Fleischmann Multimaus

[Unicorn1]

Hello

 

After the recent faliure of my old Hornby Select, I decided that I would upgrade to something a little better. The Multimaus was reccomended by a model shop I regularly use, and it was a very reasonable price too.

 

I have been using for a couple of days now, and it's great.

 

The only thing I can't seem to fathom out is how to change the loco - or more to the point - the decoder direction. On the select there was a simple fd and rv setting, but I've trawled manual and the forum for sugestions and I can't seem to see anything. I like to have some locos 'facing' in a certain direction, that's why I would like to change some of the settings.

 

Anyone know a way of doing this?

[JZ]

In the programme mode, you need to change CV 29 to value 1 for reversing. Just looked at my manual and it is not the clearest.

[JZ]

In the programme mode, you need to set CV29 to 1. Not very clear in manual. Haven't done it myself for a while as I now use a Sprog II for all my programming.

[Nigelcliffe]

In the programme mode, you need to set CV29 to 1. Not very clear in manual. Haven't done it myself for a while as I now use a Sprog II for all my programming.

 

NO !!!!

 

Yes, you change CV29. Yes, you alter its value by 1. You do not set CV29=1 unless you want a load of other consequences. Much more likely values which will reverse the running direction are CV29=5, or 7, or 19, 23, 51, 55. DecoderPro (usual software used with a Sprog) will help protect you from the unintended consequences by only changing the bit in CV29 which controls direction, and leaves the other bits unchanged.

 

I wrote this up ages ago. Others have also written it up. http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

 

- Nigel

[Phil S]

Reading your original posting, and being a long-time Multimaus user, I'm puzzled by what you actually mean by your question! 8-)

"I like to have some locos 'facing' in a certain direction, that's why I would like to change some of the settings".

 

With dcc, as opposed to analogue, even with the 'Select' controller, there is a FORWARD direction in relation to the LOCO, and a REVERSE direction in relation to the loco - as opposed to analogue dc's relative to the track direction! [This CAN become confusing with some Diesels /Electrics and Unit trains]

 

HOWEVER, the 'Select' manual does contain ludicrous statements like 'the train goes to the left' which are meaningless in reality.

 

On the 'Select', pressing the left arrow is called 'Forward', Right arrow is 'Reverse' - which, to me, seems to be unatural, as I read left to write 8-)

On the Multimaus, the control knob is centre-off, and clockwise is Forward, and Anticlockwise is Reverse - like time on an analogue clock.

[Which way you naturally turn a knob 'to increase' may depend on whether you were brought up with a gas or electric cooker!]

 

If your question was based on the 'Forward' direction of your stock now having 'changed', with the progression from the Select to the Multimaus (or other DCC controller, including the Elite [depending on setting], then yes, changing least significant bit of CV29 (depending on labelling convention, it may be called bit 0 or bit 1; whose 'value' is 0 or 1, even or odd as someone earlier observed; then change this bit, and the loco will change which way it thinks is 'forward'.

NOTE: that in G-Scale, the 'polarity' (in analogue) or lsb value of CV29, is 'traditionally' the opposite way to other scales.

{The Multimaus controller, with 4A power supply works well with LGB G-Scale locos, on level track, as we use on our portable G-Scale layouts}

 

It is not really necessary to have Read-back during programming - and unless you have the MultiCentrale base unit or Rocomotion interface, you won't have read-back of CV values with your Multimaus: Simply write a suitable value for CV29, and change it by 1, if the direction is wrong

eg CV29= 6 or 7 = 4+2+[1/0] or CV29= 38 or 39 = 32 + 4 + 2 + [1/0]

 

A Final hint for the Multimaus - to avoid being misled by the manual: LIBRARY is very useful and can be used for ALL locos - with Short or LONG addresses (ie those using CV1 short or CV17/18 long), and not only those with short CV1 addresses, as stated/implied in the manual.

[Unicorn1]

Hi Phil

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Let me try to explain.

 

With the select if the left arrow was pressed the loco moved to left yes, but with some it moved to the right. This could be changed by holding down one arrow key until the display showed 'rvd' tor fwd' to change this, so that the loco moved in the direction indicated by the chosen arrow key. This meant that all my locos ran in the direction shown on the Select: ie if I pushed the 'left' key they all moved to the 'left'.

