Control board question

John Gunrunner said the coil on the right can be tuned to peak the signal, check on a thread from gunrunner John about this issue or send him an email. Alan

P.S. if you try to adjust be care as it is NOT A POT BUT AN CARBON  piece and can easily be broken, use an insulated tool and NOT A METAL screwdriver or you'll break it and then have to replace the board!

The chip is a PIC that has the code to control the board.  You can tune the reception, but the advice is that if the board is receiving commands to leave it alone.  Later version had a non tunable device instead.  The other failure point is the radio chip, so sometimes an unresponsive  LCRU is a hardware failure.

You use a plastic device not metal, not because of breakage, but because you are tuning and do not want the interference caused by the metal screw driver.

I just make a small adjustment with metal screw driver and test on layout.   G

George is correct, one of the few things that your local Radio Shack may still have is a plastic tuning wand.   You don't tune this unless the unit is losing signal a lot.  If it's suddenly totally dead, the likelihood that it's tuning is very remote.

Thanks for the info guys.  And yeah, it's a goner.  Engine only runs in conventional.  I checked the antenna and the programming switch and they are ok.  That reminds me of another question.  The switch simply completes a circuit when moved in one direction.  I assume "Run" is when the circuit is open and "Program" when closed.  Correct?  The reason I ask is that I guess the switch was installed backwards because the engine manual picture says "program" is in the opposite position from reality on the engine.

Actually, I believe the old LCRU was backwards, RUN was closed and PGM was open.  I recall that throwing me.

Thanks Gunrunner.  That verifies that the illustrated instruction in the engine manual, compared with the way the thing actually operated, was "backwards."  And why the switch wiring supports the actual "backwards" operation. The switch was just mounted the wrong way.

Did that help get things running?

Nope.  No command control at all.  Just conventional.  When I put the switch in "program," engine also moves as soon as transformer turned on.   And only goes forward.  I have to replace the board. 

In conventional when switch in program it acts like a direction lock.  In run it should reverse.   Do any Command signals work?  Such as Lights or couplers?

I would reprogram the ID and make sure antenna wire not grounding out.  G

Thanks, CCC.  No command signals at all that I can tell.  In Run it starts instantly in Conventional and works like conventional would ( Forward-Neutral-Reverse ) and the headlight is on.  It does not have electro-couplers.  I verified that the antenna is not grounded out.  I can't get it into Program mode, so I can't do a reset or anything.

Rather than try and get a replacement LCRU which Lionel has, wouldn't I be better off getting an ERR AC Commander since I am starting from scratch?  No sound involved as it's in the F3B unit.  The A unit is just the board, two AC motors and the headlight.

This reminds me of a separate question.  Since PW AC motors don't run all that well with the chopped wave like from my ZW-L, how come the newer Pullmor's seem to do better? Something the board does?  Thanks.

FWIW, I replaced the LCRU2 in my Phantom locomotive with the AC Commander when I did my two-motor upgrade.  It made an amazing difference in the low speed performance of the locomotive, it's really much more enjoyable to run now.

One issue is that you may have different performance between the LCRU equipped A-unit and the B-unit with the AC Commander, something to consider.  You may be better matching the boards in the two.

If the A unit doesn't have sound, is there sound anywhere?

It's an F3 A-B-A set that came with separate sound setup in the non-powered B unit.  Not that it is horrible, but a new sound unit for the B unit maybe would improve the sounds.  A lot has changed since 1997.

And I am ordering an AC Commander now!  Thanks. 

So, there's only one powered unit?  In that case, I think the AC commander will be a really good fit, and the difference in low speed performance will amaze you.

Thank you sir.  Correct, it's just one powered A unit.  Was that enhanced performance with a full or chopped wave transformer?  I use a ZW-L.

Well, I run with PH180's going through the TIU.  However, I have run on chopped wave transformers, I didn't see any noticeable difference in performance.  I think you'll like the results with the AC Commander.

Great.  Thanks again.

Still being a pest, I guess, but another question.  The ERR AC Commander instruction manual states how important setting the "Feature Code" is because  "The Cruise Commander  (which this isn't) uses the serial data from the R2LC receiver to detect the throttle settings. This serial data signal is dependent on the feature code. If this is not properly set, the loco will not respond to throttle commands and may even enter into conventional mode and rocket down the rails!  The R2LC receiver module can be programmed to operate different features for different engines. Use only codes “4” through “8” for proper operation.

