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Messages - roundhouse foreman

#31
HO / DCC Voltage Gremlin Found
January 10, 2017, 02:41:25 PM
GREMLIN FOUND !!!

Had tried just about everything to get all my loops to run at the same time.
I use a Dynamis wireless and NS track
Did a voltage test on each track and found decreasing values at each.
They are basically concentric loops connected in parallel.
When originally set up as DC I had to make sure the + & - were in the direction of travel.
When I switched to DCC it didn't seem to matter but I did not pay attention to that fact and confused it with the DC polarity requirements and feared "closing the loop the wrong way" and shorting out something because of the square wave AC/DC polarities.
Since the Dymanis trips out at the slightest fault, I ran a second feeder from the inside loop to the outside loop connected it with no polarity intended and it stayed ON and I now have a constant 13.2 Volts on each track by powering the system from both ends as it were.
The track power strips were setup all side to side to each other for what I thought would be minimal line loss, but not to be.
So Close Your Loops and Keep Your Voltage Constant

RHF
#32
HO / Re: dynamis
March 17, 2016, 11:12:35 AM
Dynamis is line of sight so raise the transmitter as high as possible to keep the handsets in view at all times. If you turn away from the transmitter and block the signal to the controller the engines will stop in a set amount of time from loss of signal.
And of course wheels and engine pick ups are free of debris the track is clean and uninterrupted by bad connections which would also cause erratic stops from loss of power to the chip in the train, tell-tailed by erratic or blinking headlights lights.
Something to at least check out if you already haven't

RHF
.
#33
HO / Re: Dynamis DDC issue
December 15, 2015, 01:51:30 PM
Any corrosion on the battery terminals just about renders the hand held unit dead in the water, even after cleaning, The plating is usually gone making contact poor or interrupted. Call Bachmann and they may help.
Twist the case from end to end holding it on the curved ends. If the screen comes on and off the circuit connections are cracked somewhere.  They are cheap enough on ebay.
Energizer ultimate batts worth the $$$ just don't leave the hand unit ON when not in use and you won't believe how long they last.

RHF
#34
HO / Re: Spectrum Passenger Cars
December 15, 2015, 01:26:56 PM
Talked to parts finally.
Never had replacement parts they just exchanged for new replacement cars.
Are the freight trucks similar.  Will they Mc Geiver?
I have no way to compare as I have no Bachmann rolling stock.

RHF
#35
HO / Re: Spectrum Passenger Cars
December 15, 2015, 12:44:21 PM
YARDMASTER,

That didn't get me anywhere. NO passenger cars listed anywhere!
What did I miss??

RHF
#36
HO / Spectrum Passenger Cars
December 14, 2015, 10:17:57 AM
Need new trucks
one cars bearing area is so oval the carriage drags on the track
Part # source and availability??
thanks,
RHF
#37
HO / Replacment trucks for Spectrum Passenger cars
March 20, 2015, 08:07:42 PM
Are 4 wheel trucks for coach cars available?
I need 4 ea for 2 cars item #s 89403 & 05.
Where could I find the Part #'s
Thanks,

RHF
#38
HO / Re: Motor swap
March 19, 2015, 07:17:59 PM
Bit the bullet and popped the top.
As suggested the wiring at the plug terminal where the black plastic covers go were loose and the + power wire slid in and out of its' hole on the pcb, which was loosely screwed in and the plugs moved when the engine was on a curve causing intermittent operation. Wire ends not even long enough to satisfactorily bend in place when cover is pushed on to stay put, a blob of solder prevented the cover from going completely on the + terminal and gradually pushed the cap off. QC must have been asleep when this one passed them by. Just push it back on, next.
DC voltage applied directly to motor terminals on pcb and got same rpms as on track. Motor seems strong and has torque but no top end. No binding or obstructions, all drives work smoothly. Engine and tender roll freely on the track with motor out of the gear drive.
Scaled the speed out to max using 126 step speed control and it comes to 45 mph, unworthy of a Niagara.