 

But with the Multimaus I now have some locos that move in the opposite direction to the Maulimaus display. Half my locos now go backwards when moving the contoll clockwise, and.............well you can probably guess!

 

When I refer to locos 'facing a certain way' I mean some run into Bishpscombe tender/bunker first and some others vica-versa.

 

It was easy to 'change' locos default direction with the select. At present I have to remember (I have it written down!) which locos go 'backwards'.

 

I just thought that given the Multimaus' advanced features, which I am learning to enjoy, there might be a simple way of doing this.

 

All good fun!

 

Les

[Sunnysa]

I am still a little confused.

 

I have Lenz LH100 wich has the frwd/rev show'n as an arrow up for forward,down for reverse irrispective of which way the loco is facing.

 

LH90 has a toggle switch. Up for forward, centre for neutral, down for reverse.

 

I also have an ECoS with arrow right for forward, arrow left for reverse again irrispective of which way loco is facing.

 

I can not understand the need to have locos traveling in direction of arrow on controller.

 

With Lenz LH100 if the arrow is up does that mean the loco should fly? LOL

 

Has as been explained, with DCC forward on controller is forward for chosen loco and reverse on controller is reverse on chosen loco.

 

If some of your locos are reversing when knob on Maultimaus is op clockwise then I suggest CV 29 has to be changed so add or subtract value of 1 to CV29 or change the motor wires on decoder. If loco has lights the head light wires may have to be changed also.

 

To sum up, with DCC just remeber what is forward/reverse on cotroller is the same for locos. IE when forward is selected on controller the loco goes forward, when reverse is selected loco goes backwards.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

[GoingUnderground]

It sounds to me like your Select was either changing CV29 automatically when you used the "rvd on fwd" trick, or it was reversing the direction logic within itself.

 

I don't know if the Multimaus has that trick itself. so you will have to do it manually as others have said by changing CV29.

 

Because CV29 controls several things you will need to be able to read CVs. Can you read CVs with your Multimaus?

 

If you can, then take one of the locos that goes i nthe "Wrong direction" and read the value of CV29.

 

If CV29 is an even number then add 1 and write that new value to CV29, e.g. if it is 6 it needs to be 7.

But if CV29 is an odd number then subtract 1 and write that new value to CV29, e.g if it is 7 then it needs to be 6..

[Phil S]

It seems to me that, possibly because the Selct was your first DCC controller, and the manual for it was badly written in this respect, that you are expecting your new DCC controller to behave AS ANALOGUE (dc) controllers did!!! NOT SO !!!

 

On ALL DCC (or other digital systems such as Marklin's) FORWARDS ALWAYS MEANS IN RELATION TO THE LCOMOTIVE' and its FRONT.

ie the front (smokebox on a steam loco) goes first, when moving forward. And the tender goes first in REVERSE.

 

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG or MISSING with your multimaus !! You appear to still be thinking 'analogue':

 

In ANALOGUE, if you picked up, and rotated the loco 180 degrees, and replaced it on the track, it would still 'move to the left of the layout' IF that was what it had been doing before. And any other loco, placed on the same track, regardless of which way it was facing, would also move to the left of the layout!!! - whether the loco was moving backwards or fowards !!!!!!

 

IN DIGITAL, if you picked up, rotated an replaced a loco which was running 'chimney first' (forwards), then when replaced, it would still go FORWARDS relative to the loco - or the OPPOSITE way across the LAYOUT. Similarly, if running tender first, it will CONTINUE to run tender first.

 

You may have been 'mis-using' a feature of the Select [later software than mine, by the souind of it??] in redifining which button was 'Forward'.

 

ALL REFERENCES TO CV29 in earlier answers are NOT the answer to what appears to be your conceptual understanding problem.

Changing CV29 by 1 is to correct a (usually newly fitted or rewired loco) which moves the 'tender-first', when the Multimaus is turned CLOCKWISE (or FORWARD, as may be marked on other controllers) - REGARDLESS of which way the lco is pointing on the track.

