HobbyTrain EM 425 Regio Decoder woes

[kmcsjr]

Folks

 Sadly, While HobbyTrain is the only manufacturer that seems to make N scale Fussball related liveries, they also seem to get away with using EM13s and FL12s!!! 

I'm done, with those decoders

1) The manual stinks

2) It runs backwards, and I can't change that (I can use Rev, when I mean Fwd, but...)

3) When I got a (insert worst word here) FL12 to "work", I didn't have the directional tail light/headlight switch, seen in DC

 

So why not shut up? Because I once saw a post SOMEWHERe, of someone doing a hardwire decoder, in these.

 

I'd love to 

1) find that post.

2) get lucky enough to find that I could pay a shop, to put one in. 

 

Failing finding a shop to do it, I'll give it a shot. I'm not going to light the interiors, so I don't care if the decoder is in the car.

 

Anyone have a link to this install? 

 

Thanks :-)

 

 

[Kiha66]

While the backwards em13 is a bummer, the fix is easy enough!  I believe CV29 just needs to be set to a value of 39 (7 if you want to retain 2 digit addressing), and the momentum effects and speed tables are also very nice functions if you chose to use them.   The most problems I've had with em13s and fl12s have been related to them not making good electrical contact, I'm sorry that they seem to not be working for you.  Have you seen sumida crossing's write up on the decoders?  I've found it very helpful.  Otherwise digitrax's main decoder manual will solve most of the programming issues.  Hope this helps!

 

http://www.sumidacrossing.org/ModelTrains/ModelTrainDCC/KatoDCCDecoders/

[kvp]

I think finding a shop to install two Kato/Digitrax lighting decoders and one motor decoder correctly would help. Once installed the right way, both direction changing and F0 on/off control will just work. The reversed direction could be three things: incorrectly installed motor, incorrectly installed decoder or incorrectly installed shells (mixing up the no. 1 and 2 end shells)

 

ps: There are 4 ways to insert an FL12 into its socket, two of them will burn it out and you would get a stuck light or no light at all. It's a simple and easy to install and set up decoder, but it's not mechanically protected against human error.

[kmcsjr]

Kvp

Thank our for the addition. The end car shells are identical. I'm defining forward as the power car pulling the train. This model pushes the train, in "forward". I'm afraid the other end is to light, for that, and it runs noisily, in the push direction and it catches on a #4 turnout. That might be partially the turnout, but I avoid pushing.

I have 2 FL12s. The one that does nothing, I installed a few years ago, when I bought the model. The one that will turn on the sign board and turn on the red light (tail lights), when moving in the direction the white headlights, should be lit, was installed yesterday. It is the same age, as the "bad" FL12. I got frustrated then and put it away..... I fiddled with the placements, for over an hour. Hoping to find a US based shop, that will take this on (for postage sake, I'm certain, if I found a shop in Japan, the job would be easy[emoji846])

 

Also I like your avatar. Is that the same train as the Kato 113-1500 set? That's the first Japanese train I bought. It's my favorite

 

 

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Edited May 15, 2017 by kmcsjr

[kvp]

 when moving in the direction the white headlights, should be lit, was installed yesterday. It is the same age, as the "bad" FL12.

If it changes to signboard + headlight in the reverse direction, then it's installed in the 'back of the train' direction and rotating it horizontally (keeping the same side up) will fix it. Reversing the motor direction from software also solves your problem without touching this decoder.

 

The other decoder is etiher damaged from installing it the wrong way or the power to it is turned off with the switch on the bottom. If you damage a decoder (power it up while installed the wrong way), then you can't fix it anymore by installing it right and it has to be replaced.

 

ps: Yes, my avatar is a 113 series. :)

Edited May 15, 2017 by kvp

[kmcsjr]

 

I have 10-195 , just bought 10-196 and haven't won a bid on 10-197

 

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Edited May 15, 2017 by kmcsjr