help with Cab 2 after battery change!

AHHHH, the joys of technology. Imaging the electronic world your 2 year old face's.

I agree, I usually embrase technology and love every bell and whistle that there is to offer but right now I can not run trains and have been scouring the internet looking for an answer.  

Hi Jim, I'm no pro on this

 

Was there rechargeable batteries in first, and then you put regular AA batteries in there.If that was the case there is a switch on the bottom of the base that would need to be changed to Not charging. If this is not the case then I would be out of idea's.

 

Alex

Thanks Alex

 

No they were normal batteries for awhile now.  I pulled the rechargeable when the base wouldn't charge them anymore.  

Did you take those batteries out yet?  Try different ones?

Yep I tried another set.  Same results.  I guess a call to Lionel tomorrow is in order. 

I am going to try leaving the batteries out overnight and see if it fixes itself in the morning.  

Jim I figured you had already tried pulling the batteries and trying new.. just thought I would ask. 

 

Makes me think I need to get myself another Cab2 to keep as a backup.

I have had my eyes out for a 993 expansion set, but funds are very tight right now and there doesn't seem to be many available   

I'm nowhere near my Cab-2 right now, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a small reset button somewhere? If so, might be worth a try...

Its fixed, sorta.

 

I reinstalled the batteries and hit the ctc button, and again all the pixels lit up and I couldn't read a thing.  I then just continued to hold down the CTC button.  Both the screen and the buttons flashed on and off several times and then bam, the screen was back to normal.  

 

I think I will still call Lionel and have it sent it for a warranty repair.  The battery charger stopped working several months ago.

Yes, there is a tiny pinhole reset button on the bottom. I would try that to see what happens.

I've had an issue where the main screen doesn't fire up, but the number pad does when I turn on the Cab-2. Sometimes i can fix this issue by reloading the module, or giving the CTC button a good hard, quick press. Just my opinion, it's a great system but I think the Cab-2 is really underpowered with just 3 AA batteries, regardless if they are conventional or rechargeable.

On My own 990 I've substituted the original batteries w/ 3 Double A Batteries & taped over the recharge contact points on the Remote. I noticed the Remote acted a little "buggy" at times like the screen going black or the backlight would not stay lit like it should. I went to Walmart bought some Energiser Rechargeable AA's, installed them, put power to the Base & let it Fully Charge up. The result was A Much Better Response from the Remote & No Bugs. I guess I'd suggest putting in really good set of New Rechagable Batteries and give that a try. They're about $12 for a set of 4 @ Walmart.

I noticed that the ctc button pushes on two momentary switches. In my case, the ctc was a problem turning off the cab. I think the reason was that one of the buttons was sticking. I worked it a bit and it works better now.

As for quitting charging, Lionel has been updating the base with a new surface mtg. fuse. Perhaps that is what is wrong there. And, they will fix it for those bases that need it.

Lionel is very picky about what rechargeable batteries are compatible with the charging circuit in the #990 or #993 bases.  I'm pretty sure the Energizer batteries are not on the list.

Anybody have the list...or where is it posted?

I got the info from Lionel service when I was trying to get the chargers working in my bases.  Here's what they said. 

Are you still using the batteries the Legacy came with or did you buy 
rechargeable batteries from Radio Shack? If you bought batteries from Radio Shack 
- make sure the battery is 16 hrs at 240 mah for charging.

Also, when I spoke to them on the phone, they were pretty hard over on the exact specifications for them to work in their charger.

Hmmm...

That should read 16 hrs at 240 "MA", not mah. The stock batteries are 2450 mah. So the battery manufacturer recommends charging them at 1/10th of the amp hour capacity of the battery. That's pretty standard. 10 hours would be 100% if there were no loss to heat, etc. 16 hrs seems a bit much but if their charging ckt only charges at a quarter amp, then maybe that is a reasonably soft charge and 16 hours is what it takes to get them up to 100%.

 

I don't know much about their charger ckt. but I would think any quality 2500 mah battery would be a good substitute. It's kind of hard to measure the charging current with the way the batteries sit in the CAB and the CAB sits in the charger...but I would guess it is more of a fast charge (more than a quarter amp) and then tapers off. Maybe the red light-green light activity shows that.

