DCC Econami-Digitrax problem

[woodone]

I have a Kato SD40-2 N scale with an Econami decoder installed in it. This is belongs to a client of mine.
He had a problem with this locomotive on his layout. He is using a Digitrax system-Zephyr with an DT400 throttle.
This locomotive will barely run on his layout. With the sound on it is worse, sound off, runs better but still not all that good.
He sent me this locomotive and I just took it out of the box and put it on my layout (I am using a NCE Power Cab system with an 3b booster.)
The locomotive runs on my layout just fine, sound on or off.
Any ideas on this.
Could there be something with his throttle or throttle setting causing this?
BTW He does have other locos and they all run fine, most with sound.

[John]

I'd ask him to make sure the Zephyr was on the right scale setting first .. then if he can, have him measure the voltage across the outputs ..

does he say any other decoders don't work right?

Finally, maybe do a factory reset on the decoder?

[carlso]

Hi Woody,

I'll echo what John suggested. It sounds like the Zephyr is not putting out enough voltage. As you are aware the sound decoders do not work well on too low voltage.

[woodone]

Yes, I am aware of voltage drop. BUT he has other sound equipped locomotives that run just fine.
And this happens all over his layout, not just one or two places.
He sent me video of the unit in question trying to run, it stumbles & stumbles over and over.
With the sound on it is worse, but even with the sound off, it acts up like it is seeing dirty track-wheels or something like that.
AND the loco runs like a gem here on my layout, slow speed, med speed and high speed. Sound on or off!
I was wondering about the throttle settings set wrong- was the loco ever consisted and not dispatched?
I am not all that versed with Digitrax throttles so I am just taking a WAG.

[jdcolombo]

Yes, I am aware of voltage drop. BUT he has other sound equipped locomotives that run just fine.
And this happens all over his layout, not just one or two places.
He sent me video of the unit in question trying to run, it stumbles & stumbles over and over.
With the sound on it is worse, but even with the sound off, it acts up like it is seeing dirty track-wheels or something like that.
AND the loco runs like a gem here on my layout, slow speed, med speed and high speed. Sound on or off!
I was wondering about the throttle settings set wrong- was the loco ever consisted and not dispatched?
I am not all that versed with Digitrax throttles so I am just taking a WAG.

Digitrax systems will act weird if a loco has been selected on two throttles.  Since he has both a throttle on the Zephyr and a hand-held, this is possible.  How far away is your client?  What I would suggest is (1) make sure you have cleared the consist CV (set CV 19 = 0), then change the address of the loco to something weird, like 8888.  Send it back and have him test it with the new address.  If it works, he has an address conflict.  He needs to clear the memory of the Zephyr (I have a Chief; I don't know how to clear memory on a Zephyr), then re-set the loco address to the correct one, and test again.

If the loco is working fine on your layout, it's not the loco.  It's something with his DCC system.  Since all his other locos work fine, the most likely culprit is an address conflict.

John C.

[peteski]

Possibly a speed step mismatch between the throttle/command station and the decoder?  14 vs. 28/128 steps?

[woodone]

Well I found out that I had the wrong information about the DCC SYSTEM.
Turns out the the owner of the loco has two DT -400 throttles-
I unsure has to the command station.
I did look at CV-19 and it was set to zero. I also looked at CV-29 and found a value of 6 stored. This value is for running both DC & DCC. I NEVER enable DC when I install a DCC decoder!
This means some how the settings have been changed.
I reset every thing and changed the address.
Sending it back home to see if that corrects the problem.
If it runs good, I suspect he has the address stuck in the second throttle. The old address was 40 -now 71.
We will see.
Thanks for all your input.

[woodone]

Just got word that with an new address the loco is performing great.
Owner might need to purge the controller .

[jdcolombo]

Your client had the loco selected on both throttles, resulting in an address conflict.  It happens.  A memory purge will clear it all up.

John C.