[Unicorn1]

 

On ALL DCC (or other digital systems such as Marklin's) FORWARDS ALWAYS MEANS IN RELATION TO THE LCOMOTIVE' and its FRONT.

ie the front (smokebox on a steam loco) goes first, when moving forward. And the tender goes first in REVERSE.

 

 

IN DIGITAL, if you picked up, rotated an replaced a loco which was running 'chimney first' (forwards), then when replaced, it would still go FORWARDS relative to the loco - or the OPPOSITE way across the LAYOUT. Similarly, if running tender first, it will CONTINUE to run tender first.

 

You may have been 'mis-using' a feature of the Select [later software than mine, by the souind of it??] in redifining which button was 'Forward'.

 

ALL REFERENCES TO CV29 in earlier answers are NOT the answer to what appears to be your conceptual understanding problem.

Changing CV29 by 1 is to correct a (usually newly fitted or rewired loco) which moves the 'tender-first', when the Multimaus is turned CLOCKWISE (or FORWARD, as may be marked on other controllers) - REGARDLESS of which way the lco is pointing on the track.

 

Thanks Phil

 

I have been using DCC since I started modelling seriously.

 

I do understnd that a steam loco should always go 'forwards' smokebox first. It's just that now I have - for example - 2 identical Bachmann 56xx tanks; when the controller is turned clockwise one thinks 'smolebox = forwards' and one thinks 'bunker = forwards' That's the nub of the matter. If you were to place them pointing the same way on the track and turn the controler they would go in oposite directions away from each other. (or vica-versa one smokebox end would colide with one bunker end in a horrific head on crash!)

 

Regards,

Les

[Phil S]

Then it is simply a case of reprogramming the one that runs in reverse: changing the lsb of CV29. This is easily achieved on the Multimaus, and described in the manual. Pages 44/45 give the description and overview.

Holding the menu button for 5 seconds enters 'TheMenus', and then scrolling sideways to get to PROGRamming, confirm with OK

Select CV MOdification and type in '29'. It will offer a default value (this is NOT read back form the loco). Enter 6 or 7 (for a loco addressed 1-99)

or 38 or 39 for a long address loco (100-9999 on Expressnet)

 

The range of values available for CV29 will depend on the installed decoder -see the relevant DECODER manual, but they options are nmra standard (EG - Early Hornby basic Decoder and some Fitted Bachmann Decoders have limited ranges accepting only SHORT addresses (CV1) and therefore try CV29 = 6 or CV 29 =7. - each should produce a different direction: IF NOT, it suggests the programming is not working....

this may be related to the decoders used: CHECK by trying to change the loco address and seeing if that works.

HOWEVER, if your Multimaus is using the 'standard transformer', and not a switched-mode power supply (18Vdc), there may be incompatibilities with some decoders due to voltages - changing to a SMPS of 18Vdc 4A is recommended and economical.

[Unicorn1]

Hi

Thanks to everyone who replied. Phil - I have changed the CV29 settings as you (and others) have suggested on the required locos, and now all is running OK, apart from a couple, which may be down to their older decoders. I will experiment with these.

 

i do like the ease of 'editing' loco set up, and now have everything running well. I now know that a loco coming out of the fiddle yard, or from within the loco shed will appear where I expect it.

 

Next thing is point control - I really like the look of the Roco 8 point accessory decoder - but I think a lot of saving-up will be needed for that, and I need at least three for Bishopscombe! So I;ll be sticking with the Peco levers for now.

 

Les

[Phil S]

One of the greatest benefits of the Roco Multimaus (and Pro) is the ability to control points and signals form the same handset - and with the inbuilt benefit of the graphic display showing which way the point is set (You could assume Left and Right, or Stop and Go, as with the <> buttons, but Roco use, and illustrate graphically, 'Normal' and 'Reverse' as the meanings of the buttons). Operation and or Display from a computer screen (Rocomotion, RR+Co, JMRI, Rocrail etc) is also a low cost option. [Adding Position feedback is what costs!!!!]

