meatloaf Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Just got a preowned powercab. It was new and unused and the bags were sealed. Im having problems getting it working. Ive installed it as per the manual, but i notice my panel is different to the one in the manual. The handset seems to start up ok and it goes to the normal screen but it wont let me press any buttons at all Its not connected to the track at this point so theres deffo no shorts or anything like that What am i missing? Do i have the wrong panel? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted December 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 27, 2020 I believe they've changed the sockets on the back of the PCP panel so that is probably not the problem. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnb Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 If it is all connected correctly as in your photos then the red LED should be alight. As the display is lit then power is getting through to the Powercab. In my experience the lack of a red light has been caused by either a faulty cable/plug or a dodgy socket, I've had one of each over some 8-10 years of use including some intensive exhibition use. So in my experience rare Have you tried wiggling the cable and the plugs in the sockets, are there any kinks in the cable, the wires inside are small and don't like being kinked. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatloaf Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 Tried another cable with no luck and tried wiggling it still no luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BromsMods Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 (edited) Try plugging the 6-core cable into the other socket on the front of the panel. Edited December 27, 2020 by BromsMods Additional info 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Edward Posted December 27, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 27, 2020 (edited) Yes I think you're right; the Panel displayed in the photo is a UTP with 4 outputs instead of the Power Panel which has 3. The UTP comes without an LED fitted but you can fit them afterwards. It is used to connect cab bus around the layout. If you look at the top photo carefully you can see the difference between the diagram & the actual panel. Edited December 27, 2020 by Edward to clarify the statement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 56 minutes ago, Edward said: Yes I think you're right; the Panel displayed in the photo is a UTP with 4 outputs instead of the Power Panel which has 3. The UTP comes without an LED fitted but you can fit them afterwards. It is used to connect cab bus around the layout. If you look at the top photo carefully you can see the difference between the diagram & the actual panel. They must have changed them at some point in the past. From the NCE site..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted December 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 27, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Edward said: Yes I think you're right; the Panel displayed in the photo is a UTP with 4 outputs instead of the Power Panel which has 3. The UTP comes without an LED fitted but you can fit them afterwards. It is used to connect cab bus around the layout. If you look at the top photo carefully you can see the difference between the diagram & the actual panel. The part in the photo has power input (at top) the UTP does not. RRR is correct. Chris Edited December 27, 2020 by Gilbert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 2 hours ago, Gilbert said: The part in the photo has power input (at top) the UTP does not. RRR is correct. Chris Also the PCP has a track power output (feeding the track power that comes from the PowerCab handset). The UTP doesn't have this as it's purely a Cab Bus interface. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ray H Posted December 27, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 27, 2020 The red LED doesn't seem to be illuminated in the two pictures - i would expect it to be glowing in the pictures - but the screen display on the cab looks like it normally does. Was the other cable you tried a 6 way cable? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 6 hours ago, johnb said: If it is all connected correctly as in your photos then the red LED should be alight. As the display is lit then power is getting through to the Powercab..... I don't own one of these, but I believe that's incorrect. If the red light is glowing, that indicates that the PowerCab is supplying track power to the PCP, not that the PowerCab is receiving power. 23 minutes ago, Ray H said: The red LED doesn't seem to be illuminated in the two pictures ...... If power is getting to the PowerCab and its display is alive, but the red light on the PCP is not glowing, then either the PowerCab is not producing a DCC track supply, or there's a fault in the sockets, plugs, cables or the PCP itself. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Doesn't it need power to the track before it will work fully - connection no 4 of OP's first photo? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatloaf Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 In the end i ended up returning it to the seller. It was obviously new as the cable and power plug were bagged and sealed. The instructions said it didnt need to be connected to the track for the light to come on - in fact they recommend not connecting the track to elimiate the possibilty of a short causing issues. I tried everyting to no avail sadly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted December 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 28, 2020 Sorry to hear - from the photos and words I don't think you did anything wrong. I did get mine out and try the wrong cable etc but the handset still worked - unlike yours. