NCE Powercab, Anyone else notice this?

[LIRR]

This in puzzling and annoying but certainly not a problem….

If If I turn on the system, the previous loco will already be selected, but it runs backwards and I need to deselect…

I also have 6 addresses preloaded in the RECALL loop, but sometimes one of them will run backwards when recalled and I need to reselect…

[NDave]

Been using my NCE PowerCab since 2017, currently with 5 locos in the recall stack. I have never seen what you are describing (selected locos run backwards). I do occasionally see the recall stack drop one of my locos numbers, replacing with a random loco number. This most often occurs after the system shuts down/restarts from/after a short, but occasionally after a normal shutdown/restart.

Have you tried resetting the PowerCab to it's factory defaults?

[nickelplate759]

Are you sure it's the PowerCab and not the loco (decoder)?

I've seen something similar (not sure if it's the same) on locos where I've set the CV to change default direction to be reverse.  When I first apply power to the engine after it being off the track it doesn't behave right until I send a direction (forward/reverse) command.  I always assumed it was the decoder, not my PowerCab.

[C855B]

I've had decoders glitch and do strange things like cause other locos to move when they were not commanded to do so. In one instance I quickly traced it to a single loco, reset and reprogrammed the decoder, and the problem went away.

[John]

do you have the ability to purge the command station at startup?

[Maletrain]

Regarding "resetting the command station": Don't do that if you have a PowerCab with version 1.65 software (chip)!!!

If you have version 1.65B software, then no problem with resets.  But the 1.65 without the "B" will revert to 1.28 capabilities if you do a reset.

[peteski]

The Power Cab's display shows which direction is currently selected (FOR or REV).  When you power the unit back up, does the display show different direction setting then before it was powered down?

Is this problem persistent (repeatable every time you power cycle), or intermittent?  Also, are the affected locos part of a consist on that Power Cab?

[Dwight in Toronto]

I’ve got two back-to-back N scale Rapido F9’s in consist, pulling The Canadian 10-car set. Lately, whenever I power up my NCE PowerCab, the display shows the normal/usual CON:(lead loco 4 digit #), and the DIR indication is Forward. However, throttling up moves the train in reverse.  To correct, I simply push the ‘SELECT LOCO’ button, key in (lead loco 4 digit #), and the consist moves forward. 

When I power down, and then come back later for another running session, the very same thing happens all over again.  Beats me! 

Fwiw, I have V 1.65, but hope to get the upgrade 1.65b chip one of these days.

[peteski]

I’ve got two back-to-back N scale Rapido F9’s in consist, pulling The Canadian 10-car set. Lately, whenever I power up my NCE PowerCab, the display shows the normal/usual CON:(lead loco 4 digit #), and the DIR indication is Forward. However, throttling up moves the train in reverse.  To correct, I simply push the ‘SELECT LOCO’ button, key in (lead loco 4 digit #), and the consist moves forward. 

When I power down, and then come back later for another running session, the very same thing happens all over again.  Beats me! 

Fwiw, I have V 1.65, but hope to get the upgrade 1.65b chip one of these days.

I would not waste any time troubleshooting strange behaviors until the throttle is updated to the latest version (1.65b) The "b" is important.  I got my upgrade chip for free several years ago when I visited the NCE booth at the Springfield show.

[Dwight in Toronto]

Thanks for always helping out. Just curious - if you already have the 1.65b installed, does it clearly indicate it as such in the PowerCab display when you look it up?  In other words, does the “b” clearly show in the display?

I’m going to enquire about chip availability today, fingers crossed that it might be at no cost, but I don’t have big hopes on that. It’s around $35 or so on their site.

