RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2019 Good Afternoon, I'm having some trouble with this - When I connect to track I can drive the Loco no issue. But when I connect to the programming track I get an Error 2. If I try and use CV Editor, when trying to read, the loco makes a very small forward/backward movement then the screen pops up "No Decoder Found" or "Read Error". The cabling is all fine, and it does it on multiple locos with different brand decoders. Any ideas? Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Liddiard Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 Error 2 is "no decoder detected". In my experience this can be down to dirt on the rails/wheels/pick-ups or sometimes poor wiring in the loco. in the worst case it will mean the decoder has failed. The only way to be sure is to extract the decoder and test it on it's own. I have also spent ages trying to solve a similar fault to then realise that I haven't swiched the programming track over to the PQ terminals on the command station..... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted December 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2019 58 minutes ago, Gavin Liddiard said: Error 2 is "no decoder detected". In my experience this can be down to dirt on the rails/wheels/pick-ups or sometimes poor wiring in the loco. in the worst case it will mean the decoder has failed. The only way to be sure is to extract the decoder and test it on it's own. I have also spent ages trying to solve a similar fault to then realise that I haven't swiched the programming track over to the PQ terminals on the command station..... The OP says the problem occurs with multiple locos with different decoder brands which must eliminate this particular locomotive as being at fault. Is the track clean? Is it fully isolated from the rest of the layout and only connected to the P and Q terminals of the LZV200? My suspicion is that it is a wiring problem with the track somewhere. Does your LH101 have the V2.0 firmware? If so, with the Railcom activated on the LZV200, you can read CV values on the main without using the programming track. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 1 hour ago, RFS said: Does your LH101 have the V2.0 firmware? If so, with the Railcom activated on the LZV200, you can read CV values on the main without using the programming track. Only if the decoder in question supports RailCom, and also assumes someone hasn't turned RailCom off in the decoder in CV29, either by mistake or intentionally.... - Nigel 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 12, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 12, 2019 (edited) Hi All, thanks for the responses - the track is a brand new piece of Hornby's finest, literally just a lump of track on a desk. Two of the locos I've tried are older Thomas and Percy but one is a brand new Oxford N7. I am using a power clip (I removed the cap from it) but have also tried wiring direct. I think I'll try scrubbing the rails as perhaps nickel silver can oxidise? I'm sending the LH101 off in early Jan to get it updated, I don't want it to potentially get lost in the Christmas post. Edited December 12, 2019 by Bucoops Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium JimFin Posted December 12, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 12, 2019 How about - connect the test rail as if it were the main track and check if the locos run correctly. If they do, the problem is probably with the PQ terminals. If they do not run correctly, then the issue is with the connection to the track or track itself. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMorrison Posted December 12, 2019 Share Posted December 12, 2019 The fact that the loco jerks when you first try to read it suggests to me that you are using the bit of track as a programming track as that is indicative that the controller is sending the messages to the loco asking for the CV details. i would check that you have good connections all round, if they are all ok then it does suggest it is knackered 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted December 12, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 12, 2019 (edited) When I first purchased the LZV200 earlier this year I found it would not work correctly with occupancy detectors connected on the RS port. I don't know how widespread the problem was other than a number of other people had the same problem. I subsequently returned my LZV200 and only after this did Lenz respond by sending me a replacement to test which works fine. Therefore I wonder if the problem also affects the programming track via the PQ terminals. After all the PQ terminals are part of the same 4-way socket as the RS. I don't use the PQ terminals on mine as I use a Lenz decoder programmer instead. I would suggest contacting Lenz, but perhaps via A&H Models in the first instance. Edited December 12, 2019 by RFS 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 13, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 13, 2019 I do think it may be the LZV200 - I've tried so many different combinations all with the same result Looks like I'll be sending the whole lot to A&H instead of just the handset for an upgrade. Thank you all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted December 13, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 13, 2019 Just seen a post on the Traincontroller website (in German) whereby a user, who's just swapped his LZV100 for an LZV200, reports the exact same problem as you are describing. He says he's only using Lenz decoders and none of them will work. However no response yet, as those who have responded haven't recognized this is a Lenz problem not a TC one. If he gets a resolution I'll update it here. Meanwhile I'll try later today doing a test with the PQ interface on my LZV200. I've never used it since I've always used the Lenz decoder programmer instead. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 13, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 13, 2019 Great thanks. A&H have gone straight to Lenz with my query. