JST

Right, I have been and interviewed the decoder which has fessed up to being an MX 622. I think the diagram on Zimo's website shows the soldering points so I should be OK now.

I bought it about 5 years ago Iain! 😆 And to be fair it works perfectly.

Thanks John P. I will do that. I bought it new from a reputable outlet and it said MX616N on the box but hey ho.......

Sorry, yes. Fat fingered moment! Although I am starting to think that despite what it said on the box it might not be an MX616N!

Here are a couple of pictures of a Zimo MX616N decoder to which I want to attach a stay alive. I have a charging circuit connecting board (YooChoos) but I do not know which solder pad is which. Sadly the diagram on Zimo's website seems to be of a different version. I think the pad at the corner (second photo) may be the common positive but I am not sure, and the pad next to it on the end may be the ground but again I am not sure. Can anyone point me in the right direction? For information, the decoder is from one of my Bachmann panniers which occasionally stalls for no reason in random places where my other panniers sail past happily. I sent it back to Bachmann under warranty who fitted a new set of wheels and pick ups but the problem remains. It otherwise runs beautifully so I have decided to hit the problem with a big stick!

RAF96 is right. My second system is one of the ones you are looking at, the Z21. Yes, it costs but it is good and the phone application for running is excellent. I have a large layout and use two iPads, two iPhones and a WLAN mass to run it. The control options for sound on the Z21 app I find to be superb and the WLAN Maus is great for the "knob twiddling and button pushing" option.

I went round this loop and like RAF96 became disillusioned with Hornby Railmaster. In the end I learned that:- 1 Decent kit costs 2 you should always plan for future expansion. In the end I wound up with Roco Z21 stuff and iTrain and have never looked back. You pays yer money and........

Unless he means Lenz Gold decoders. Since I have got a Z21 I have discovered a fun way of double heading which is to have two throttles open on the iPad and drive both locos tab the same time. Doing this with sound fitted locos means the chuff rate is not the same - sounds better! 😀

Or babysitting even! 😀

I have a sound fitted Accurascale Manor on order and was interested to see that they come fitted with a stay alive as standard. Whereas I agree that a loco should run OK on decently laid track, they do have their uses such as maintaining steady sound on a turntable.

Thanks for this. I guess it is the same issue but with a different loco and decoder. I followed your suggestion and turned the loco but this just moved the problem to the other end of the track. As I said before , the loco stops and reverses at one end but stops and then carries on in the same direction (as if an intermediate station stop) at the other end. The track is perfectly clean and the loco pickups are good. I keep coming back to the following questions:- 1 Do the DCC concepts ABC units work in a different way to the Lenz units I have fitted? The Lenz units are fitted to the right hand rail in the direction of travel at each end. 2 Have I set the decoder CVs correctly? I have solved the problem by fitting a Zimo decoder to the loco which now shuttles perfectly. I will fit the Zen Black to a loco that will not be required to shuttle but all the same, I am curious to know what I have got wrong. Cheers John

Thanks Nigel. I have a couple of Zimo decoders arriving tomorrow! 😀

I have a branch line on my layout with Lenz ABC braking units at each end (each wired to the right hand rail). All my locos with Zimo/ESU decoders do the shuttle mode thing perfectly but I am having trouble with a Bachmann Pannier tank that I have just fitted with a Zen Black decoder and stay alive. The loco trundles into the terminus and stops at the required place, waits and then retraces it's steps to the main terminus. The trouble is, when it gets there is stops, waits and then sets off in the same direction instead of going back again. I found that CV 60 was set to 5 which means the loco was expecting a station stop of 50 seconds which I thought was the problem but resetting CV60 to 0 has not cured the problem. I have read the DCC Concepts manual and have accordingly set CV 27 to 4 and CV 59 to 3 (a thirty second delay). I can only think that either:- 1 Maybe DCC Concepts decoders only work with DCC Concepts ABC units 2 Somewhere I have a CV setting wrong. Before I email DCC Concepts does anyone here have any pearls of wisdom to shed? If the answer is a lemon I will remove the Zen Black and fit a Zimo.

Thanks Nigel. Yes, I am aware that the MX series are being replaced but all my MX decoders work fine for me and maybe the MS series will be more expensive.

Due to the apparent shortage of Zimo decoders I have been looking at Roco items and have a few questions:- 1 Are they in fact rebadged Zimo chips. 2 Can I load sound projects using my Z21. 3 If the decoder comes pre loaded with sound, can I change this. I can buy this decoder here in France for a decent price so I thought it may be worth considering. https://www.latelierdutrain.com/decodeur-digital-sonore/112070-decodeur-digital-sonore-a-8-poles-roco-fleischmann-10890-9005033108908.html?search_query=Zimo&results=46

I have downloaded the new app and used it. When it comes to IT I am at best a light switch operator 3rd grade but I found the programming function straightforward. I like the fact that it now tells you the decoder make!

Managed to finish the mimic diagram of the branch terminus part of my layout (I will leave the rest to iTrain!) and have tried the new app for the first time. I have to say I like it. At first it seemed a bit odd and I didn't like the colour scheme so I changed it to blue which seems much better on the eye. The function buttons on the throttle are a bit less clear compared with the old app but the big bonus is the loco selection screen. I have 30 plus locos on my layout and this makes life a lot easier than the old swiping across method. I am assuming that this cannot be so but it seems that the throttle operation is somehow smoother. One odd thing - when I open a loco throttle to start, it shows the speed as 0 kph but as soon as you move the throttle it changes to mph.

Having fun and games creating the mimic diagram. I have watched the tutorial but the icons on my screen are not behaving the same. Sometimes they refuse to move other times they move to odd places and occasionally disappear completely! After a few disappeared I went off in search of them and eventually found them huddled up together in the far top left hand corner of the grid - pesky little blighters!

I have downloaded version 1.4.5 to have a look (I have kept the old version). In general I prefer the old version and although I have not connected the app to the Z21 yet, I can see one change that is a tad annoying. On the old app you could photograph a section of the layout and superimpose the point controls over this. This possibility seems to have disappeared - unless I have missed something.

I may come if you promise not to yodel! 😁😁

Russ P is right. I have a sound fitted one of these and love it, but without the stay alive it sounds like Norman Collier is driving it!

Both Iain. I put Lais decoders in a couple of old Lima DMUs just to convert them to DCC as a bit of an experiment. The stay alives we’re necessary due to the less than good Lima pick up arrangement. My Bachmann Prairie has a Zimo decoder and Lais stay alive which seems to be an excellent combination.

I am not a fan of Lais decoders but having said that I use them as function only decoders for lighting. Zimo are so much better for motor control. I have used Lais decoders with Lais stay alive and they work well.

I suggest that if you are going to be working on any model railway electrics, you really need a basic multimeter. They usually come with instructions but I am sure there are helpful videos on YouTube. It will help you a lot!

It is perfectly possible to reverse the drive bogie by design or by mistake (don't ask me how I know!) so the traction tyre wheels are on the wrong side. A simple check with a multimeter will tell you if the pick up wheels on the driven and trailing bogies are on the same rail. However, if direct application of power to the motor brush holders produces no response, there is something up with the motor. A clean up of the brushes and commutator may help. My personal preference with these is to replace the motor with a Strathpeffer CD kit.