Hi

I just got a 29856 digital starter set and just completed setting it up. I have the 6001 power supply and 6021 control unit. everything appears to work properly when I first turn it on, the 99 appears in the let display on the 6021 for a second and then both trains start moving. They will not respond to commands except the stop command and go. I think this is some sort of conventional operation, but how do I change the mode to digital.

Hi Rhopke, all,

The following may be a bit technical for the purpose of solving your problem, but I think it can be of common interest:

I think there was a similar problem discussed earlier, and I think the cause was that the loco had the "idle" address set (all 8 dip switches off). In the decoder, this is a valid address, and can be used if you have control equipment that can command it. According to http://spazioinwind.libe...it/scorzoni/motorola.htm the 6021 sends an idle code with data value 0 at start up. This does not cause the locos to move. My suspicion is that the 6021 actually sends out something else than 0 at the idle address during start up. I don't have a 6021 myself so I can't check.

I have also tested other invalid settings of the dip switch, but it is only the valid settings and the "idle" setting that work. With other invalid dip switch settings, the loco is just "dead", even if you send codes that would match the actual setting.

This sure sounds like a wiring problem.
From the 6001 comes a brown and yellow wire to the 6021. From the 6021 comes a brown and red wire. The two brown wires can touch and no problem (ground). The yellow (gelb) wire from the 6001 must NOT touch the red output from the 6021, and the track center rail must be connected ONLY to the red wire.

If this does not help, maby the 6021 is bad.

Hi

I have to disagree with Thanos - when you first turn on the 6021 nothing should happen - the loks should not start moving of their own accord until you select one and give it a command. The guy's problem is that when he turns on the power everything starts moving at teh same time - I think the 6021 is defective or the wiring is wrong. Are the red and brown wires connected correctly to the track? Red is the encoded command signal and brown is the earth. Red must feed the center studs...

Regards

Mark

Hi Rhopke, all,

I agree with John, it might be that the addresses are set to "off", i.e. analogue/conventional. Are the 8 dip switcheas of the loco decoder set according to this table? (i.e. not set to "off")

http://peter.funck.net/Digital_Addresses.htm

<img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle> Peter

Hi all:
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>I have to disagree with Thanos - when you first turn on the 6021 nothing should happen - the loks should not start moving of their own accord until you select one and give it a command.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana" size=1 id=quote>

Mark, most probably you are right and this is a case of bad wiring or defective 6021. <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

However, there is a chance that locomotives will start running the moment you turn on the 6021 plus nothing will be displayed in the 6021 panel.

I had to take off the IB and reinstall the dust collector 6021 <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle> to test it but here's how such an incident, like the one rhopke describes, could occur.

Place a locomotive or two on your layout, select it with the 6021 and let it do a couple of loops while you also turn on one or two of it's digital functions! Now, while the 6021 is turned on and the speed knob is is pointed to, let's say 150, the locomotive is running smoothly and it has it's lights on, pull the plug of the 6021!! Just like that, pull the plug and don't change anything on the 6021.

Now, that the 6021 is turned off turn the control knob to the left like shutting down the locomotive. Give it a second and then plug the 6021 back in! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Observe what happens! ... "the 99 appears in the led display on the 6021 for a second and then both trains start moving". The locomotive starts to run as you have programmed it, before the 6021 was unplugged! Same speed and all the lights are on <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> Now, the only way to stop the pre-programmed locomotive is to address it...

Well, strange isn't it? Now, isn't it possible that the dealer used the 6021 and the two locomotives on a layout before and unplugged the 6021 the way I described? <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> Rhopke never mentioned that he addressed the locomotive...


Thanos <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hi

Sorry it took so long to get back, I got called to go to Seattle to clear up a problem up there.

Now for the HO digital problem. I got it fixed thanks to Perez.

After reading the reply from Perez, I decided to reinput the addresses for the engines. I checked them before but never touched them. The engines were set for: br101 = 80 and the cargosprinter =70.
I reset the switches and everything is now working ok.

thanks