's not a bad price.  I paid $100 for this, and that seems about on par with the percentage of a locomotive project, the majority being the cost of the decoder.

Thanks again for all your help!

Try the NCE website.

Try the NCE website.  There was a recent discussion

Ed

Warranty

Don't forget that Bachmann has a decent warranty and pretty good customer service.

Read CVs As Well ....

Instead of continually writing, have you tried reading any of the appropriate CVs ? What is the value in CV1 ? What are the values in CVs 17 and 18 ?

If CV1 is 3 and CVs 17 and 18 are zero, it should respond to address 3. Also do a read on CV29 to make sure the decoder is set to respond to a 2-digit address. 

Just because you "think" you are writing values, doesn't mean you are. A read verification can be a valuable diagnostic measure.

Mark. 

Decoder Pro

Since you are using Decoder pro, have it real all the CVs or just inquire the type of decoder to see if it is working at all. This only works if you have a dedicated programming track and you are on that, which from the discussion sounds like what you have.

Good idea about reading CVs

Thanks Jim and Mark - I'll try reading the CVs and see what happens.  Stay tuned!

And thanks for the tip on the Bachmann warranty, Greg; I'll definitely explore that before buying the new decoder board.

Don't forget

CV 19 is the "consist" address.   Anything other than "zero" (0) and the decoder will not respond to it's address.   Make sure this is set to zero.

Reading CVs didn't work

I tried to read all the CVs and it didn't work... so perhaps the decoder is not taking any of programming.  That would help explain why it's not resetting and the lights aren't flashing after the reset.

I contacted Bachmann and they wrote me back really quickly and had another idea to try, but it seems like it won't work since it is not reading or writing any of my commands.

Thanks again for all the help, everyone!  I'll let you know how it turns out.

What was the Bachmann idea?

Hi Eric - I'm curious, what was the other idea that Bachmann support wanted you to try out?

Bachmann Idea

Bachmann had a couple ideas - I appreciated that they wrote back to me really quickly.

The first idea was to set CV 30 to value 2.  This didn't do anything (again, I am not sure if the programming is really getting through to the decoder, although it does make clicking noises).

The second idea was to test it on a DC test track.  I have an Atlas Right Track Power Pack that I tested it with and on full power, the locomotive clicks and makes the quiet swishing noise, just like on the DCC track, and the lights flash 10 times, but it still doesn't move.

I'm waiting to hear back after this last test, but it looks like I will be sending it in for repair.

Lights flash 10 times

10 flashes

I found it on the SoundTraxx website:

When operating in DC:
When operating in DC (analog mode), be careful not to exceed the maximum input voltage of 27 volts. If your track voltage exceeds 21 volts, the sound decoder will shut down and the headlight, backup light, and board-mounted LEDs will flash 10 times to protect the decoder. When you see this condition, shut down the throttle immediately.

So that really doesn't help diagnose my problem.  I'm pretty sure the decoder is just dead.

Not so sure

Try to reset a different locomotive?

You mention that you are not sure the programming track is getting the power to the decoder.  Have you tried to reset or at least read an address to a different locomotive?  If you can read and program another locomotive, then the power is getting to the track.

Also, do you have a programming booster like Soundtraxx's PTB-100? I installed one on my system and have near zero failures in programming.  

Programming Track

Yes, I have a PTB-100 on my programming track and I have reset decoders and also read CVs from locomotives before, so I know it has worked before.  This one is really complex because it seems to almost work and it doesn't have the usual signs of a dead decoder (I have burned a couple in the past).

I haven't tested the voltage yet.  Another idea I have is to try testing another decoder and see if it still runs.

another thought

 To do a test of the running gear, remove the wires from the decoder, remove the decoder from the loco. Place the loco on its side, hook up a 9V battery to the wire leads  to the motor to see if it runs.  Swap the leads to the battery and try again. There might be a bind in the drive line.    Joe

The instruction sheet does't have all info needed

You might try talking to Soundtraxx,they built the OEM decoder for Bachmann.

You should get a copy of the Soundtraxx Decoder programming manual from their site,

and read it carefully. OEM decoders don't have all the options of the aftermarket decoders.

KEEP that in mind!

This might seem a dumb question,Did the decoder smell "burned" at any time?

Some component may gone bad :-(.

Has there been any resolution to your problem with the decoder?

Sorry to bring up an older thread, but I'm curious about this particular model.  Did you send it back for repair or were you able to get it back up and running?

Thanks,

Janet N.

Bachmann S-4

That just why I am going to stay with DC on my home layout.

Picked up an Atlas Gold RS-1 mainly to run at my model railroad club. Ran it briefly on my home layout and it worked well. Took it to the club, programmed it and it was impressive. Took it to the club the ned week and it wouldn't run. For some reason the front truck wasn't picking up, so it was sent back tp Atlas for repairs. Got it back and it would not run on my home DC layout. Took it to the club and tried a reset on it. Nothing. Tried a number of things and all it would do was to go through the start sewuence and sit there, just loke at home.

Back to Atlas it went. Got it back the other day and it ran on my DC layout. Waiting to see what it does at the club. I think Atlas had it in their possession longer thn I did.

I'll stick with my DC equipment. A lot simpler. My layout is build mainly for switching and I rarely it ever run more than one locomotive at a time and really don't need or care for sound.