I have experienced the following on my layout:

On a Helix, where I had done track work, two tracks had slipped apart and made a short circuit on one part of the layout, sharing a booster with another part.
CS3 was shut down
I repaired the damage
Turned on CS3, but still a short circuit
CS3 was shut down
And I repeated the track work (when I was unsure of the small tabs on the K tracks)
It all repeated itself with a short circuit
The underground station was inspected and vacuumed + again the track work, but again a short circuit show up
To be honest, I got a little desperate!
Could not think of anything else but to look at the other part of the track with the same booster
And here was the solution
The short circuit had started our Ardelt crane (art. 49570) and the arm/jib had started to spin around and had pushed & overturned some wagons
This is the first time I have seen an mfx decoder live its own life by short circuit (seen before with older decodes from ESU)
That's my story

And then to my question

Can I change the settings on the crane's decoder so that I can avoid removing the crane from the system when it is not under supervision, because a short circuit can’t be avoided on a model railway?

It seems that we are the only ones to acknowledge that problem, but thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.

Hi
you can of course modify decoder's parameters but I don't see exactly what to do
You may also update the firmware of the crane, using a CS3 (connected to the Internet) on the programming track.
I am testing this on a BR 75 Insider model which has initialization problems (frequently, -5 to 10% - at power-up) it start sounding very loud unattractive noises.
I cannot give the results as I am far away from my layout
Cheers
Jean

I have the same problem Jean. I have multiple mfx decoders that start a function when the track is first powered on, whether from a short or just from hitting the big red button on the CS.

My worst offenders are two locos that play their endless informational messages about the prototype. Nice feature but distracting when they are parked and you don't care to hear a speech in German. But other locos sometimes activate functions to turn on lights or other sounds on power up, but not always. Very strange. If I cut power and restore it sometimes the function does not start again and sometimes it does.

I am currently wondering if my bundling of leads to different booster circuits might have caused cross talk, which effectively scrambled my signal. I am about to start completely over again on a new layout and I will not do that again at least.

Hi Jim
I suspect some decoders are not as "stable" as others because it is always the same locos (decoders) which show this erratic behaviour. If this becomes too aggravating (it is seldom at the moment) then I will change the decoder.
Also, make sure you have not left a momentary function ON (You wouldn't hear it unless at power up)
Cheers
Jean

A year or two ago Jean I only had a few decoders which did this, but last year there were many more, so it seems like either Märklin decoder quality is totally gone or something related to the whole digital system is happening. I can go for weeks without any instances of this problem and then there are times where every power application starts some functions on some locos.


I was hoping that it might be that simple but I have verified that no functions are active on my CS3 when power is restored, even though something triggers the functions, and it does not appear to be my CS3.

For the man from Mullerup:

You must be allowed to blush a little, when the “boys” come to visit our layout, so there will be a switch …..

Thank you for “the carpet man” and not this doctor from the past ….

From today it is now possible to controle if there shall be power in the track, where the Ardelt is parked.

And to show power on, then a lamppost with two floodlights, that will be on + a shed with lights, where the operators must be, when the crane is to work.

The problem has also been submitted via email to Märklin's technical department, but no answer has been received, so it must be understood in the sense, that it is something you have to live with !!!

On the other hand, the crane is insulated with a switch (at the request of a man from Mullerup = Purellum), so it is only when the power is turned on that the problem can occur (the "satanic" grandchildren)!

If this is a general problem, then it is a pity, that Märklin did not just come up with an answer in that direction .....

So that must be the end of that story!