Help with ERR Cruise Com-M install

Well, I got the ERR unit in, and the only thing I can't make out according to the provided instruction pics is where to connect the serial wire on my steam engine.  This is the blue wire from the included 10 pin plug (pin #1) harness.  The harness plugs into the cruise M and  looks like the blue lead gets soldered to a pin on the R2LC board.  The example in the instructions is a SD60, with different modular board configurations, and the picture isn't very detailed.  Hope someone can help!

Stack

Stack,

  Look on the bottom of the Cruise "M". There should a white sticker with a couple letters. Can you lets us know what they are. Also when did you purchase the the Cruise"M".

Bill

Hi Boxcar Bill!  The sticker on the cruise M says CR-6.0a, and it just arrived 12/24.

Thanks!

Stack

The blue wire from the 10 pin connector goes to pin 24 of the R2LC.  I normally solder it to the socket pin so I can take the R2LC out if necessary.

Find the square pad on the back of the R2LC, pin 24, the serial connection, is at the opposite end of the connector on the other row from pin 1.

The harness also has a green wire out of pin #2, which is to activate the horn to confirm configuration changes.  Nothing regarding the hook up is mentioned in the instructions/website.  Any idea where that gets soldered to?

Thanks,

Stack

I take the green wire out, it's almost never needed, and I've personally never used it.  The blue wire is paralleled with the serial connection and the horn works fine for changes with just that wire.

Stack,

    This pic might help

  Also you don't need the green wire. The green wire is for odyssey sounds in a diesel. With the cruise board that you installed you shouldn't need the additional cable that's listed in the instructions. Try it and let us know.

John,

Looking at the 24 pin connector, I can't find any indication of which is pin 1.  The board that the R2LC module connects to (says Radio on it) is stamped M3 on one end.

See Bill's picture, that's the back of the R2LC.  Just follow that pin 24 down and solder to the connector under it.

Wow, you guys are great!  Bill's pic helped tremendously.  I found the square pad, and think I got it from here!  Thanks for helping me out in real time

Stack

Stack,

   Did you get a Cruise "M" or a Cruise "M" with wireless tether. There is a difference.

Bill

The data signal from the original cruise M was too weak to operate some of the wireless tether transmitters. The extra cable had a transistor in it to amplify the signal.

I heard that later models of Cruise M had the better data amplifier built in, but you will find out when you fire up the loco. The symptom will be the loco being in command mode and the tender in conventional mode. If you can run the loco in command mode, but cannot blow the whistle in command mode, you have the un-amplified wireless tether cable. If you can blow the whistle in conventional mode, then that is the symptom of the same problem.

The old Cruise M also had a bug when booting up. You have to boot it up with a smooth waveform, not a chopped waveform. When dialing up the track voltage on an old Cruise M with a chopped waveform transformer, the cruise board boots up before the radio board, so the Cruise M thinks it is in conventional mode. Once you give it a command to go, the loco takes off at full speed.

It's not working.  Nothing is shorting, lights, whistle, sounds all work but engine just sits there.  Cab2 speedometer bar moves, engine doesn't.  Bill, when spoke with the guy at ERR, he only said I needed the Cruise M, and didn't mention anything about tetherless.  I read in the instructions that if you have a tetherless tender, you will need an"extra cable".  I have the tetherless tender. I'm pretty sure everything is installed correctly.  Unless I have to reprogram?  The instructions are hard to understand, especially when they refer to Cab1 commands.  The component is new, very recently purchased.  I didn't notice a Cruise M for tetherless at the time I ordered, again, the guy just said cruise M for the 6-28063.  I am using a Z4K transformer.

Thanks,

Rich

Rich, try running the engine in conventional. Remove power from the Command or Legacy Base. If it runs then check where you soldered the wire to make sure it goes to pin 24 on the R2LC. if it doesn't run make sure the 4 pin black connector to the Cruise M is firmly seated.

Pete

Stack,

  Try what Pete posted. If that don't work, look on the bottom of the Cruise M for the white label. Not the label on top. This will tell what Cruise M board you have. I have the cable but I want to make sure what board we are dealing with.

Bill

This is a great forum!  First off:

I want to thank ERR for providing these exciting upgrades

Second: I want to thank all of you for your help and responce

Lastly: I need to get some sleep, but can you guys monitor this for me?  I will respond tomorrow after I try Pete's suggestion.  There is a blurb in the instructions about entering the feature code is critical.  The result for not doing so is my prognosis!  I"ll have more energy after morning coffee

Rich

Without the feature code, they will frequently take off at top speed.