BLI centipede deal

[peteski]

@peteski, I forgot if it was discussed, but did you try to re-gauge those wheels, and if so...did it work?

This is what my Centipede currently looks like. Does this answer your question?   

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I have so many half-finished projects it is not funny!  Well, maybe it is a bit funny. It seems that once I  get into one project, another, higher-priority one finds me.

I'm sure that the loco will run just fine after the wheels are regauged and the sloppy assembly is corrected. All the driven wheels pickup electricity. Well, maybe adding another cap to the decoder will make it even more reliable.

[Dave V]

Eh, it doesn't matter.  The PRR single A's were sold out by the time I looked, so no Centipedes for me.

FWIW, by 1956 the PRR Centipedes mainly worked west out of Altoona as snappers on Horseshoe Curve on the Pittsburgh Division...one division west of what I model.  So I'm not crying in my Cheerios.

[Cajonpassfan]

I have so many half-finished projects it is not funny!  Well, maybe it is a bit funny. It seems that once I  get into one project, another, higher-priority one finds me.

Oh, now I feel relieved! Hallelujah! I'm not alone! My affliction has a name; it's the Peteski Syndrome!
Otto

[u18b]

I'm a little confused as to how a low friction mechanism with 16 wheel pickup has conductivity issues?

Maybe besides the wheel gage, it is also the 4 axle rigid trucks?

[Dave V]

I'm a little confused as to how a low friction mechanism with 16 wheel pickup has conductivity issues?

Maybe besides the wheel gage, it is also the 4 axle rigid trucks?

It's not the pickup...it's the amount of power that sound decoder draws.  Apparently any fluctuation in current drawn from the track (such as passing through a turnout) is enough to cause it to reboot.  I occasionally had this issue with my BLI M1s and PAs until I went back and did a little solder work to ensure constant current.  Can't do much about the insulated turnout frogs, but hey...lesson for next time.

I'm sure someone will correct my explanation or my terminology but fundamentally it ain't the number of wheels...it's the decoder.

[chicken45]

I sent my pair back to BLI because one engine stopped working.
They basically had to replace everything.
And I had to regauge the wheels.
Then the other unit stopped working.
I feel like it's a problem when you can't run on code 80 straights through an NTRAK yard. (It's a good yard, too).

[peteski]

I'm a little confused as to how a low friction mechanism with 16 wheel pickup has conductivity issues?

Maybe besides the wheel gage, it is also the 4 axle rigid trucks?

I have not really done any serious evaluation of this model. But my set did not run well at all - it kept derailing by climbing the frogs of guard rails of Atlas C55 turnouts. That in turn caused shorts and the model woudl stall. The decoder took a long time to recover when the power returned, so the loco was not really usable.

The mechanism is not quite the same as the Kato design. Instead of pointy axle ends, riding in bearing cups, the metal bearing/pickup plates have holes in them in which the axles ride in (similar to Athearn N scale diesel trucks design).

I have not taken any current measurements, but I suspect the decoder consumes any more current than other sound decoders, but the big problem seems to be the long recovery time after the power is lost then restored.

[davefoxx]

I have not really done any serious evaluation of this model. But my set did not run well at all - it kept derailing by climbing the frogs of guard rails of Atlas C55 turnouts. That in turn caused shorts and the model woudl stall. The decoder took a long time to recover when the power returned, so the loco was not really usable.

The mechanism is not quite the same as the Kato design. Instead of pointy axle ends, riding in bearing cups, the metal bearing/pickup plates have holes in them win which the axles ride in (similar to Athearn N scale diesel trucks design).

I have not taken any current measurements, but I suspect the decoder consumes any more current than other sound decoders, but the big problem seems to be the long recovery time after the power is lost then restored.

