Help: Engine can only have one specific address

The loco's battery or BCR must be functional for an address change to take effect (on the next session). 

If the sounds are running and you remove track power (not the same a commanding a shutdown via the remote), do the sounds play the complete turnoff sequence for 5-10 seconds?  Or do the sounds cut-off instantly or within just a couple seconds?

I'm curious why you replaced the BCR twice.  Did the BCR fail twice?  How did you know?  Did you confirm the BCR failed by trying it on another PS2 board if you have one?  If the BCR worked on another board then there could be a problem in the circuitry that drives the battery/BCR.  Then, I'd say it depends on how much under-the-hood work you want to do vs. just taking it in for repair.

Stan

Thanks for taking time to reply.  The sounds play for about 8 seconds after the power is turned off.  The engine was allowed to sit with the power applied to the track for about three minutes before doing anything. 

The BCR was replaced because I suspected it was the problem--not being able to keep an address is a symptom of a weak battery or BCR.  

I am pretty sure the charging circuit is good, for the following reasons:  !) When I first apply power to a loco with a totally uncharged BCR, the Lionel Direct Lock-On trips.  This is because the in rush of current trips the over-current protection. As you probably know, the Direct Lock on cycles off and on until the current is below the threshold.  Or in this case, until the BCR has a reasonable charge on it.  2) I tested the residual voltage on the BCR that I pulled out (24 hours later) and measured 1.4 Volts. 

The loco has been in for repair, and the dealer showed me all function are normal on his system.  I would guess the problem lies in my remote, which keeps reading this engine assigned to address 23, no matter what I do. 

John, I once got a new loco which, despite a fully charged battery, would not write the data to memory.  I went back to MTH and was repaired.  Was the dealer able to change the address to another number?  If it's a new loco, I would call MTH to get a return authorization for warranty repair.

Did this loco ever work right?

The charge rate of the BCR should be in the 300ma or so range. No way it should trip a lock-on.  So something is up.  Do you know how much current is being drawn by this engine at idle and when running (smoke off).

If it play shutdown sounds for 8 seconds it should be able to do a memory change.

Is this a 3V or 5V engine?

As RHR stated does this work on dealers remote?

Did you try a factory reset?  Than turn power off an wait 30 secs.  Than try to re-add with ID #1 open?   G

John,

First, remove the Lionel Direct Lockon. That have been know to degrade the DCS signal. See if things improve. If not, please read on below.

You state:

 The sounds play for about 8 seconds after the power is turned off.

Are you actually turning off track power, or are you just pressing Shut Down? If the latter, that isn't a test of the battery.

If you are turning off track power and sounds do persist for 8 seconds, then the engine most likely is, as RJR suggests, defective and should be repaired.

The problem is definitely in my remote.  I just got hold of another remote, and after adding the engine, I can freely change it to any address I want in that remote.  The problem (engine only is recognized if its address 23) only occurs on the remote I regularly use

If it play shutdown sounds for 8 seconds it should be able to do a memory change.

 

Is this a 3V or 5V engine?

 

As RHR stated does this work on dealers remote?

 

Did you try a factory reset?  Than turn power off an wait 30 secs.  Than try to re-add with ID #1 open?  

G

 per my original post

3V engine, I did a factory reset (several times, actually), Yes, I can add to ID #1, 

Do you know how much current is being drawn by this engine at idle and when running (smoke off).

About 0.8 Amps with sound on.  This is a GG1

If it's a new loco, I would call MTH to get a return authorization for warranty repair.

 

Did this loco ever work right?

This is an an old loco. It used to work perfectly.  

Here is the more detailed history:

this has long been running on my layout.  I blew the sound board and pantograph board because I had it upside down for cleaning the wheels, and it turns out that there were two un-insulated wires that touched

I took it to my local hobby shop, who repaired it, and also put in a new BCR.  

I took it home, and experienced the problems.

I took it back to the dealer, he replaced the BCR, and it still loaded fine into his system.

I took it home, and again experienced the problems

THE FOLLOWING MAY BE IMPORTANT:

While this GG1 was out for service, I deleted the engine from my remote, and moved another engine to address 23.  

Hi Barry

Sorry, you were answering my reply while I was typing

First, remove the Lionel Direct Lockon. That have been know to degrade the DCS signal. See if things improve. If not, please read on below.

The Direct Lock On is no longer in the system (although its on the input side of the TIU, and I have never had a problem with it)

Are you actually turning off track power, or are you just pressing Shut Down? If the latter, that isn't a test of the battery.

I am turning off track power when I do that test, so it should be a test of the battery

then the engine most likely is, as RJR suggests, defective and should be repaired.

Per my most recent post, the dealer rechecked the engine. It is fine.  It seems the problem is some ghost floating around in my remote.  If that is so, how can I get rid of that without resetting the remote and re-entering all my engines?

John, you do have a problem, and I can understand not wanting to reload a bunch of locos.  Before going to that effort, I would first try reloading the DCS program into the remote.  Second, I would try reloading the sound file into the loco.  Third, I would use the loader program to save the remote's contents to a computer, and then restore the contents (which process involves a remote rest that does wipe out the data, but you restore it from the computer).  This may eliminate the problem, or the problem may get reloaded, but it's worth a try.  [For the benefit of other readers, this is why I strongly recommend backing up a remote to a computer when all settings & softkeys are as you want them; permits restoration to a known good condition.)

