Problem with PS2 conversion

Hi Dave,

 

It definitely sounds like a tach reader problem.  It sounds like you've tried the most obvious solutions.  Try replacing the tach strip (black and white stripes).  If that doesn't fix it the tach reader may have been damaged.  You can order a replacement from MTH.

Thanks for the input Dave.  I have already changed the tach reader, so I don't think that is the problem and the tape looks fine.  I think I might have a board problem.  While doing some testing yesterday, the sound surprisingly came back on, and then disappeared again.  And the signal loss occurs after every two or three changes in direction.  So something bizarre and erratic is going on.

 

Dave

When you say sounds are out, do you mean all sounds?  No whistle or bell?  If so, you need to start eleminating issues. Check and test speaker, check wiring.  Sounds and other items may not be related problems.

 

For speed control, I have seen tach markings be the issue even when they look fine.  Paper tape can be a problem.  Tender to engine harness can also cause problems.

 

Cleanliness of track and pickup rollers also can effect DCS signal.  Lots of variables here, may be best to give it to a tech with a bench tester to check out the boards.  G

You may also want to check the battey. I had some of your symptoms and the solution was to replace the original 5yr old battery. A weak battery appears to cause lots of unusual and hard to isolate problems.

 

Good Luck. JK

 

The Remote actually checks the battery charging circuit, not the battery.

Finally got around to working on these problems and new ones arose.

Replaced the board, got speed control back but no sounds With board replacement needed to download sounds again. But before I did that, noticed the engine would not shut down and a low whine emanated from the tender.  Replaced the battery charge board and whine went away and engine could be shut down.  Downloaded sound (UP FEF since no Milw Rd Northern sounds available).  Download successful, but no sounds same out of the engine.  Should note that before sound download, we did do a sound test with the whistle and bell and got those sounds.

Also, after sounds download, put the engine back on the layout to run and noticed we could not get the engine to load in more than one remote.  If one remote had it loaded and was running the engine, the second remote would return error messages and not load the engine.  If the first remote switched to running a different engine, the second remote could then load the engine, but control from the first remote would be lost.

Any ideas?

Dave

What board did you replace?  Top, bottom or both?  Have you run this in conventional only to see how it works?

 

Putting in new board set and still having problems makes me believe the harness set up is the issue.  Some where a wire is damaged and depending on how it is moved can effect symptoms seen.

 

A tech can test your boards on the bench and half the issues.  I can do this if you don't have one local.  Speed control is a chip on the Power Supply board.  Since this ran well for a year, and a new set of boards is still having problems, I would look at harness and wiring, engine components (motor, smoke, speaker), and the 10 pin PCB at the back of the engine.  These are the wear points for the engine.   G

GGG,

 

Replaced both boards.  Speed issue is solved, but can't get the sounds or smoke.  Since the sounds download said successful, that points to the harness as you suggested.  Going to test conventional now.

 

Also, any ideas on the remote issue?  We think we saw it again today with a different engine, so it is probably unrelated to the conversion with the steam engine.

GGG,

 

Set up for conventional, engine went forward and reverse, but no sound.  We did a test with an extra engine tether and the tender.  Applied power and common with clips to get the tender to start up and determined that we got voltage to the head light pins and smoke unit fan pins, but no power to the smoke unit heater pins, which tells us the issue is in the tender, not the engine.

 

The sound set I downloaded originally was for an FEF 3v package.  Do you think I should  download a 5v package?

 

Dave

No.  A 3V board will only take a 3V file and vice versa.  The Positive voltage for heater is generated in the engine via the 2 diodes under the 10 pin PCB.  They take the motor current to generate it.  I would check the speaker and speaker harness/wires.  Since new board still doesn't have sounds, and the wiring for that is all internal to the tender that is what I would focus on.

 

Look at the bottom of the original board set after removing it from it's plastic holder.  Does the U-5 chip show signs of damage (blister).  That is is the audio chip.

 

I see that Barry answered your remote question.  G

G,

 

Thanks for the reply.  Our week long 'trainfest' just ended tonight, so after I decompress, I will get back to this issue over the weekend. We decided the next move was to look at the installed tether board in the engine, so that jives with your recommendation.

 

Thanks again!

 

Dave 

G,

 

Well, the sounds came back.  Was doing a variety of testing with a volt meter, and thought maybe the pins for the speaker wires looked to be riding a bit high  in the connector.  Pushed them down as best I could, and voila!, sounds are back.  In fact, they are better than ever.  Seems like the 8 ohm speaker is having no effect on the sound quality.  Also, speed control as mentioned early is back and that too is better than ever, even after the original PS2 install.  The engine now creeps with the best of my fleet. The only issue remaining is no smoke, and I think you pegged that one as the connections for the 2 diodes on the bottom of the engine tether board look a bit funky. I have an extra engine tether board/harness, so it will be easy enough to check out.  But I think I am going to run it for a bit and enjoy having it back on the roster.

 

Thanks for your assistance, you have been extremely helpful!

 

Dave