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I've been putting some LGB 55027 decoders into LGB DCC Ready Forneys (D&RGW, PRR and ATSF) with some strange results.
1. With both the D&RGW and PRR Forneys the install seemed to work perfectly with the headlight and rear light coming on at proper brightness but the lights would tend to go on and off. After a very short time they started going to very high brilliance which suggests that they are getting full track voltage (I don't know about the smoke unit).
They now do this (high brilliance) with track power as well as with MTS power.
2. With the ATSF Forney so far everything seems to work fine except for the rear light. The rear light comes on under MTS in reverse but it does not come on under track power.
The decoder instructions say:
Hints:
- It is not necessary to change the function values (except loco address). However, changing a few CVs can improve the running characteristics of your locomotive and adapt it to your requirements.
and
- The power control switch does not work when a decoder is installed.
It is possible that the problem with the ATSF Forney's rear light might be related to the fact that I removed the power control switch. Since the instructions said it would not work I removed it to make more room for the decoder wires to go under the switch. The instructions may have meant that the switch was non-functional but it may still be required to be in place and wired to the circuit board. I did not remove the switch from the other Forneys.
Any ideas or suggestions (other than doing away with the LGB circuit board)?
I may have to reprogram the CVs to lower the voltage to the lights and perhaps to the smoke unit but I'm not sure which CV's to change and what values to change them to.
Frankly I am surprised to be having these problems because it would have seemed to be a very simple installation.
Thanks,
Jerry
1. With both the D&RGW and PRR Forneys the install seemed to work perfectly with the headlight and rear light coming on at proper brightness but the lights would tend to go on and off. After a very short time they started going to very high brilliance which suggests that they are getting full track voltage (I don't know about the smoke unit).
They now do this (high brilliance) with track power as well as with MTS power.
2. With the ATSF Forney so far everything seems to work fine except for the rear light. The rear light comes on under MTS in reverse but it does not come on under track power.
The decoder instructions say:
Hints:
- It is not necessary to change the function values (except loco address). However, changing a few CVs can improve the running characteristics of your locomotive and adapt it to your requirements.
and
- The power control switch does not work when a decoder is installed.
It is possible that the problem with the ATSF Forney's rear light might be related to the fact that I removed the power control switch. Since the instructions said it would not work I removed it to make more room for the decoder wires to go under the switch. The instructions may have meant that the switch was non-functional but it may still be required to be in place and wired to the circuit board. I did not remove the switch from the other Forneys.
Any ideas or suggestions (other than doing away with the LGB circuit board)?
I may have to reprogram the CVs to lower the voltage to the lights and perhaps to the smoke unit but I'm not sure which CV's to change and what values to change them to.
Frankly I am surprised to be having these problems because it would have seemed to be a very simple installation.
Thanks,
Jerry