robertwm3110

Further to last email am pleased to say it works! Wiring to FA1 enables on/off control of the light (for the cab) via F6 on the cab unit. Always helps when you read the instructions!!

Thanks again for various comments. Just to be clear, this is a MX644D. The reference to wires is based on the fact that the chip is plugged in to a small 21 pin to wire adapter. These (acquired off ebay for a few quid and very good ) are small adapters on which the chip sits ( i.e. male adapter, female receiver on the chip.) The advantage is that they have 21 slightly larger soldering pads which makes wiring a lot easier and if you screw up the soldering you ruin the adapter on not the chip! This is a DJH LOCO with no previous wiring so its all new from the lights etc. Thanks your advice Nigel, but I have now found the paperwork and its a Youchoos chip....that indicates that AUX3/FA1 is the connection for the light, with F6 on the cab unit to control it. So will try that, but if it doesnt work I’ll be back. But I would still like to be able to know how to remap the function outputs to the cab unit function keys.

Thanks to both. Not familiar with decoder pro but just googled it, thanks. On the other point, Suzie, if I connect to FI then how is this mapped to the cab unit (NCE procab). Which key is going to make it work?

Hi, I am fitting a spare MX644 Zimo chip in a DJH class 14. Sorted out the forward/reverse lighting but how do I get a cab light to work. There are half a dozen Function connections going spare, but which do I connect to. Obviously positive (blue) to the common positive but where does the other go. I randomly tried F3 but no joy. Is this a CV setting issue. I want the cab light separate from the direction lights.

Hi, when I set up a macro for point control I cant get the Procab to throw more than 2 point motors. I am using Cobalt IP motors. Is this a power issue, do I need to add capacitors in to the system.

Converting Heljan 40 0 gauge to DCC using Zimo699 chip. Can you reuse the lighting for front and tail lights as supplied on the printed circuit boards. The wiring seems unusual (like most Heljan wiring) and presume its paired white forward/red rear, changing as direction is selected. If you can use it can somebody confirm that R1-R5 are resistors and those will avoid using separate resistors on the positive feed from the chip.

Nigel, hi, did you ever get replies to this. View the timescale I assume this got sorted. I have the same question. Am normally ok on DCC wiring but not wired a Heljan model with the printed circuit board lights. The way the loco is wired suggests the forward white and rear red lights are paired, and alternate according to direction. Can you leave like that or is it a new start. Anyway, any comments appreciated. If its easier and as this is now so old reply direct to me on robertwm310@hotmail.com thanks

Ok thanks, i had been told to remove other locos so thanks for that.

Hi, has anybody had issues programming the larger Zimo 696 chips. I have 3 fitted to 3 Heljan 0 gauge locos but am unable to programme the chips using a dedicated programme track and the “USE PROGRAMME TRACK” option on my NCE procab system. Any attempts to do so bring up a “ CAN NOT READ “ error message. I can however programme by using “PROGRAMME ON MAIN” which gets round this but means moving all other locos off the main. One retailer has told me it could be the capacitor that is taking power away from the programme track. Is this possible, anybody else had this issue??

Thanks your comments

Hello, i am looking to fit loco lighting (cab and/or front/rear) to a few locos recently converted to DCC . Mostly Zimo chips. This includes a couple of Bacchman brass shunters and DJH class 03/14. What or whose lighting is recommended...LED???? Am ok on the wiring to the chips, just not sure or what lighting to use. Presume voltage would need some form of resistors??? (Please correct if necessary, my dad was the electrics man and it didnt pass down!)

Thanks for both replies, and hopefully on the market soon.

Hi, does anybody produce the correct style of numerals for the 05 shunter in the late BR green version. The Heljan version is the later larger window loco and these all seemed to have a larger style of number, certainly different in size and font to the more common pre TOPS versions that are available from a few manufacturers. Thanks.

Thanks for that. I’ll probably rewire the frog feeds from the track bus and use 4 5 6 as suggested . It does work using the accessory bus, or rather it works on the other 7 point motors. I had considered when I did this if it was the right thing, but electrics arent my strongest point. once again thanks for taking the time to help

Thanks again your comments. Yes its the Cobalt IP digital. I have looked at the wiring and it seems ok. I did swap the power supply leads from the bus and that just gave me a short on the frog, which is what it should have done. i tried reprogrammimg using input 197 as I originally did when the motors were new. This hasnt solved it. I did post this as a separate question and somebody suggested it could be a contact failure in the motor, also suggesting using the other switch on the motor, with power in from the track bus. Think thats contacts 4 5 and 6 on the Cobalt???