[Dwight in Toronto]

Ok, so, I just sent an email message to NCE pointing out that a number of highly experienced contributors to several special interest groups have emphasized that I should request the 1.65B upgrade to resolve operating inconsistencies with my PowerCab.  I immediately got the following reply from a Mr. Ed Wilson:

“Some groups and some people get obsessed with chips, upgrades, and version numbers of NCE products. Allow me to set the record straight please. The ONLY difference between 1.65 and 1.65B happens ONLY IF you do a factory reset of the system. Most users should NOT be doing a factory as it usually does not solve the most common problems the end user will encounter. If you do a factory reset you lose the ability to use cab addresses 5, 8,9, and 10. This is all that happens. Nothing else. However, since most people do not use more than two ADDITIONAL cab bus devices or cabs besides the Power Cab, the difference between 1.65 and 1.65B is negligible to the vast majority of our customers.”

Thought other folks might like to know!

[Maletrain]

I got a different story about the differences with the original and "B" versions from NCE several years ago.  Specifically, there was some issue with using the USB board to get to JMRI.  I don't know exactly what that issue is.  The third-party WFD-30 WiFi connection board came out after my conversation with NCE, so I don't know if whatever is a problem with v1.65 for the USB connection is also a problem with the WFD-30.  So, while the JMRI connection is not used by "most users" of the PowerCab, the WFD-30 is probably going to get used by a lot more.

[peteski]

Ok, so, I just sent an email message to NCE pointing out that a number of highly experienced contributors to several special interest groups have emphasized that I should request the 1.65B upgrade to resolve operating inconsistencies with my PowerCab.  I immediately got the following reply from a Mr. Ed Wilson:

“Some groups and some people get obsessed with chips, upgrades, and version numbers of NCE products. Allow me to set the record straight please. The ONLY difference between 1.65 and 1.65B happens ONLY IF you do a factory reset of the system. Most users should NOT be doing a factory as it usually does not solve the most common problems the end user will encounter. If you do a factory reset you lose the ability to use cab addresses 5, 8,9, and 10. This is all that happens. Nothing else. However, since most people do not use more than two ADDITIONAL cab bus devices or cabs besides the Power Cab, the difference between 1.65 and 1.65B is negligible to the vast majority of our customers.”

Thought other folks might like to know!

What does that mean?  The will not provide you the 1.65B chip?  That is a crappy customer service!  Yes, my throttle does show 1.65B while it initializes, and that "B" is a real version.  Often manufacturers leave major and minor release version unchanged when only small number of code modifications are done.

I'm also questioning his explanation of the difference between 1.65 and 1.65B.  What is he saying exactly?
The specific fixes in the "B" firmware were described on Mark Gurries website (but it is currently under construction and inaccessible).

IMO, if they are unwilling to update your chip, then I would just have Ed from NCE work with you to troubleshoot the problem you are having. Period!

[Dwight in Toronto]

Well, let me ‘fess up re: the latest. I dug out my original PowerCab packaging, just to see if I had the receipt or some other indication of exactly when I had purchased it (I wanted to be able to tell NCE how old my version was). I had no record of purchase (I think it was roughly 12 years ago).

However, guess what I DID find?  An unopened NCE clear plastic baggie with pink bubblewrap inside. A business card from Ed Wilson was stapled to the cardboard header, and scribbled on that card, in blue ink, is “1.65B”.  Yes, I immediately sent an email back to Ed informing him of my discovery, admitting my embarrassment, and apologizing for having bothered him with all of this.

Several years ago, a friend and I were having trouble getting both his and my PowerCabs to be able to run our individual locos on my layout at the same time. One of NEC’s troubleshooting steps was the provision of the replacement chip which, clearly, I had filed away in a safe place and forgotten about.

I’ll try replacing the chip tonight, and will provide an update on my findings afterwards.

[Dwight in Toronto]

I’m delighted to report that replacing the original V 1.65 eeprom in my NCE PowerCab with the upgraded V 1.65B chip has made a wonderful difference wrt consist operations. For the first time since I received those two N scale Rapido F9’s, I can now fire up the engine sounds while in consist mode simply by toggling F8. Also, the consist configuration is now retained in memory whenever I shut down the PowerCab.  And the consisted locos now successfully move forward immediately upon booting the system (before, there would be no response until I did a ‘select loco’ procedure, and keyed in the lead loco address - had to do that every time). I do believe everything is right & proper now … here’s hoping it stays this way!