Mystery...but mine works for now that two bases have been back for fixing...and with the original batteries.

So it sounds like changing the CAB-2 batteries can scramble things in the code and that doing a reset "fixes" things.  Is this correct?  How common is this problem and is it something that ought to be sent in for repair or just lived with?

 

No changing batteries do not scramble a Legacy base, you must be thinking of MTH's PS1 in regards to battery issues causing scrambling.

 

I have had batteries in and out of mine dozens of times, never an issue. There was a reported issue with people who swapped between various batteries that were slightly different in size causing the contact tabs to bend in the CAB-2 which did cause a few failures. Make sure the contacts are not bent.

I was flat told do not use Sanyo eneloop batteries (which sucks because I love those batteries) and the only approved batteries were the GP batteries shipped stock with it.

 

I was told at the Legacy meeting that the green Radio Shack batteries also work but last time I went to RS I did not see any. Hopefully the specs mentioned above help or someone can post a part#

I would think that more likely a poor contact with the new batteries, or low voltage batteries...something like that. Does that happen repeatedly? Do the batteries go in stiffly or just flop in without resistance? You might check on the spring clips in the battery compartment...spring the negative one out a bit...easy does it though.

Also it could just have been a bad boot in the software...one of the CTC buttons not working properly once. If it doesn't happen repeatedly again, I would not worry about it.

BTW, I checked on the current going into the charger base and it increases by 800mac when it goes into the charge cycle. That is about an increase of about 6.4 watts. So if the batteries charge at about 5 vdc for the three of them, that would be about 1300ma into the batteries at the beginning of the charge. I didn't continue the measuring, but I am reasonably sure they go into a fast charge that tapers off as the measured battery voltage comes up. And the batteries do not get very warm (a little warm) in the charging base. This is the 993 base without all the Legacy stuff in it so it's pretty much just the warmth of the batteries I am feeling. I can't think why any good 2450mah NiMH battery would not be happy with that.

Just sayin'

Chuck, I can't see other batteries wouldn't work, only that I was having charging issues and Lionel specifically told me what I quoted.  They also generously provided a set of the correct batteries with my second CAB2 when they shipped back the #993 and remote.

 

I've used the batteries from Lionel ever since, and they charge as they should, so I'm sticking to that until I have to replace them.

 

I know that they get somewhat warm in the #993, but they get HOT in the #990, even with the updated charging circuit.  I've disabled the charger in the #990 and taped over the contacts, I charge both remotes in the #993.

It is just easier to use energerzier lithium batteries and they last ages and no charging mess.

Chuck

 

All I know is that they were in my CAB-2 when I had the second charger failure and I shipped it to Lionel. They came back from Lionel with the base and a note that said "do not use these". They put a new set of GP's in the CAB-2 for me

Well I went to run some trains this morning before the kids got up and hit this CTC button on the Cab2, and same issue again.  It was working perfect last night but today its not.  Very fustrating.  I am now looking for a 993 expansion set so I can have 2 remotes.  

Time to send it back to Lionel if you're using their recommended batteries and it's still acting up.

I'm thinking that the two buttons under the ctc are the issue even more now. As I said, one of mine didn't return...kind of stuck. I still have trouble with the ctc! But pressing again and somewhat harder, and it works. But it is also the one (with ver 1.51) that has the weak feedback.

It's a shame, but I almost feel like sending it back to Lionel a third time is too much. Maybe there's a lemon clause

Is it a no no to use the energizer recharge smart charger to recharge the Lionel AA batt from the cab 2 ?   The charger specs says it charges AA batt 2450 mah at 300 mA for 7.5 hours for full charge. Apparently that's to fast of a charge??? I have not done this just asking. I guess I'm just trying to be cheap and not start hunting a 993.

I am not even using rechargeables, just normal alkaline batteries.

 

But yes time to send back.  I did manage to get he screen to work normal again by hitting the CTC button over and over 

Aha! BTW, I did look around and order some of those SMT buttons which look to be the same as what are in the CAB. I figured if they were going to be an issue, I might replace them myself some day. I think a bag of 100 was something like $4.49 with shipping from Hong Kong.

That's not right, either of my remotes wake up with just one press of the button, I'd be upset if they worked any other way.

 

It may be the actual keyboard has a problem.