Problem Setting Chuff Rate in PS3 "Yellowbelly" Hudson...Resolved!

If you're doing it correctly in the remote, the only thing that jumps to mind is perhaps the chain file is incorrect or screwed up.

Thank you.

There seem to be other things going on as well.  I cannot stop/start the smoke unit from the remote, the coupler slack plays over and over, the headlight (which was on, originally) cannot be turned on, the reverse light stopped working, and I cannot perform a Factory Rest through the DCS remote.

I will have to rig a bell button up to try a factory reset through horn/bell commands.

Well, with all of that, I'd start by reloading the chain and sound files and see if that helps.

Thank you sir.  I will attempt to do so.

I have not done that one before (the chain files), but I think it is covered in Barry's book.

I'm sure Barry has it in there somewhere.   Loading the chain files is just using a different button on the loader.  However, there are a few tricks to it.

One thing that bites people at first is the requirement to totally power cycle the locomotive after loading the chain file.  That's turning off the power and giving it at least 30 seconds before powering up again.

Thank you for that info sir.  That is exactly the sort of thing that I would miss.

I will look the process of in Barry's book this evening.

I greatly appreciate your assistance.

Try Factory reset first.  G

Thank you GGG.

I tried via the DCS Handheld and through the WiFi Ap via my phone to no avail.

I was thinking of trying to find a bell button to do a reset through whistle and bell commands, but am not sure where mine is (I don't normally use them so I never wired one in to the layout).

When I first posted this, I figured that somewhere along the way, Barry might drop in with a comment or some advice-I was looking forward to it.

Now that can never happen...

It is very sad that we will not benefit from his wisdom in his posts anymore-he was always willing to share his knowledge.

He was definitely one of the good guys in the hobby, and made a lasting impression on many of us.

He is greatly missed...

Sorry if this was not quite the right place to post this.

I would contact MTH, if the SF was built with an error maybe cause.  Or ask if someone else has this model and does it work.  Product number would help.  It should be adjustable. G

Thank you GGG.  I think I am going to follow GunrunnerJohn's advice and do the chain file thing.  The headlights and smoke stopped working also.  The coupler slack sound goes on repeatedly-something is definitely wrong with it.  If the chain files don't fix it, I will take it in to be serviced.  

Thank you sir.

My comments above, were intended to be more of a lament at the loss of Barry.  I do appreciate your comments about my locomotive, which you and others have kindly assisted me with. 

The locomotive does not seem very important right now.  

Well, I finally got the chance to try to load new chain files into the Hudson this morning.  Before I did it, I thought I would try it one more time.

It started up fine with the headlight still off and no smoke (and two chuffs per revolution).  I had previously done a feature reset (which failed to bring the headlight back on or the smoke back).  The coupler slack sounds did not repeat as they had before (perhaps this was a good sign).  I was able to turn the headlight and smoke back on this with with the buttons on the DCS remote-this was also a positive development.  I tried to set the chuff to four with no joy.  I then set the chuff to one, which worked.  Then back to two (also worked), then three (also worked) then four (finally worked).

So now everything is working properly and I am going to run the engine and leave well enough alone!  

Strange happenings, hope it keeps working.

Well, I now feel properly stupid...

I had been attempting to change the chuff rate, perform the resets, etc. on my inner loop (operating from Fixed 2 on the TIU).

The morning I decided to update the chain files (the day that the locomotive started to operate normally), I had moved it to the outer loop (operating from Fixed 1 on the TIU).   I was able to upgrade the chuff rate from two to four (first down-graind to one, then back to two, then to three as outlined in a previous post), got the headlight back on, etc.  I then decided to put off downloading the chain files to see how it would go.  I have run it for over two hours now, on the outer loop with no problems-it behaves perfectly normally).  DCS signal strength was a 10 all the way around.  I was able to run it from both the DCS Wifi Ap and the DCS Handheld.  I put it back on the inner loop and could not find it in the Wifi Ap.  I tried the Handheld and could find it, but it operated with difficulty.  I tried a Track Signal test, and all I got was a failed test ("Check Track" or non-responsive).  I set a different PS3 locomotive on the inner loop with the same results.

It has been a few months since I ran a PS2 or PS3 engine on the inner loop (I have been running a lot of post war/conventional locomotives).  In the interim, it appears that the DCS signal has degraded on that loop (it had been almost solid 10's, with an occasional 9).  

I will next try swapping the TIU outputs to see if the problem follows the TIU channel or the track and proceed from there.

I feel quite foolish as I was blaming the engine when  it was the DCS signal to the inner loop that was at fault.  I have been operating DCS almost since its inception, so I d@mn well should have known better.

Of note is that the DCS handheld seemed to be able to find the locomotive in the presence of a very weak DCS signal, when the Wifi Ap could not.  Some people on the other thread were complaining that the Wifi Ap could not find issues on one loop, where the DCS Handheld would.  It would be interesting to see if there is some slight difference in the Wifi Aps ability to find a engine on a loop with very weak signal, or if it is just a coincidence.

Update:  I just rolled the TIU channels for the inner loop from Fixed 2 to Variable 2 and now have the track signal back up where it originally was.  I am able to find and operate the Yellowbelly from the Wifi Ap with no issues.  Evidently I have a bad signal generator on Fixed 2.  I am not to upset with the failure as the TIU was purchased between 13 and 14 years ago and has given good service.

As a side effect of doing this, by moving the inner loop to Variable 2, I have now been able to run conventional trains from the Wifi Ap (which I had not tried before).  It works extremely well!