[Jerry McColgan]

I am beginning to think that MTS/DCC does not like me (or at least does not like dual operations).

The LGB 55045 decoder programmer is finally working with my USB Serial Port adapter and I now have MTS PC Software Version 6.0 loaded and working.

I have been working on programming loco ID and reversing the MTS direction (so it matches the direction of the Loco and Universal Remote markings).

Now it the locos run backward when under Analog so I reversed the Analog track wiring but that means that all my non-decoder equipped locos will now run opposite to my decoder equipped locos (what fun).

At first I thought that by changing CV29 to 5 would fix it. It got the MTS to run the right direction but reversed the analog as well.

Next I tried setting CV29 to 1 but no joy there either (analog still runs backward under MTS).

Is there no way I can get my MTS locos to run clockwise and also have my decoder and non-decoder equipped locos run clockwise as well both under MTS and under Analog?

This surely does not seem like much to ask for and if anything it would seem logical.

Heck, our drains run clockwise (northern hemisphere) with both hot and cold water so is it too much to ask from MTS/DCC???

What did the designers of MTS/DCC have in mind? To run their trains from the inside of their track?

I'm getting a bit less confused but a bit more annoyed.

Am I missing something?

Jerry

 

[Road Foreman]

Jerry,

Reverse the wires going to the motor from the decoder.. This is because you need to make the loco run in analog correct first before you change the CV's.. Hope this helps..

BulletBob

 

[Jerry McColgan]

Hi Bob,

That answers my question. I was hoping to avoid having to take the locos apart or to do anything that would change them from their factory original condition.

When I had read the instructions I thought it meant that changing the CV to 1 would fix my problem but I was mistaken. I presumed too much.

I will probably just not run the MTS and non-MTS trains together or else learn to run the MTS trains with reverse controls from the analog trains. This should be OK except if guests are running trains but that does not happen often anyway.

Thanks,

Jerry

Posted By Road Foreman on 04/23/2008 3:35 PM
Jerry,
Reverse the wires going to the motor from the decoder.. This is because you need to make the loco run in analog correct first before you change the CV's.. Hope this helps..
BulletBob

 

[Jerry McColgan]

It occurred to me that the problem is perhaps the result of NMRA standards.

If I reverse the wires to the motor I will have converted the analog motor wiring to reverse of what is factory normal for LGB, Aristo-Craft, USA and just about everyone else.

The reverse wiring (NMRA standard) only matches Lionel and locos like Bachmann with a NMRA switch to change polarity.

I guess it is to be expected since decoders would most likely be intended to match the decoders in HO etc. which have NMRA polarity as standard.

In my case I'd rather leave the factory wiring polarity intact. For one thing I am a lousy solderer and I'd rather not screw up something that is already working (if it ain't broke don't fix it). Another reason is that if something happens to me I don't want my wife left with a bunch of locos to sell that are not factory original.

Jerry

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Reverse the track pickups AND the motor leads... reversing track pickups does not affect DCC operation... only analog.

Reversing the motor leads reverses both.

Reversing both will leave the Analog correct and reverse the DCC.

Common situation. (unless the LGB decoders are really different)

Regards, Greg

 

[Dan Pierce]

You do not have to solder wires in the LGB engines to just reverse a motors power, all you have to do is take the motor out of the block and rotate it 180 degrees and then put it back in.
This effectively reverses the motor wiring.

 

[Jerry McColgan]

What I've decided to do is to reverse the direction of all crawl space decoder equipped locos via MTS programming. This will get the decoder equipped locos to run correctly both in MTS and under analog.

Next I will wire in a DPDT switch between the LGB Jumbo's power to the MTS/Analog switch which will enable me to reverse analog track polarity at the flip of a switch (one way for MTS and the other for analog).

Third I will add decoders to the few passenger train locos that have factory digital sound but are without decoders.

The result will be that all decoder equipped locos will run in the direction indicated by the controls when MTS powered and all non-decoder equipped locos will run in the correct direction when powered by analog (non-MTS) power. I just won't run non-decoder equipped locos under MTS.

The extra MTS Central Station 1's will serve the smaller (trailer, shop and garage layouts) with just a few decoder equipped locos. Since they are little used and will only have smaller locos with decoders the serial operations and limited loco numbers will not be a problem.

Lastly another MTS Central Station 1 will allow me to "play" with the White Pass Mikado and activate the sounds, smoke etc.

For me the main advantage (so far anyway) to MTS is the ability to keep passenger car lights illuminated and to ring the bell and blow the whistle at random. I think I can live without MTS for the freight trains that do not have decoders in their locos.

Jerry

 

[Jerry McColgan]

OK. It took awhile for it to sink in but now "I get it."

With my analog operations I always arrange for my trains to travel left or right in front of me according to the left or right on the power supply or remote controls.

Obviously I have to change my thinking when running MTS because I now realize that the MTS/DCC markings have nothing to do with which direction the train is passing in front of me but instead only reflect whether the loco is moving forward or backward.

My eyes are not what they used to be and when I see an arrow or light on the left or right I assume that indicates the direction the loco should be moving in front of me rather than indicating "forward" or "reverse" of the loco/train.

Yeah. I know someone said this but it did not sink in and I missed what they were really saying.

So now instead of flipping mechanical switches to reverse the direction of the train I will reprogram the decoders back to their normal directions and instead have to flip my mental switches to MTS mode or Analog mode.

At least now that I understand the purpose of what is happening it will be easier for me to live with it. I just wish I had figured this out BEFORE I reprogrammed the direction of almost all of my decoder equipped locos.

Perhaps most important this will simplify my Analog operations.

Jerry

Posted By Jerry McColgan on 04/23/2008 3:01 PM
Am I missing something?
Jerry