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Trouble with a Lais decoder.


hucknall byron
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39 minutes ago, hucknall byron said:

I have had fitted a Lais decoder into my Hornby 101 DMU. All was well and I put it away for a while during urgent engineering work on the layout. It now runs very badly, jerky and almost running backwards at times but not quite. Any suggestions?

Try setting CV8 to 8.  This should reset the decoder back to factory settings.  The loco address will revert back to 3 so you will have change that back to your desired running number.

 

I have had decoders lose memory over a period out of use.  And not just cheap ones either.  Factory reset usually gets them back to normal.   

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Well I have had a go with altering CV8 to 8 but my powercab wont even read the chip. I am assuming the chip is the problem and needs replacing? I hadn't much faith in it at the outset to be honest but I thought I would give it a go. Any suggestions for a replacement? the model is very basic no lights and all I want it to do is smoothly go backwards and forwards. It is 8 pin dcc ready.

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31 minutes ago, hucknall byron said:

Well I have had a go with altering CV8 to 8 but my powercab wont even read the chip. I am assuming the chip is the problem and needs replacing? I hadn't much faith in it at the outset to be honest but I thought I would give it a go. Any suggestions for a replacement? the model is very basic no lights and all I want it to do is smoothly go backwards and forwards. It is 8 pin dcc ready.

The Laisdcc decoder is on their website - it has all the CV default values and ranges. 

To reset the decoder, set CV8 to 4 and/or CV30 to 4

Ian

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3 hours ago, hucknall byron said:

Well I have had a go with altering CV8 to 8 but my powercab wont even read the chip. I am assuming the chip is the problem and needs replacing? I hadn't much faith in it at the outset to be honest but I thought I would give it a go. Any suggestions for a replacement? the model is very basic no lights and all I want it to do is smoothly go backwards and forwards. It is 8 pin dcc ready.

Just before you give up on the decoder - try this with your Powercab:

 

Put loco on Program Track

 

Press PRO/ESC four times (USE PROGRAM TRK appears)

 

Press ENTER

 

Press  7 (RECOVERY PROGRAM?)

 

Press 1 (=YES)

 

it will page through the decoder and the loco should jiggle a bit on the track.  When it's done it's thing  press PROG/ESC.

 

With luck the decoder will now be reset. (Loco address 3).

 

Give that a go and let us know how you get on.

 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, WIMorrison said:

How is that any different from just setting CV8=8?

Well it's somehow different - it worked with a few of mine when CV8 to 8 didn't. I don't know the ins and outs of it but it's worth him having a go.

 

Edit: The NCE manual says (quote) "RECOVERY PROGRAMMING re-programs a decoder's CVs in an attempt to get an 'insane' decoder back to somewhat normal operation".

 

Now that could of course be the same as the CV8 thing but I notice when I used that option 7 the loco jiggles on the track while it's paging through.

 

 

Edited by cravensdmufan
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7 hours ago, WIMorrison said:

CV8=2 for Lais according to their manual

 

CONFUSING...

On the LAISDCC website ( https://laisdcc.com/LaisDcc_Decoders_Manual_V2.pdf )

 

the V2 manual states: 

Visit our Page LaisDccTM Decoders Manual Sales@laisdcc.com www.laisdcc.com 2002-2018 ©LaisDccTM 1 / 17 1. Decoders CV list, please download it via our website www.laisdcc.com/cvlist.pdf

2. Reset We offer two CV for reset. You can use any of them.

       A. Write 4 to CV8 to reset the decoders.

       B. Write 4 to CV30 to reset the decoders.

Note: Please refer to the CV list for the default value and the value after reset. Attention: If you find after you reset your decoders keep all the settings the same as before. If so maybe you have lock the decoders. Please program the CV15 to 0 and program CV16 to 1 at the Programming track to unlock it first. Then Reset it again.

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Lais are rip-off decoders (I can't remember who design) from China - cheaply made and absolute carp.

 

Buy once then throw away, having learnt your lesson then buy a quality decoder from Zimo, ESU, Lenz, TCS, Digitrax, Zen (there are others but these are amongst the best).

 

As ever, you pays yer money and takes yer chance - buy carp and endlessly faff about with unsatisfying performance or buy quality that works. 

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Guest Half-full

I bought a Lais decoder a year or so ago, 9 quid I think it cost.  Installed it in a Hornby J50, worked fine, was able to change address etc and stood up well to almost continuous use at a weekend exhibition.  

 

Stored the loco away and when I brought it out of storage to get ready for another expo six months or so later the decoder was dead, couldn't get it to respond to any commands, couldn't get it to reset.  

 

Binned it and replaced with a ZImo, which I've now standardised across my fleet, inexpensive, very reliable and I know there is great customer support there if I need it.

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I  have not a few duff decoders collected  over the years, of various makes, stripped out of friend's locos which didn't work reliably: which then got a Lenz standard or (latterly) a  Zimo MX  600 family decoder, and thereafter worked fine.

 

Now, I didn't bin these duffers. I have several trains that need light switches, and they have proved adequate to that task, in the context of a layout operated most days, so they don't get a chance to lose their memory or otherwise corrupt. So that's an option I would suggest for any regular operators.

Edited by 34theletterbetweenB&D
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  • 3 months later...
On 29/03/2020 at 14:36, hucknall byron said:

In the interest of fairness I am thinking  that the lais decoder may not have been the cause of the trouble now. I have posted on another Hornby 101 trouble thread and I think I may have found another reason which wont surprise many people on here,

 

So in conclusion the decoder was not faulty?

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Lais decoders have their uses.

 

Running multiple units where you need a separate function decoder gives lais an excellent value-for-money investment.

 

The Lima 156 I used the lais decoder in wasn't great so used them only in a function capacity after that.

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