N Decoder help 2 (Atlas)

[mecgp7]

My other post on SD50s with Lenz LEO62XF decoders resulted in looking for replacement decoders. The vast majority of responders via private messages recommended that route.

Problem #2. None of the 4 factory decoder equipped Atlas GP38/40s will work! Some decoders will read their address, but that is as far as it goes. They don't run in analog mode either. They do work with a DC board.

Now I have locos with Digitrax decoders that work just fine. I also have a Kato RS2 with a decoder that works (maker unknown).
I am using a Digitrax Zephyr system.

Any ideas? I never knew the DCC learning curve was so steep.

[Bob Horn]

Clint, check your in box. Bob.

[jdcolombo]

Hi Clint.

I think both Digitrax and TCS make drop-in replacements for your GP's.  The TCS version is their AMD4; the Digitrax is DN163A0.  I prefer TCS, but both should give excellent results (and much, much better than the Lenz board, which was an old design licensed by Atlas from Lenz - those decoders are literally 4 generations old, and while they are OK when they work, they are nothing like the new BEMF-enabled designs which will run your engines much more smoothly and have more features).

Don't get frustrated by the DCC experience.  Getting older locos going is sometimes a hassle, but once you do, I think you will be very pleased with the operational aspects of DCC.  And the Zephyr is a fine starter system - depending on the size of your layout, it may well be all you will ever need.

John C.

[mmyers]

Check the motor contacts with the decoder boards. Remove the shell. Select the address on your zephyr. Place the mechanism on the track and turn the throttle up. Make sure you have the track power on and the direction switch to forward or reverse. If the mech. doesn't move, use your finger to press down slightly on the decpoder just above the motor. If it moves, fix the motor contact with the decoder.

Martin Myers

[Ike the BN Freak]

Check the motor contacts with the decoder boards. Remove the shell. Select the address on your zephyr. Place the mechanism on the track and turn the throttle up. Make sure you have the track power on and the direction switch to forward or reverse. If the mech. doesn't move, use your finger to press down slightly on the decpoder just above the motor. If it moves, fix the motor contact with the decoder.

Martin Myers

What he said, I've had a few Atlas from factory decodered units not run, check the contacts and they don't make any, so quick fix and they run.

[mecgp7]

I really think we can put the conductivity issue to bed. There are just too many locos and too many decoders involved for it to happen to all of them. I have a ton of experience reassembling these locos.
Clue number one is that they all run with DC boards
Clue number two is that I can get the system to read the decoder address
New clue number three is that these are dual mode decoders and they do not run on analog.

This all leads me to believe that I have screwed the settings in my Zephyr system. Nothing else makes sense.

I purchased a new loco with the factory dual mode decoder. It ran fine on my MRC DC system. I swapped out the board for a DC board and it ran fine. I put the decoder back in and put it on my Zephyr system and it won't run in DC or DCC. Again other manufacturers decoders work just fine. It is only Atlas decoders.

[jdcolombo]

I really think we can put the conductivity issue to bed. There are just too many locos and too many decoders involved for it to happen to all of them. I have a ton of experience reassembling these locos.
Clue number one is that they all run with DC boards
Clue number two is that I can get the system to read the decoder address
New clue number three is that these are dual mode decoders and they do not run on analog.

This all leads me to believe that I have screwed the settings in my Zephyr system. Nothing else makes sense.

I purchased a new loco with the factory dual mode decoder. It ran fine on my MRC DC system. I swapped out the board for a DC board and it ran fine. I put the decoder back in and put it on my Zephyr system and it won't run in DC or DCC. Again other manufacturers decoders work just fine. It is only Atlas decoders.

Well, there is one way to completely eliminate conductivity as a problem.

Take the board out of the loco.  Solder wires from the motor pads underneath to an old motor - if you don't have an old motor, use an LED with a 1K resistor, but a motor is better because you don't have to worry about the polarity.  Next, run a set of wires from the track to the pickup pads on the board (a set of wires with alligator clips at each end will do it; if you don't have such wires, you need some; make 'em or buy 'em).  Now fire up the Zephyr, select the DCC address, and see if the motor runs (or the LED comes on; remember that if you use an LED, it will not light unless the polarity is correct, so you'll need to try it in both forward and reverse to make sure).  If it does, then it's NOT a Zephyr problem, but rather an electrical connectivity problem.  If it doesn't run, then you've got a problem with the Zephyr - or more likely, a problem with some communications protocol between the Zephyr and the board.  You should be able to reset anything you've changed to factory default.

John C.

[mecgp7]

Resetting the Zephyr to default has been recommended by several folks. How is it done?

Much thanks to all for helping me with this.
Clint

[Bendtracker1]

From the Digitrax web site [ http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB579/zephyr-xtra-reset-to-factory-default/ ]


KB579: Zephyr Xtra - Reset to Factory Default

This article was last updated on Aug. 10, 2011, 3:17 p.m.
 

To reset the DCS51/DCS50 to factory settings:

If you change command station option switches and experience unexpected results, just set OpSw 39 to “c” (closed) to reset the unit to the original factory settings.

1. Press the PROG key. The display shows the last decoder programming mode used.

2. Press the SWITCH key. The display shows the last switch used and its commanded position.

3. Use the numeric keypad to enter the number of the Option Switch you want to change; in this case 39.

4. Press the "c/-" key to set the OpSw to closed and reset DCS51/DCS50.

5. Press EXIT when finished. The DCS51/DCS50 display will show "-cS-" to indicate that you are running in command station mode.

[nstars]

There is also one other possibility why you can't read the address of the decoder. Older Atlas loco's have Lenz decoders and these decoders require programming in Direct mode. The Zephyr is Digitrax and Digitrax decoders tend to use the older Paged mode. You can change the programming mode by pressing the PROG button several times. You will see in the display either DIR, OPS, PAGE, PHYS. The OPS mode is for programming on the mainline. In that case you can't read the CV's. You can forget about PHYS, I have never used it. On the programming track use either PAGE or DIR. If one of them doesn't work the other will work in most cases.

BTW it is possible that the possibility of running in analog mode is switched of by the previous owner. This can be changed by programming CV 29. In most cases CV 29 is either 2 (with 2 digit address) or 34 (with 4 digit address) if analog running is switched of. Just add 4 to the number and analog running is on.

Marc