Bachmann 36-557 21-pin Decoder

[Leander]

Thanks Nigel for your response, that's most useful.

[NoelG]

On 16/04/2013 at 23:15, melmerby said:

Or even better, try Lenz.

I have found them to be far superior to TCS and nowadays no more expensive.

 

Keith

 

Agree Lenz superb for non-sound decoders. I have found german retail web sites tend to have better pricing for DCC decoders and DCC equipment in general than UK suppliers (eg Kieskemper and modelbahnshoplippe, etc). I bought all my Lenz decoders from German sites. The Lenz Silver+ is great value with excellent low speed motor control. LokSound decoders also  cost less direct from Germany or amazon.de sometimes.

Edited March 23, 2019 by NoelG

[Suzie]

The simpler the decoder the less it will be affected by suppression capacitors - they mainly affect the motor feedback that keeps the train running at constant speed with varying load.

 

If you have a good decoder and want it to behave like a cheap decoder switch off the feedback, or alternatively snip out the capacitors and reap the benefits.

[paftrain]

On 23/03/2019 at 12:56, Suzie said:

The simpler the decoder the less it will be affected by suppression capacitors - they mainly affect the motor feedback that keeps the train running at constant speed with varying load.

 

If you have a good decoder and want it to behave like a cheap decoder switch off the feedback, or alternatively snip out the capacitors and reap the benefits.

Please explain how you switch off the feedback on a Bachmann 36-557 decoder. I’ve taken out the capacitor and it still runs like a kangaroo.

[melmerby]

On 23/03/2019 at 12:56, Suzie said:

The simpler the decoder the less it will be affected by suppression capacitors - they mainly affect the motor feedback that keeps the train running at constant speed with varying load.

 

If you have a good decoder and want it to behave like a cheap decoder switch off the feedback, or alternatively snip out the capacitors and reap the benefits.

Surely the opposite?

Lenz - not affected, I never take out caps.

Cheapies - not so good to start with so need all the help they can get.

[Suzie]

Lenz need to have the BEMF tuned to the motor - you will have trouble doing that with capacitors in. I suspect they come with very conservative settings as default which may be why you have little problem - the BEMF is probably nearly switched off as supplied.

[ColinK]

Been sorting out my rolling stock to get it ready for an exhibition. Had all sorts of problems with a Bachmann Motor Luggage Van, its one of my few non-sound items. Eventually took the body off and discovered its fitted with  one of the Bachmann/Soundtrax decoders which started off the whole thread. No idea where I bought the chip from, but I’ll have to replace it with a better one.

[Butler Henderson]

On ‎15‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 18:33, paftrain said:

Please explain how you switch off the feedback on a Bachmann 36-557 decoder. I’ve taken out the capacitor and it still runs like a kangaroo.

The CVs are all listed on the card backing that comes with the bubble packed latest 36-557 (blue pcb ESU made)

To turn BEMF off you need to tweak CV 49 which is defaulted to 17 and needs to have 16 written to it to switch BEMF off while retaining automatic DCC steed step detection.

 

The issue may be the values in CVs 54 and 55 (BEMF load control (k) and load control (l) ) which are defaulted to as 50 and 100 on the 36-557. In respect of the packaged 8 pin ESU decoder 36-553  Bachmann quoted values of:-

12 & 56 for the Jubliee,

12 & 62 for the G2A,

12 & 63 for the Hall, 56xx, Std 4 2-6-0, Std 4 2-6-4T and Ivatt 4 2-6-0,

15 & 63 for the Std 4 4-6-0,  and

25 & 32 for the 9F,

 with the statement that these values may need to be set one or two either side of those quoted to suit the requirements of the actual mechanism.

 

This pdf by South Western Digital goes through the steps to tweak the BEMF on ESU decoders, although only the notes in respect of CVs 53, 54 and 55 apply to ESU 53614 /  Bachmann 36-557

http://www.southwestdigital.co.uk/PDF/SWD LSV4 Motor back EMF Setup.pdf

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by Butler Henderson