Kaput

Struggling to decide which one to go for out of the green ones. Don't have a specific modelling region and usually go for preserved locos but something just looks off with the 25's that don't have water tanks because of the big empty space so thats putting me off Tamworth Castle

Nope, OO. Bachmann Improved Precedent

Oh well, had to check. Its for a model with very little space in the tender (and the tender pickups are kinda rubbish) so trying to squeeze in my usual go to LaisDCC stay alives is a no go unless I can figure out how to modify one to make it flatter.

Bit underhanded to do this without any advance warning. Wonder if the makers of "foreign command stations" can update their firmware to spoof being a real Z21 to the app.

Bit random but if connecting a stay alive to the Ground and V+ pads on a loco's PCB (and not directly to the decoder) is the charging circuit stuff still needed or is it safe to just use a capacitor on its own? Would be with a Train-o-matic 21pin decoder at the moment if that makes any difference (with a possible future swap to a Zimo).

Would require Bachmann to not be avoiding new tooling steam models (in OO at least). Unless it was the DJM one in an EFE box. That would be worthy of a giggle at least.

Looking good, guessing they were too far through the development process to alter the tooling to squeeze in holes/wires for the auto uncouplers. As for the comparison with the SLW ones, these have the major advantage of being able to walk into a shop and leave with one instead of possibly dieing of old age by the time your SLW order is actually packed up and shipped to you after seemingly being in the country for weeks/months....

May help if you tell us the loco in question

Would be nice if they'd hook up the cab lights to a decoder output.

The ScotRail DBSO is still reasonably easy to find in N gauge Good chance 47712 will get the shrink ray treatment with the new tooling.

Sample looking very good, was it ever confirmed for certain the DCC ready ones won't physically have the motorised pantograph or not? While I normally have no issues with Zimo sound I'd rather use ESU to match my 68. Its the one thing that annoys me with Bachmann SFX versions, having to get a sound decoder/file you possibly don't want just to get all the bells and whistles. Also: Loving the "Expected Summer 2024" optimism, Summer ain't that far away...

I'm actually starting to wonder how everything is gonna fit in the hall for Model World Live considering its in a smaller hall than Warley had while trying to shoehorn multiple full size vehicles and the full Making Tracks layout.

Pretty sure the 8 function Imperium is the wrong type of function output for the Class 22 and it needs the original Imperium 1 (6 function).

I'm slightly surprised at them offering sound fitted while staying with the 8pin socket. Be interesting to see what speakers are used.

Bachmann's own product page tells you its an MX634C https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/product/class-90-dcc-loco-decoder-with-servo-motor-operation-and-brake-function/36-569a

Factory sound will be a Loksound 5 DCC.

Not convinced an ESU decoder needs 14V+ to work otherwise they'd never work in DC mode. The whole thing about the stayalives needing 14V to work is another of these ESU things that doesn't seem to be documented anywhere in ESU's own manual.

No real risk other than things randomly not working correctly. Unless you have pretty much hundreds of devices connected to your home network at once, I wouldn't give it a second thought. For what its worth, the router that came with my Z21 has never left the box. The Z21 gets plugged into my network by ethernet whenever I'm using it. I could change the IP settings but there physically isn't enough networkable devices in the house to make the router get to the stage of trying to assign .111 to anything...

Sadly in my experience most smaller model shops only give extremely basic receipts that have the amount of money spent listed but no details of any use on what the money was spent on.

The Lokprogrammer's method of reading an ESU decoder doesn't normally care about a motor being present.

One of these: https://www.esu.eu/en/products/former-products/lokpilot-standard/ Think a Lokpilot v1 is something else .

Fairly sure thats the Lokpilot Standard v1.0 version so miles better than the Soundtraxx version but not quite as good as a full fat Lokpilot 5. Not sure if they have it but have you tried the CV54 autotune? (Place loco on a decent bit of straight track, set CV54 to 0 and activate F1)?

Looking at the sound function list posted earlier in the thread I can't help think 2 separate functions just for the bell on Evening Star seems a tad excessive 🤔

It should fit fine, like most modern Dapol diesels there's plenty of space because of the speaker space. You might need to use a smaller speaker to leave space for the stayalive. I'd be questioning why your 22 needs a stay alive though, 4 axle twin bogie diesel usually means at least one bogie is safely off the pointwork at any given time.

I'd be trying disabling DC running in CV29 based on getting one of them to respond for a bit. I also recommend investing in a decoder tester (Both Zimo and ESU do one or if you are really cheap considering its basically a clone of the ESU one, LaisDCC do them as well). Very handy to test decoders out of locos. Unlikely to matter but could be a similar issue, the new tooling Class 47 I had (got rid cause I really need to stop getting big huge locos on a 6x4 roundy layout) almost always refused to program via my Lokprogrammer but if the decoder was removed and programmed outside of the loco it was fine. One thing just dawned me, what is the Bachmann product code of your decoders? The B versions are the new MN decoders and my honest opinion of the Zimo MS/MN series just now is the firmware is extremely half baked compared with the MX and they just seem much more flakey.