[Cross post for more eyes to advise] I picked up the Bachmann 4-6-0. Its nice but I want the smaller tender because it just looks better. So I picked it up at the same time. Looking at the directions for the 4-6-0 it's equipped with a 28 step decoder, this won't fly; I decided to add a Digitrax DZ125. Again following the directions it states to split the board in the tender and solder per the directions. Installed it in the new tender and I threw it on the layout -no lights, no-Go. I'm aggrevated, my solder joints were hot, and the decoder is brand new. I'm sure if omitted the board and wired it direct I'd be fine, but I wanted to avoid a rats nest of wires. I'm wondering if I may be missing something that is not on the directions. With the Class J decoder installation required the removal of a resistor to allow the decoder to finction normally, just wondering if the solution to my problem may be the same. See post #5 here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine...light=sound+install+Bachmann+(dialup+warning) Thanks Guys, The S.
I figured out what the issue is, the contact finger from the trucks on the Medium and Small spectrum tenders are different. Put the right trucks on the USRA small tender and everything worked properly. Thanks, The S.
S., do you have a pic of the engine with the smaller tender? I didn't buy the tenwheeler because of the stupid looking tender it comes with; this may be a fix... Thanks, Otto
How is this possable? Were the wheels picking up from the wrong rail and causing a short? Might you explain. Thanks. You never know what Bachmann will through at you when it comes to wiring.
Unless the firmware is different for this decoder than for other Bachmann decoders, which I doubt, it does support 128 speed steps. I would still replace the decoder for other reasons - no high frequency "silent drive", no Vmid and Vmax, no Bemf.
There was no problem with the wiring or the diagram, the 4-6-0 board is A-OK. The truck contacts are different between the USRA Small and USRA Medium. On the Medium trucks the fingers are smaller and when installed under a USRA Small frame they don't touch the contacts. HTH, The S.
It's not the same as other decoders. The directions even state it's a 28 speed step decoder. But the BEMF is the true reason I am exchanging out decoders. The S.
How does it run with the DZ in it? BEMF and coreless motors don't always agree with each other. BTW - this loco does have a 5 pole coreless motor in it.
From what I've experienced so far, it's got some cogging and it pretty much starts at 3 smph. But it also did the same with the stock decoder as well. I have yet to tweak the BEMF or set the momentum. I wonder if the jump from 0-3 smph is the result of the motor, from what I've seen from my Dad's R/C stuff the coreless motors have some pretty strong magnets compared to traditional motors (I'm purely speculating the coreless takes a little more "umph" to turn over). In the motors defense I haven't officially broken it in, and havent tweaked anything in the decoder. Next I'll change those front wheels out for some 28" NWSL proto wheelsets. And after that attempt to make shorten or make a new drawbar to clean up that space between the tender. The S.