Just curious, how hard is it to add a capacitor to a factory-installed DCC decoder?  It sounds like the Centipede could use this fix, and I wouldn't mind doing this to my BLI E6 and E7.  I've gotten rid of the traction tires on both units to increase the points of pickup from the rails, but, if the rails or wheels aren't immaculate, sound can still drop out occasionally.  Even if intermittent, it would be nice if this were not an issue.

DFF

[sizemore]

Trickery. Advertise an A/A set at $179.99 but that's only the cost after you purchase another A/A set (single PRR units are out). I think this was just a quick way to get rid of single unit stock sitting on the shelf. Guess I'll have to wait for the blowout on A/A sets.


The S.

[peteski]

Just curious, how hard is it to add a capacitor to a factory-installed DCC decoder?  It sounds like the Centipede could use this fix, and I wouldn't mind doing this to my BLI E6 and E7.  I've gotten rid of the traction tires on both units to increase the points of pickup from the rails, but, if the rails or wheels aren't immaculate, sound can still drop out occasionally.  Even if intermittent, it would be nice if this were not an issue.

DFF

For adding capacitors to decoders which aren't designed to accept them see the links in 2nd and 3rd posts in this thread.

I checked the BLI sound decoder in my Centipede (because I had it handy). That  decoder already has couple of large tantalum caps. A 330 and a 470 uF but they are rated at 6.3V. That is much less than the track voltage so they are just used for some internal decoder circuitry (not as a keep-alive caps).  So you would have to install the extra capacitor at the output of the bridge rectifier.  That requires some precision soldering skills.

[CodyO]

Erie PA's still calling my name...



Ahhhhhgggggggg I did it!  Paypal balance made it easy.

As soon as I saw them I bought em!
didn`t feel bad since it was less then $150 shipped, wish they still had LV units though/and they were BOGO

[Chris333]

I don't know if there is a specific thread on the PA's, but these things just plain suck! Out of the 4 etched grills on 2 locomotives. 3 of them are mounted to look like a roller coaster track. Put both on the track and run them at full speed coupled to each other. I always end up dragging one no matter the direction. You would think with one pulling the other they would re-connect and start back up, but it doesn't. The sound in them sounds like one of those $2.00 singing birthday cards, it did not remind me of a diesel at all. No rumble whatsofever.

Even at these crackhead prices they not worth it.   BLI = My Pillow.

[peteski]

I don't know if there is a specific thread on the PA's, but these things just plain suck! Out of the 4 etched grills on 2 locomotives. 3 of them are mounted to look like a roller coaster track. Put both on the track and run them at full speed coupled to each other. I always end up dragging one no matter the direction. You would think with one pulling the other they would re-connect and start back up, but it doesn't. The sound in them sounds like one of those $2.00 singing birthday cards, it did not remind me of a diesel at all. No rumble whatsofever.

Even at these crackhead prices they not worth it.   BLI = My Pillow.

Maybe they forgot to change one of their decoder's direction bit at the factory, so they are both trying to run "forward"?  But wait, you run these in DC, right? Then nevermind.  As I mentioned earlier a momentary loss of power causes a long re-initialization of the decoder.

[Chris333]

Yeah I read about the decoder re-setting thing, my Walthers 2-8-8-2 does that too (while crawling). This is why I was running these full blast around the layout. Neither loco made it one lap.

I figured I'd be gutting the whole circuit board inside just to get them to run well, but now the body is a mess.

Hey look I put a circuit board in some crap, it even makes a "toot" sound when coming out 

[peteski]

Yeah I read about the decoder re-setting thing, my Walthers 2-8-8-2 does that too (while crawling). This is why I was running these full blast around the layout. Neither loco made it one lap.

I figured I'd be gutting the whole circuit board inside just to get them to run well, but now the body is a mess.

Hey look I put a circuit board in some crap, it even makes a "toot" sound when coming out 

I do sense some frustration there Chris.     But it is not unfounded. 

But look at the bright side: at least they probably run slightly less-bad than the Brass Hallmark Centipedes, and BLI can be had for much less moolah! And BLI models have clear window inserts!