These four are highlighted:

Code 4 Steam with Railsounds - Feature Terminal: Smoke Unit
Code 5 Diesel with Railsounds - Feature Terminal: Strobe Light
Code 6 Diesel with Railsounds - Feature Terminal: Cab Marker Lights
Code 8 Diesel with Railsounds - Feature Terminal: Smoke Unit

Normally do you pick one that your loco has, or all, or what?  Do you then use the feature codes with the Aux. command on the remote during future running??  The "..If this is not properly set .." warning is a little scary.  In my case none of the codes apply.  My F3 just has two Pullmor motors and a headlight.  It fits none of those categories.  Not sure what I should do when the board gets here and is installed. Good grief.  

This isn't a big problem.

When you initially setup the locomotive for the first time, while it's in PGM mode, you press ENG, the TMCC ID, and then SET on your remote.  Next you press AUX1 and a feature code while still keeping the PGM/RUN switch in PGM.  Since you have no smoke unit, I'd use "6" as the feature code.  If you're energetic, you can use the "feature" output of the AC Commander to control cab lights.  If you have a strobe, you can use feature code "5", that gives you a blinking strobe.  These features are switched with the smoke on/off control, the same as a smoke unit if you had one.

Once this is set, you don't have to do it again unless something odd happens or you swap the R2LC for some reason.

Note:  For the AC Commander, open is RUN and closed is PGM, opposite of what your LCRU was.

Thank you one more time GRJ!  I just didn't understand that even though you don't have any of the features you do have to enter at least one for the system to work.  The instructions don't give enough detail for the command board challenged.

Yep, I can tell you first hand, if the feature code isn't entered, sometimes they will take off like a rocket!   I also have occasionally had one "forget" the feature code and do the same thing.  So, if it ever decided to misbehave, before you do anything else, repeat the complete programming sequence, including the feature code.

Will do!

I finally got time this afternoon to actually put the Commander AC board in the F3 in place of the dead LCRU, and just like GRJ said it would be, performance is REALLY enhanced.  I do have one more question, however.  This loco simply had a ac headlight and I noticed that it was wired directly to the pickup feed and to ground.  No wiring related to the LCRU.  The Commander AC, however, has a place to connect the light hot side so it would be directional. I wired it that way, but left the bulb out.  It worried me that the AC Commander wires were so very small compared the ones that feed the bulb.  I know it's an "AC" Commander, but still, will the board handle the big ole bulb?  

In passing I wanted to note that I went on the website of Essentra Speciality Tapes to see about getting one of the double-sided foam pads like ERR sends with their boards.  They offer a free sample, so I ordered one.  Right quick I received 14 of them!  Nice.

The board will handle your bulb.  You may want a 12V bulb, don't know what you have now.  You should be able to run about 300-ma through the triac without issue.

Thank you, sir

Bucky,

Just a side note, you mentioned that you have a separate sound unit but it is not great. Is this conventional Railsounds, if so ERR also has a Sound Converter that will allow you to utilize that unit through your AC Commander. I have used this board with my conventional Railsounds B-Unit in an AF set and have found it to be a nice addition when running in Command mode. Sound converter is quite reasonably priced, $25.00.

Ray

I did put an ERR sound board in an F3 dummy and the level is pretty wimpy.  However, that could be that I did not do things correctly.  I searched the forum and read most everything I could find about "speaker" and so on.  But what I wonder about is the baffle.  In my mind, it should completely enclose the back of the speaker, but the ERR plastic one is full of open spaces.  Should I have covered them all up, because I didn't?

If you want robust sound from the unit, you need as large a speaker as you can fit with a good baffle.  The ERR baffle is not bad, but a totally sealed rear baffle is best for maximum bass response and louder sound.  The ERR speaker is also smaller than most.

I have a much bigger Lionel speaker that is rated 8 ohms, 0.25 w .  I can't clearly make out the rubber stamped info on the back of the ERR speaker, but is looks like it could be 8 ohms, 2.0 watts???  I guess I am asking if the ERR board will power the Lionel one OK?  I could build a baffle around the bigger one.

I'd be looking for a speaker rated in the 2-3 watt range.  A 2" speaker is about the largest you'll be able to use, if you have the space, you can also use an oval one which gives you more cone to move air.