JST

OK... just been out and bought some white spirit. Any ideas for another use of 10 litres of IPA? 😂

I use a cotton bud and IPA with the loco running on the rolling road. Works fine.

I know with all that is going on with the 2023 stuff that this loco is old hat now but I have just got round to commissioning mine and I have to say I am very pleased with it. I followed the advice in this thread and fitted a dual sugar cube speaker and can concur that the close coupling is a pain to do. However, mine doesn’t suffer the “Sam’s Trains” power issue and I really like the Youchoos sound.

Just had a swift response from Heljan:- "Dear Mr Tidmarsh, Thanks for the message. The headcode panel lights, cab lights and tail lights are wired on separate functions, requiring six functions. If the tail light remains 'on' at all times it may be faulty as it should be possible to switch this off at each end. The functions we specified to the factory are as follows... F0 – Headcode panel light at front (in direction of travel) = OK F1 – No Function F2 – No Function F3 – Cab Light No2 end on/off = OK F4 – Cab Light No1 end on/off = OK F5 – No1 end tail light F6 – No2 end tail light We do not refer to any Maerklin or Zimo products when setting up our DCC functions. Our standard reference is ESU. Kind Regards Team Heljan"

I don't know Nigel. I will ask Heljan.

Good point! I will check it out. Thanks.

I have just bought a new Heljan Hymek (the one with the 21 pin DCC socket) and have a bit of an issue with the lighting. F0 turns the head code lighting on and it changes ends as it should when you change direction - all good so far. F5 turns on one tail light which stays on regardless of direction (which may be correct) but I cannot find any function key to turn on the other tail light or the cab lights. The instructions with the model are about as illuminating as the cab lights! The decoder I am using is a Lenz Silver (until a Zimo MS440 turns up). I have checked the wiring to the lights which seems OK and there is no voltage at the relevant points on the loco circuit board for the cab lights or one tail light when they are theoretically turned on. The DC switches on the board are all "on". Any ideas? Cheers For the record, the loco runs really well!

It would appear so. Maybe not many people have the working fan version.

Problem solved (well, more overcome than solved). I simply did a decoder reset which I guess I should have done before and all is restored. Interestingly , not only do F20 to F31 now work but also some random sounds that were missing before (although I had not realised this) have now appeared such as automatic cylinder purging on start up!

I am working off the sheet supplied by Youchoos so I guess so but I can check with them.

I have done some more testing and find that the app will operate F20 and above on a couple of TTS decoders and another Zimo sound decoder so I can only assume that the MS440 is the issue. I tried updating the decoder but it wouldn’t play ball, probably because I have a stay alive fitted. I guess I have to take it apart and try again.

The new one i.e. the top one.

I have just fitted a Zimo MS440 sound decoder to my Hornby 9F and all is well..... except I can't operate sounds higher than F19. I have updated the Z21 firmware as the Z21 app. was telling me that sounds F20 to F31were not accessible unless the latest firmware was installed. Still no joy.... any ideas what I have done wrong? The decoder CVs 7&8 are 4 and 145 respectively.

Yes it is achievable. Both my Dapol Western Class and Class 22 have independently switchable tail lights. Sadly though, I am not clever enough to tell you how to do it! Someone will be along shortly………..

Something else that may be worth thinking about is how good are you with IT systems. If you are not totally confident you will need a decent support facility. I cannot speak for or about Traincontroller as I have iTrain. All I know is that iTrain support for a numpty like me is superb both from the provider and a certain member of this forum.

I checked on this before I bought them. They were certainly in use in the early 60s and probably before that.

Whilst waiting for my Manor to arrive I amused myself by installing a Brewery on my layout and I have to say that the Accurascale beer keg stacks are ,IMHO the bee’s knees! 😁

I use the Lais ones a lot. Very much up to the task.

Not necessarily so Jamesed. Since Brexit you will find that in many cases the recipient in the EU (I know from experience) can get caught for not only VAT in the EU but also import duties and admin fees. I had one parcel, the cost value of which was £47, which cost me another €35 to collect it! The VAT element was way more than 20% because they base it on what they think the item is worth and not the sender declared value. I don't blame Lenz for not wanting to get involved.

This can depend on which sound project you have. However, this may help:- https://oliviastrains.com/product/dj-models-h1408-14xx-n5816-br-black/

Interesting. I am about to collect mine when I come over to Blighty for Xmas and I want to fit sound to it. The Hattons website blurb says there is a space to accept a round speaker but from what you say this is not the case. Any ideas what may fit?

It was because A cab had a first gear lock out mechanism. They found that at the speed the Hymeks had to bank at was just on the change point between first and second gear. This resulted in it “hunting” between first and second and overheating the transmission fluid.

No, the wheels keep turning as they should but you are right about Zimo. I shall be fitting one this afternoon and relegating the Zen to operating the vacuum cleaner in my Dapol track cleaner truck!

I have checked CV29 which is fine at 2 and yes, the calculator is useful. However, the problem persists but on reflection I have not given you all the relevant information. I have fixed a Lais stay alive to the decoder which I guess may be affecting things. I have a number of these stay alives fitted to Zimo decoders without incident and assumed the same would be true of Zen Black decoders but maybe I was wrong. I just tried running the loco at slow speed, removing from the track and then replacing it. This is what happens:- I have spare Zimo MX 600 so I will try that.

A bit off topic but……… I am waiting to collect mine when I am in the UK for Xmas but I will be fitting DCC sound to it. From the photo it appears that between the blanking plug and the light switches there is a plug socket for the speaker. Is this new for the Hymek?