 

YOU ARE NOT TIED to the Roco Accessory Decoder - you can use any nmra dcc accessory decoder: I, for instance, mainly use Lenz's LS150 with its 6 freely-numberable pulse outputs (ac) of 0.1s upto 10 seconds each - very versatile in use - but requiring a separate 16Vac supply for the points. It is also unsuited fo colour light signals - for which I have the ESU/Bachmann Switchpilot - pulse or continuous, but addresses, like most others, in blocks of 4.

I also use (but now rarer than hen's teeth) Roco's own integral dcc point motors for Rocoline track-with-trackbed (now a discontinued range), and Veissmann's 4554 analogue/digital slow motion motors. Obviously I'm not using Peco Track and their 'brute force' motors 8-) although these can be controlled by them both.... my point motor current is less than 100mA. MERG Members can buy and build themselves either Capacitor Discharge or SteadyState versions of Accessory Decoders for about 2.50 per point. Using local dcc modules around the track makes changes possible without major rewiring back to a fixed central console - it gives freedom to operate the layout from anywhere (especially with the wireless Pro handet or the new Z21 etc)

If using Roco GEOline track,both the motor and decoder are fitted invisibly in the base of the trackbed - as with Trix C and Marklin tracks.

It is now possible to buy UK outline signals with inbuilt dcc decoders - a popular item I suspect this christmas (Gaugemaster are 'out of stock')

[Lachlan]

I agree with Phil s and although not cheap I started with Roco geoline and fitted motors and decoders to all points which can be all contolled from the multimaus and is handy for upgrading to multimausPro as routes can easily be done with all points on a route changing to suit that route

[Unicorn1]

One of the greatest benefits of the Roco Multimaus (and Pro) is the ability to control points and signals form the same handset - and with the inbuilt benefit of the graphic display showing which way the point is set (You could assume Left and Right, or Stop and Go, as with the <> buttons, but Roco use, and illustrate graphically, 'Normal' and 'Reverse' as the meanings of the buttons). Operation and or Display from a computer screen (Rocomotion, RR+Co, JMRI, Rocrail etc) is also a low cost option. [Adding Position feedback is what costs!!!!]

 

YOU ARE NOT TIED to the Roco Accessory Decoder - you can use any nmra dcc accessory decoder: I, for instance, mainly use Lenz's LS150 with its 6 freely-numberable pulse outputs (ac) of 0.1s upto 10 seconds each - very versatile in use - but requiring a separate 16Vac supply for the points. It is also unsuited fo colour light signals - for which I have the ESU/Bachmann Switchpilot - pulse or continuous, but addresses, like most others, in blocks of 4.

I also use (but now rarer than hen's teeth) Roco's own integral dcc point motors for Rocoline track-with-trackbed (now a discontinued range), and Veissmann's 4554 analogue/digital slow motion motors. Obviously I'm not using Peco Track and their 'brute force' motors 8-) although these can be controlled by them both.... my point motor current is less than 100mA. MERG Members can buy and build themselves either Capacitor Discharge or SteadyState versions of Accessory Decoders for about 2.50 per point. Using local dcc modules around the track makes changes possible without major rewiring back to a fixed central console - it gives freedom to operate the layout from anywhere (especially with the wireless Pro handet or the new Z21 etc)

If using Roco GEOline track,both the motor and decoder are fitted invisibly in the base of the trackbed - as with Trix C and Marklin tracks.

It is now possible to buy UK outline signals with inbuilt dcc decoders - a popular item I suspect this christmas (Gaugemaster are 'out of stock')

 

Thanks for the info Phil

 

I was considering the Roco decoder mainly because of it's 8 outputs. I would need three of these, and as my pointwork is in three main areas on the layout this would make for an easy and tidy solution. The Lens sounds good too, but I would need 4, overall cost about the same I imagine.

 

I am familiar with the Roco wiring, ie all three point motor wires per output, is the Lens LS150 wiring similar?

 

Also would a crossover - ie two points that needed to operate simultaneously share one output, or one address?

 

At the moment I have a seperate 16v supply to the point motors via a small capacitor discharge unit.

 

how did I put up with that Select before???

 

Les

 

edited for spelling.

[HJohn]

I have a DMU and needed to alter the direction of one of the two driving units. DV29=19 appears (so far) to be best for me as lights operate correctly.  Many thanks.