Mike Reagan-TAS-EOB Help Needed!

Since Trainworx is a forum sponsor, you might try calling Mike directly.

You mentioned both SAW board and EOB. If it has a tach reader its EOB. Continuous horn usually means the sensor is not reading the tach strip. Check the spacing (.030") and make sure the sensor is centered on the strip.

Pete

Jack: I thought about that, but isn't Mike working back in North Carolina area now for Trainworx? Was looking for his TrainWorx email? Maybe have to call Dorcie first.

Pete; I'll double check the sensor spacing; odd that it would move sitting on a shelf.....

D&H 65 posted:

Jack: I thought about that, but isn't Mike working back in North Carolina area now for Trainworx? Was looking for his TrainWorx email? Maybe have to call Dorcie first.

 

Pete; I'll double check the sensor spacing; odd that it would move sitting on a shelf.....

It depends how they mounted it. TAS didn't supply a holder like MTH does. Its matter of using spacers, double sided tape and tie wraps. Its not uncommon for them to shift enough to loose signal.

Pete

FWIW, I have a TAS EOB board with the same symptoms.  It is NOT the antenna, at least mine isn't.  Mine is a board issue, and sadly it's the microprocessor, no replacements exist that I'm aware of for that part.

D&H 65 posted:

Jack: I thought about that, but isn't Mike working back in North Carolina area now for Trainworx?

Yes.

Was looking for his TrainWorx email? Maybe have to call Dorcie first.

Yes, as that works best. When phoning Trainworx, they can connect you directly to mike, even though he works in North Carolina. My buddy did just that, last week. EVERYBODY at Trainworx are very helpful. 

 

Pete; I'll double check the sensor spacing; odd that it would move sitting on a shelf.....

Going to give Dorcie a call Jack and hopefully connect to Mike...

GRJ: I was afraid you might say that John...I checked the tach reader spacing and it sits @ 0.033" and is fairly well set there by an Atlas"O" tach reader board mounting bracket. I did center it somewhat better in the middle of the tach stripes, but it still has the same issues. ERR may be getting another call if Mike's news is similar.

I just talked with Mike and he thinks one of the wires from the tach reader board-to-the mother board may be broken, so its off to see what I can find in that area. Will report back when I have some findings.

There is one more check to do before deciding if its the sensor or the processor. With power on and the shell off look at the sensor board and turn the flywheel by hand. There is an LED on the sensor board that should flash every time a black stripe goes by the sensor. If not it may just be a bad sensor. If it does flash then it may be a problem on the main board.

Pete

Norton & GRJ: Based on my conversation with Mike, I removed ten pounds of "stuff" that resided in a nine pound "hole" to access the tach reader. I ran continuity checks on the wiring from the reader PCB  solder joints to the pins on the connector to the MB and found no breaks in the wiring. (Connector removed from the MB).

I've seen the LED light Norton, and seem to remember the LED not being on while the horn sounded, but did come on once I could get the motors to operate. When the motors did run, low speed operation was extremely spastic, but would smooth out somewhat as the engine ran faster.

So it sounds like it runs but not very well at slow speeds? Do you have an EOB manual? if not GRJ has posted one in the last sticky on this TMCC forum. You have to scroll down that topic about 2/3rds the way down to find most if not all of the TAS manuals.

There are a number of keystroke commands that might help smooth things out.

EOB is not the smoothest to begin with but its not too bad when running right.

Pete

Pete: Operation wasn't horrible, but the last time I ran this diesel, and every time previous to that, operation was quite commendable. It would start slower than original TMCC, but below what you expect with a back-emf system ala ERR CruiseCommander.

I wouldn't expect to have to fine-tune the system every time I want to operate it.....

I wouldn't either. Just making a few suggestions to try before replacing everything. 

Have you ruled out any mechanical issues? Sometimes traction tires swell and rub on the brake shoes. Things like that.

Pete

Pete; The mechanicals in this baby run like a Swiss watch-no binding anywhere. I'll try another look-see at the tach reader light before I pull the trigger on Ken @ERR & Company.

There may be a LED on the board, but I would have thought it would be IR for sensing, so to see the actual pulse of the tach reader you need a camera phone that can pick it up?  Even if it sends the IR pulse that does not mean the receiver end of it works unless you see a pulse of voltage out the wire.  Read the tach output agains the tach ground and turn flywheel.  If it pulses voltage the reader is good, and it may be the processor GRJ mentioned.

I may have a board that came out of an Atlas if you want to go that route. G

G, there is a visible LED used as an indicator as well as the IR LED in the detector. I think it can be assumed the three wires on the detector are ground, 5 V and signal so you could verify a tach pulse simply by putting a voltmeter on the signal wire and ground. 

This from the EOB manual:

"Now, before turning the throttle, look at the flywheel sensor board. Using your finger slowly turn the flywheel in either direction and verify the small red LED is illuminating each time a black stripe passes in front of the sensor device. If you do not see the red LED illuminating then the sensor is not accurately counting the stripes, which means the cruise features will not work properly.

Pete

If it ends up being the EOB board, let me know.  I have a couple of them in my parts box.  Replacing the EOB board will be way cheaper than stripping it and going all ERR.

Some of the after market upgrades (kits) required the installation of the tach strip on the flywheel. Sometimes the tach strip would come loose.  It was recommended that scotch tape be applied over the tach strip to secure it.  The sensor was positioned  with styrene shims and secured with CA. Also note the large rubber band that I installed. The CA/shim attachment can be an issue.   The not-so-black stripes have not been a problem.    

A TAS retro kit on a set of Weaver E8's

WOW, that strip is ugly.  I'd attack that with a Sharpie.

John, Pete, Mike, & GGG: I just got done putting enough of the engine back together to add power and check the tach reader operation. Atlas"O" used a machined-notch flywheel on this engine so no tach reader strip issues. Once I powered it up, I manually turned the flywheel through a revolution and the LED on the reader PCB did flash each time a notch passed the detector. I don't have a scope to visually read the output, and not enough hands to hold probes against the board to read it ( I'm not THAT advanced electrically ...). I also was not able to get it to run this morning, no matter how many times I alternated the direction switch or moved the throttle-just a lot of annoying horn blowing.

At this point, I think I'm going to upgrade the engine to ERR as it's (presently) a supportable system and the running results are great. I know there are cheaper alternatives (thanks for your offer John), but this engine is just too good to let slide as far as an operating system.

Thank you all for your ideas and support.

Larry

Time to cut your losses, I agree.  I'm sure you'll be happier with the Cruise Commander.

You should at least be able to recoup some of your losses. The tach reader and daughter boards still have some value, not much but some.

Pete

I have replaced bad motors, which give the same effect that we have been talking about.  Motors with the flywheel from Atlas, or motor replacement from Timko.  He has the ability to move the flywheel(s) and worm gear/mountings to his motors.  He was able to replace a motor on a K-Line B6 that had a EOB drop-in board upgrade/done by TAS at the time.  Solved the problem.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

WOW, that strip is ugly.  I'd attack that with a Sharpie.

I doctored a couple of the strips (with a sharpie) , made no difference.