Thanks Nigel, its 5 amps because i am running 0 gauge although there is a seperate bus for the 8 point motors I have which has a circuit breaker set at 2.5 amps. I dont want to start taking the motor in bits and frankly not confident of what I am looking at - dont these have a lifetime guarantee though? note your point on using the other switch......so that would mean leaving the existing feed from the accessory bus to 1 and 2, but what am I feeding in to from the track bus....is that 4, 5 and 6, with one wire to the frog??. Which one to the frog. Thanks your comments though

Could i resurrect this topic as I have a similar issue with a Cobalt IP digital motor. This one is a simple r/h turnout which for unknown reasons now has a dead frog when the turnout is set to the r/h line. Initially this started as a short and the frog was showing wrong polarity and anything running through it immediately shorted out. I tried reprogramming to no avail. I also swapped the input to the motor - that didnt cure the problem but after I put the input wires back to how they were the frog changed from wrong polarity to dead. The current status is therefore that running straight line the polarity is correct and no issues, but when switched to the r/h line its dead. Longer locos will run through it but something like a shunter with small wheelbase stalls. Any thoughts?? Do i need to reprogramme, if so with what CVs. Power is NCE procab 5 amps.

Thanks your response and comments, i did run it on DC stripping out the chip wiring and it ran fine. So mechanically it was ok. After reinstalling the chip I decided to go for broke and reset to factory settings (Cv8 =8). Hey presto...its perfect. Somewhere along the line I think the CV settings had got corrupted and it ran erratically. Also resetting has enabled me to change the volume which CV266 wasnt allowing me to do before. Which also fitted in with the settings being wrong. So a result there but now I’ve got a Cobalt IP point motor playing up - polarity isnt changing on the frog....running straight through is fine, but when switched its either wrong polarity or just dead. Tried reprogramming it but no result. Any thoughts on that appreciated if you know the Cobalt motors.

Hi, i have acquired a Sancheng 0 gauge 08 with Zimo chip. It sort of works but with issues. Control is NCE procab. Main issue is the loco coming to a halt under low or even medium power, sometimes on straight track sometimes through points. The latter made me think there might be a gauge issue but checked and the wheel to wheel measure is just on 30mm. When the loco stops the engine sound continues but the loco needs a shove to move it on, even more power doesnt always move it. Have checked basic acceleration and power CVs and set to default. This may not of course be a chip issue but everything seems free mechanically. Any bright ideas from anybody appreciated.

I want to fit DCC to a DJH 14 using a ZIMO chip I have spare. There is of course no “DCC ready” situation with DJH. Is this just a case of following the wiring instructions with the chip, hardwiring to the contact points (I can solder pretty well). As there are no lights on the class 14 presume its just the power in (2 wires) and out to the motor (2 wires), plus speaker 2 wires. And capacitor if I add one. Is it as simple as that? I know the sound may not be correct but my local model shop will re-blow the sound for a fee.

Can I ask a supplemenntary here being somebody also going down the DCC route. What is the thought on decoders, whose are best? I am 0 gauge with a number of Heljan locos (single and twin motors) and some DJH factory built stuff. I think its between Zimo and Loksound, or am I missing something. Or is it the case that all have plusses and minuses???

Does anybody do a brake tender kit in 7mm??

I recently had to replace my NCE command unit, possibly a short somewhere seemed to do for it. It has been replaced but now most of my point motors dont pass current to the frog. I use the cobalt IP digital and they are connected to the power bus with a wire from the third terminal marked “frog” running to the frog. Now some points have a dead frog, some will provide current when just running one way through the point, although one works fine. The NCE cab seems to find them all under their previous accessory number. Any ideas anybody. Do i need to reprogramme the point motors now that I have a new command unit. But why does one point work ok. Could the motors be damaged from the previous issue I had - but as I say they work in terms of moving the point.

On this theme does anybody have a picture of the underside of the LMS 20t Slaters brake van. I just cannot figure out the exact layout of the brake gear and would also add that Slaters instructions are very mixed and the diagrams limited.

I have had an 0 gauge Dapol 08 chipped with legomanbiffo sound. I use the NCEProcab system for control. When i increase speed the loco moves off straight away, but when i have sound on the loco takes up to 10 seconds before moving, in either direction. Is this the way this is set up. Apologies if this is a basic error on my part but only just returning to the hobby with DCC