Dapol Class 59 light problem

[Glencoe Model Railway]

Hopefully someone can help me sort an issue with my mates Dapol 59. 
 

He has two locos, one DCC fitted and the other was DCC ready. The fitted one is all good and the lights function as designed. We have fitted an Imperium 1 into the other one but the lights are a right mess. Swapping the decoders over only serves to make the other one work and the originally functioning one becomes a mess. This suggests that the factory fitted decoder is working correctly. It would also suggest that both locos circuit boards are ok. I tried reading the info on the “good” decoder and writing it onto the new decoder but this did not work (using a SPROG and decoder Pro) we also tried an Imperium 3 and a lokpilot 5 but no success. 
 

Part of the problem is that the Decoder Pro doesn’t recognise the Imperium decoders and whilst I could read the decoder using the NMRA default, it’s not clear what functions are allocated to what. 
 

With the Lokpilot, I used the Lokprogrammer and was slightly more successful but try as I might, I couldn’t get the Tail Lights to function correctly at the exhaust end. 
 

Does anyone have any idea of where I can find the information to program the Imperium correctly please. 
 

Thanks

[jamesed]

A good place to start would be if you tell us how you'd like the lights to operate.  What would you like on which functions.  Then we can advise you what CV changes you may need to make.

 

Second, the loco would have been supplied with an instruction sheet telling you which lights have been wired to which function pins on the 21 pin socket.  If you can confirm those details that will also help.

Edited August 29, 2023 by jamesed

[jamesed]

I suspect (but am not sure) that the Class 59 setup is the same as the Class 68.    As the Imperium decoders have the same cv set as Lais decoders a quick search has returned the following setup information which might be worth a try:

 

Set loco internal switch 3 to position 1

Then configure your decoder with the following CV settings.

These will give you whites directional on F0

Reds No 1 end directional on F1 and 

Reds No 2 end directional on F2

CV = Value

34=4

35=2

36=8

50=16

51=16

52=0

For non directional control of reds so you can leave them on when you want, for example parking lights set 

CV = Value

50=32

52=32

[Glencoe Model Railway]

Thanks for that. Next time he is over I’ll get the programming kit out and try these. Whites on F0 and Tails on f1/f2 would be enough for him I think. 
 

Cheers

 

Eddie

[Nigelcliffe]

9 hours ago, Glencoe Model Railway said:

Thanks for that. Next time he is over I’ll get the programming kit out and try these. Whites on F0 and Tails on f1/f2 would be enough for him I think. 

 

Depends on the DCC command station and throttles owned.   If they are US-designed types (includes Gaugemaster), F2 is a bad choice for lights as F2 is usually "non latching" (ie. hold down all the time for it to work).    

 

Whilst I don't have Lais decoder behaviour at my fingertips;  is there any reason why reds directional on F1 can't be done for both ends ?   Thus F0 is white, and F1 is red,  direction sorts itself out.   

 

 

- Nigel

 

[Glencoe Model Railway]

He uses a Dynamis so I believe f2 is latching ( although it’s been a while since I used it) 

What I find odd is that I can’t just “copy” an Imperium with the same settings onto an identical (I presume) decoder 

 

Cheers 

 

[Kaput]

Is the factory fitted one an Imperium 1 or an Imperium 3? That could explain the issues.

 

Use the Laisdcc profiles in DecoderPro for Imperiums, at least for the 1 and 2.

[Glencoe Model Railway]

We tried a 1 and a 3 yesterday. I think it’s a 1 that comes from the factory. 
 

cheers

[Glencoe Model Railway]

Just an update (and conclusion) to this one. My mate decided that he wanted sound for the loco and went to Roads and Rails for a Loksound decoder. All light functions were perfect on installation, and the sound file is excellent. Still never did get to the bottom of why Imperiums wouldn’t work but he is a very happy man now with his sound 

 

Thanks to those who offered advice, we appreciate it

 

Cheers