N gauge 86259 - next 18 decoder problems ?

[nobby cheesewang]

Hello

 

Ive recently fitted a DCC decoder to my model of Les Ross. Dapol have upgraded the 86 to take Next 18 decoders, and this is my first install with one of these. The instructions mention removal of the DC blanking plug, but this also means removing a dip switch. This seems important to the lighting control at one end, and I now have the white lights showing in both directions when lights are on...ie the head/tail switchover doesnt work. 

 

Is there a work round to this or do I just live with it ? The decoder is a Bachmann one

 

 

[Kaput]

The default settings on the decoders aren't setup for how the lights are physically connected in the new Dapol releases.

 

Normally the instruction sheet has a little box saying what each function output is connected to so you can try and match it up with the decoder manual (the Bachmann one is a Zimo MX618N18).

 

Its 100 times easier to sort if you can connect the controller to a PC (or use a Sprog) and use JMRI/DecoderPro to program it.

[jpendle]

Hi,

 

The Bachmann decoder is probably a Zimo MX618N18, if you read back CV 8 then a Zimo decoder will retrun a value of 145.

I don't have a Next18 86 but I do have a Dapol Next18 CL66 so I am assuming that they are similar.

 

If it is a Zimo decoder then it sounds like someone has already changed the function mapping as by default when you press F0 just the lights at the number one end of the loco should come on, red or white depending on the direction of travel. If you do a hard reset on the decoder (set CV8 to 8) then the lights should operate like this :-

F0 Directional lights at one end

F1 Headlights at the other end

F2 Taillights at the other end   (I may have F1 and F2 mixed up)

 

If you want to change that then you have to program some CV's

 

For example to get F0 to control the lights at one end and F1 to control the lights at the other end then set 

 

CV33 to 1 (Default)

CV34 to 2 (Default)

CV35 to 12

CV36 to 0

CV127 to 2

CV128 to 1

 

Regards,

 

John P

 

 

[nobby cheesewang]

Thanks chaps. I'll have a play. The loco and decoder were  both bought brand new from a reputable shop. I'll have a look at the settings later.