Do you have another remote that has all your locos in it?  If so, try clioning the recalcitrant remote.

I assume the "other engine" is no longer in slot #23.

John, the easiest way to reload locos into a reset remote is to place them on the track, one at a time, and "add engine."  They will come in with the same ID and name as they had before.  Sure beats wearing out the thumb typing the garbage in.  I would do the GG-1 first, and see where it winds up.

Thanks RJR.  I will forgo the DCS loader steps, as I don't have it loaded on my computer and I don't want to mess with THAT to.  So I am heading towards a remote reset.  I have a question:

If I do a reset of the remote, place all my locos on the track, apply power, and then push "READ" will I recover all my engine custom names and addresses in one shot?  Then all I would have to do is recreate the lashups. 

I will start with your advice, and make sure the GG1 goes into the ID of my choosing

John,

First, ensure that all of your TIUs and remotes are at he same version of DCS. If they are not, make them so and se if the problem persists.

If all devices are at the same level of DCS, you can try simply reloading DCS into the remote that's causing the problem. However, I strongly suspect that this will not correct he problem, since it's much more likely that it's a problem with the remote's content, not with its software.

In that case, proceed as follows:

• Backup a good remote to your PC
• Factory Reset the problem remote
• Restore the contents of the good remote's backup into the problem remote.

John,

If I do a reset of the remote, place all my locos on the track, apply power, and then push "READ" will I recover all my engine custom names and addresses in one shot?  Then all I would have to do is recreate the lashups. 

No, that will not work at all. The READ doesn't add anything at all. It simply sorts engines that are already in the remote into the Active and Inactive engine lists.

You'll need to individually add back each engine, switch track and accessory that is currently in the remote. The only good news is that Custom Names (stored in the engines themselves), and Record/Playback sessions and Custom Sounds (stored in the TIU) are not affected by a remote reset.

This and a whole lot more is all in MTH’s “The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition", available for purchase as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Thanks Barry.  I was afraid of that.  This evening I shall pour myself a nice scotch and re-add all my engines.  

Alternatively, I shall just designate my spare remote as dedicated to the GG1.

John,

About the second or third time you have to reload a remote, you'll be wishing that you had made a backup. Ditto if you ever purchase a new or replacement remote.

Installing the Loader Program, updating DCS components and cloning remotes is relatively straight forward, assuming that you follow the excellent instructions in The DCS O Gauge Companion 2nd Edition.  

Further, first check to make sure that all your TIUs and remotes are at the same level of DCS. If not, you may be resetting and reloading your remote without correcting the problem.

Why not try deleting engine 23.  Scroll inactive list for any GG-1 ID and delete it.  Try again with offending remote.  G

John, I'm back.  Does your spare remote have all your locos in it?  If not, use "add engine" as I described above to add all locos. Then load the loader program, save the spare remote's contents to the computer, and clone the recalcitrent remote to the spare remote.  You should then be rid of any vestiges of the GG-1. 

If you can pour yourself a scotch, then you have the capability of loading and using the newest loader version.  All instructions are on screen; much easier and more user friendly than the original.  Appears that BB and I are on the same wavelength

Just to be clear, after freely changing the address the new address sticks thru a power cycle?  Per original post, the recalcitrant remote could also change the address and function during a given operating session - it just reverted to #23 only on the next session (after a power cycle).

Thanks everyone:

Why not try deleting engine 23. 

GGG:  I tried that numerous times, and in several different ways. See my original post

Scroll inactive list for any GG-1 ID and delete it.

I have six GG1s. None were or are on the inactive list

Does your spare remote have all your locos in it? 

RJR.  No such luck, my spare remote was woefully out of date

If you can pour yourself a scotch, then you have the capability of loading and using the newest loader version.  All instructions are on screen; much easier and more user friendly than the original.  Appears that BB and I are on the same wavelength

Glad to hear that its much easier than the original, which I found to be slow. In light of that, I may give that a try. But do not underestimate how easily I can pour myself a scotch

Just to be clear, after freely changing the address the new address sticks thru a power cycle?  Per original post, the recalcitrant remote could also change the address and function during a given operating session - it just reverted to #23 only on the next session (after a power cycle).

Stan

Yes, you got it.  The new address works fine during a power cycle, no matter which address I set it to. Its only after I turn the power off, that I get error messages, UNLESS I had changed it to address 23.

But do not underestimate how easily I can pour myself a scotch

Nor shall I underestimate how easily you can use the loader program.

This would be an opportunity to update the software in all remotes and TIUs.  As BB notes above, they must all be the same version for optimal performance.

Two things I'd like closure on - albeit not directly related to the solution.

1. Is it normal behavior for a Lionel Lock-on with overload detection to trip-reset-trip-reset on power-up with an MTH engine with BCR?

2. Before the remote was declared guilty, I think we all agree the usual suspect for the symptoms would be the battery/BCR.  Perhaps another troubleshooting tool would be to turn off the headlight, turn down the bell-only volume, or change some other DCS engine setting that should (along with a new address) "stick" thru a power cycle and into the next session.  Might help focus attention toward or away from the battery/BCR...