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Edward Posted December 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 28, 2020 In an effort to be helpful I feel I rushed into making suggestions without reading the original post carefully enough! But glad to see a very practical answer has been decided on. And useful facts learnt! Also from the guys at Digitrains found that both kinds of Panels can be used as junction boxes for the NCE Cab bus .( At least if you have a 5 amp system). A happy New Year to everyone . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilchris Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 Sorry to hear you have sent it back, my suggestion would have been to take the back off and make sure the eprom is plugged in. I had a experince with something similar happening to mine, and thats all that was wrong with it, it had come loose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted January 3, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 3, 2021 I have the NCE Powercab and as I understand you are able to recall either 2 or 6 locomotives numbers. I have followed the instructions in the supplied NCE and it is set to 6 However it only remembers two of the numbers and the last number used. I’m baffled, I don’t wish to do a factory reset as that would mean re inputting all my point macros I do find the NCE User Manual poor, is there a alternative? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cravensdmufan Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 26 minutes ago, ELTEL said: I have the NCE Powercab and as I understand you are able to recall either 2 or 6 locomotives numbers. I have followed the instructions in the supplied NCE and it is set to 6 However it only remembers two of the numbers and the last number used. I’m baffled, I don’t wish to do a factory reset as that would mean re inputting all my point macros I do find the NCE User Manual poor, is there a alternative? Press PROG/ESC 6 times. It will read SET CAB PARAMS Press ENTER It will read SHOW TRK CURRENT? ( I find that useful so I press 1 for Yes, if you don't want that just press ENTER) Then it says NUMBER OF RECALLS Press 6 Then PROG/ESC to get back to the main screen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted January 3, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 3, 2021 Many thanks I’ll give that a try tomorrow and let you know how I go on Terry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ray H Posted January 4, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2021 That's any number up to and including six as far as I recall. I run a sequence on my OO layout which utilizes several locos so the recall stack of 6 is useful. On my O gauge shunting "layout" I only use two locos and set the stack to just 2 so that I don't have to (a) scroll through a long stack and (b) key in the loco number each time I want to change it. I did keep the stack at 6 and enter each loco's number alternately 3 times but that didn't always work because I'd forget to turn the speed back to zero sometimes before changing locos and then I had to scan through the stack quickly to find the moving loco's entry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted January 4, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2021 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Ray H said: I did keep the stack at 6 and enter each loco's number alternately 3 times but that didn't always work because I'd forget to turn the speed back to zero sometimes before changing locos and then I had to scan through the stack quickly to find the moving loco's entry. Funny you should say........ Edited January 4, 2021 by Gilbert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted January 4, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 4, 2021 13 hours ago, cravensdmufan said: Press PROG/ESC 6 times. It will read SET CAB PARAMS Press ENTER It will read SHOW TRK CURRENT? ( I find that useful so I press 1 for Yes, if you don't want that just press ENTER) Then it says NUMBER OF RECALLS Press 6 Then PROG/ESC to get back to the main screen. Hi Now sorted, it seems my problem was that I was not pressing the recall button before adding the next loco number in the recall list We live and learn Thanks for pointing in the right direction Terry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted January 11, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) Am I right in thinking I should either have 2 red status lights or none? Not getting anything out of any loco except, ironically, a 7mm Dapol 08 i bought 2nd hand for 140 quid and I didnt even know had sound until today! Edited January 11, 2021 by Hal Nail Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 1 hour ago, Hal Nail said: Am I right in thinking I should either have 2 red status lights or none? Not getting anything out of any loco except, ironically, a 7mm Dapol 08 i bought 2nd hand for 140 quid and I didnt even know had sound until today! Does the cable in the left hand 'control bus' socket connect to the right hand 'control bus? socket. It should. The right hand Status should not be on. Check that the two 'track' wires are fully in the screw socket and that the inner clamp in on wire and not on the plastic sheaving. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted January 11, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 11, 2021 10 minutes ago, dasatcopthorne said: Does the cable in the left hand 'control bus' socket connect to the right hand 'control bus? socket. It should. The right hand Status should not be on. Check that the two 'track' wires are fully in the screw socket and that the inner clamp in on wire and not on the plasti8c sheaving. Thanks. Yes that control bus wire is plugged in correctly and it has all worked fine before today. A couple of locos which have had home conversions will move very slowly so some power is getting through but I'm getting nothing at all from my factory dcc locos. I suspect I've got a damaged cable somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now