RHF
#39
HO / Re: Motor swap
March 19, 2015, 11:49:50 AM
Agree on the "break-in theory" as it has been over eight hours of just messin' with cv's.
Its not like trying to get the pencil lead to work in the old "Flyer".
Has to be a bad core (cheap steel) or a bad winding for there to be no power and no speed or rpm's.
#40
HO / Re: Motor swap
March 18, 2015, 12:55:22 PM
System is a Dynamis
NEW engine runs SLOW on DC or DCC powered track and cannot be selected for DC only without changing plug in tender
SLOW with or without any other units being addressed or on track in standby.
Seven parallel loops all same voltage 14vac measured at track.
Will run 11 locos, 2 x 3 consists, 5 single all pulling + 6 to 14  cars , inc. 1 spectrum lighted pass set (6) all at full speed
so power supply not an issue.
Engine growling??? there's no engine growling that I mentioned, wrong post.

Still need to know about the #8811B  motors, same; size, shape, attachment method, can or cannot, why not?

RHF
#41
HO / Motor swap
March 17, 2015, 04:18:42 PM
So...
My two DCC HO Niagara's, hmmmm..
Used one needs 4 new drive bars or worst case scenario an undercarriage assby', not avail, only motor and carriage @ $70.+ first child.
New one has slooooooo-ooo--oow motor, swap? not the decoders, swapped tenders same same.
Look up part# for a new motor, found # 8811B and two? are shown, one sold out, the one I supposedly need? Says for northern. Tells me that this train has more of a problem than other motors and drives as they are all gone and sooooo many other parts for so many others are still available.
What's the diff? one is $20, one is $15 Is it just the gear? Can it be pressed off and the other replaced?
Don't want to have to say "Yeah I have two dcc bachmanns but they need parts and repair. Isn't one new? Yeah , guess if it runs it is considered working. "Just slow all the other trains down to its speed". This ain't the US School System, it is a dc motor, no reason to dumb down 20 trains for one questionable brand new motor."
Is my only option to buy the "motor and chassis" (hope it's motor is of good quality) and then scavenge that for the actual parts I really need to repair the two I have? Because if I send them in, it's shipping, service fee, parts costs and shipping back, if they can or will repair either unit. They will replace the new one with something else as new DCC 4-8-4 Niagara's are unavailable from Bachmann now. I only run New York Central HO on my layout so that is not an option for me.

RHF
#42
HO / Speed differences
February 27, 2015, 11:51:20 AM
Just got a new DCC 4-8-4 Niagara 6014. Have a DCC 4-8-4 Niagara 6020.
6020 runs circles around 6014. Both set w/same basic CV values 2 thru 6.
Both start on 1/126 throttle.
I know there are variations loco to loco but never this far apart.
Did I miss a setting somewhere?

RHF
#43
General Discussion / repairs
February 11, 2015, 04:20:04 PM
Tried to log on to service page many times and was not accepted. How is this forum different than the service page? I'm signed in here all OK.
Don't want to resign in with diff name and pw each time I want service for something.
What is the trick?
I need an RMA to return a faulty 4-8-4 dcc for service.
Is it better just to call in?

RHF
#44
HO / 4-8-4 swaps
February 01, 2015, 04:31:43 PM
I have an old Niagara pancake motor engine that has an open winding.
I have a new to me E-bay DCC NYC 6020 Niagara that has ovaled drive bar centers that click on every rotation.
Can I swap the drive from an old dc Bachmann NYC 6008 or Bachmann Plus NYC 5016 to the newer DCC engine undercarriage or parts therein since wheel parts are out of stock in the parts list currently?
The old units are even nicer than the new DCC parts.

Thanks,

RHF
#45
HO / Re: Bachmann Niagara 6008
March 18, 2014, 04:35:16 PM
Bummer.