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted December 13, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 13, 2019 (edited) Have just run a test with a programming track on PQ connection, and everything worked perfectly. No problem reading or writing CVs on the loco I tested which has a Lenz Standard+ decoder. My LZV200 is running a slightly-modified beta software (to enable the PC interface to be used directly with Traincontroller without the +hardware component) and the LH101 has V2.0 software. I quite simply plugged two wires into the PQ plug and connected to a standalone piece of track. Edited December 13, 2019 by RFS 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 13, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 13, 2019 Thanks Same connectivity as me (different firmware of course). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 17, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2019 I've just tried the same LH101, same cables, track piece and locos with an LZV100 without any issues. So definitely the LZV200 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 17, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 17, 2019 Update from A&H - Lenz are sending replacement firmware for the LZV200 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted March 1, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2020 Just a little update - I sent the full Set 101 to Chris at A&H (Can't stress enough how helpful he is being). He updated the firmware on the handset and ran some tests. On return I now have a 100% success rate with Lenz decoders on the programming track so that's an improvement. But still 100% failure rate with the other brand of decoders which is Zimo (All MX600Rs). Still no issues with either using the set 100. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philg Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 This topic seemed to die, which is a shame as ..... I just bought a Zimo MX600 and I too cannot read CVs on the programming track either with the LH101 handset OR DecoderPro through the PC interface. Reading the decoder works fine on an NCE system I can OPERATE the decoder just fine, I just get "loco not found" when I try and read cvs I'm using two different decoder testers, both of which out sufficient load on the motor terminals (and I can see the decoder "twitching" the motor So I also think there is an incompatibility between the LZV200 and at least Zimos MX600 Did anyone ever get to the bottom of this?? I have also just flagged this with A & H and Coastal DCC, and I await their thoughts Cheers all Phil G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted May 20, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2021 (edited) Which firmware version do you have on the LZV200? There's a label on the update stick that is supplied with the LZV200 and will be of the format Bnnnn. Mine was updated by Lenz to B4325, but there's been another update from Lenz since (to B4388). My LH101 is V2.0 and firmware is B1066 which is displayed when you switch it on. I don't use the programming track having picked up a Lenz 23170 decoder programmer for a song off Ebay a while back, and this has no problems with Zimo decoders, but then it's not going via the LZV200. I also don't have any problems reading and writing CVs using the the LZV200's Global Railcom Detector. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll try plugging in a programming track to the PQ connections and see if I can then read MX600Rs. I did this test a while back for this thread but with Lenz decoders. Edited May 20, 2021 by RFS Corrected firmware level Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philg Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 I’ve also tried an MX638 that fails to read reliably, and an MX637 which seems fine..... I have B4388-B155 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted May 20, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 20, 2021 (edited) 11 minutes ago, philg said: I’ve also tried an MX638 that fails to read reliably, and an MX637 which seems fine..... I have B4388-B155 Yes it's B4388 that's the latest and I've corrected my post. What's the B155? Here's another user report with different errors. Edited May 20, 2021 by RFS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philg Posted May 20, 2021 Share Posted May 20, 2021 12 minutes ago, RFS said: Yes it's B4388 that's the latest and I've corrected my post. What's the B155? Here's another user report with different errors. The usb stick label says “B4388-B155” Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted May 21, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 21, 2021 Good afternoon, I still have the issue so I would be interested to hear what A&H suggest. I'll try and dig my set out at the weekend (it's packed away at the moment) and see what firmware I have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philg Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 5 minutes ago, Bucoops said: Good afternoon, I still have the issue so I would be interested to hear what A&H suggest. I'll try and dig my set out at the weekend (it's packed away at the moment) and see what firmware I have. They’ve flagged it with Lenz, and I’ve raised the issue with Zimo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted May 21, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 21, 2021 Just done a quick test with my LZV200 which is B4325 level. Needed to wire up a programming track to the P,Q terminals as I normally just use my Lenz decoder programmer. It had no problems at all with a Bachmann Standard 4MT fitted with a Zimo MX600R decoder - reads and writes loco address and all CVs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philg Posted May 21, 2021 Share Posted May 21, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, RFS said: Just done a quick test with my LZV200 which is B4325 level. Needed to wire up a programming track to the P,Q terminals as I normally just use my Lenz decoder programmer. It had no problems at all with a Bachmann Standard 4MT fitted with a Zimo MX600R decoder - reads and writes loco address and all CVs. Hmm. I’m at 4388 so maybe it’s a recently introduced problem. The MX600 is one of the ones I’m having bother with thanks for the feedback Edited May 21, 2021 by philg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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