Alan Kettlewell

I love my Roco Z21. A 3.2 amp system with wireless control, operated using your smart phone or a tablet - I use both. Friends can join in too using their own smart phone or tablet. With it you can also draw your layout plan on screen if you wish, and operate turnouts and accessories by touch control - but you don't have to, that's optional as a conventional mimic panel can still be used. There are numerous connections allowing connection of a host of different handheld units if required, supports feedback control, accessory decoders and even secondary DCC systems, also suppor

Hi Duncan, Glad you sorted it. I just wondered by if by chance you gave it an address between 100 and 127. Some DCC chip manufacturers regard this range of numbers as falling in the two digit range while others regard it as in the four digit range. Therefore this range of addresses can be problematic with some systems. For this reason I avoid these numbers. Just a thought (although a tad late now!) Cheers ... Alan

Hi Ade, A good question. With or without Train Controller that is always going to be a tricky situation as, I'm sure you're aware, the sound loco may delay pulling away whilst the non sound loco will want to get going straight away. I have not actually tried it however it is possible to adjust CVs so that one loco will require a higher starting voltage than the other. Such a technique woukd require a lot of trial and error but there may be better answers than I can give. I think to get more info about DCC it would be better to head over to the DCC questions forum.

A good answer above from John P and directly addresses your question. I could not answer this in regard to the Z21 as I dont set up consists with it. My consists are set up up by Train Controller so it's the software that setsnup the CVs and does the consist controlling and not the Z21 directly. I can say that control on all ascents and descents is faultless, subject to all DCC decoders being BackEMF enabled. I have a few double headers pulling 8 coach trains and equivalent length goods trains, all flawlessly. Cheers ... Alan

Thanks for the replies. Yes of course I've used the programming track to set up - my system is the Roco Z21 (which is set up on my H0 layout down the shed) and I also use a Roco Multimaus system attached to a yard of track on my workbench up in the house - although with the Multimaus system you can only write to a chip but not read. In addition I use the ESU decoder tester. A strange thing is that there was no apparent failure on the Z21 programming track. I can get a response when sending read and write commends to the chip when fitted (the usual small movement of

It seems there is. On the left terminal I get a reading of around 20 to 28 ohms.

Ah yes I see, thanks. It's very close but not touching - but just in case, I've put a bit of black tape over it. Cheers .. Alan

Hi giz, Could you elaborate a bit ie where do you mean? Although this is a just a photo taken at some point during proceedings intended to show the chassis I'm working on - it's not necessarily representing the issue when under test as the wires have been off and on as I've tried all sorts of things. Thanks.

Hello, Having been fitting decoders to all sorts of locos for about 15 years or so I've found one that has stumped me. I'm fitting a decoder for a friend's 4mm kit built J39 (unknown kit but fairly old I reckon). This one is powered from pickups on the wheels on one side and via the chassis on the other. Fairly straight forward - or so it should be, and my range of chip fitting experience includes the old split chassis locos so usually I know what I'm doing (usually!) When connected to DC it runs quite nicely, however when the decoder is fitted it will not run. NB

Hi Michael, Thanks for your comments and yes it is a bit of a shame when enthusiasm for a layout runs dry. No further health problems either touch wood. Half of it is still up but I'm uncertain if I'll continue with it. A big put-off to dismantling it is that I'll have to remove and sell off all that good quality continental H0 stock. Regarding helices, I used 5mm rodding for the supports and for the track base I used 6mm MDF, which I certainly found to be strong enough. I rationalise that the thicker the track bed is the steeper the gradient needs to be for each

Job done. I made the required tool with the aid of my trusty Dremel. Thanks again for the help - appreciated. Cheers ... Alan

Excellent responses - many thanks indeed. Cheers ... Alan

A little help please. I'm not familiar with 4mm loco kits (my kit building knowledge is with 7mm). Anyway I'm helping out a friend to determine the cause of a loud squeal which I've identified is coming from the gearbox, which I'd like to take off. Could anyone please identify these wheels on a 4mm loco? And what tool is required to get them off or should they just screw off? Many thanks. Cheers ... Alan

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