Atlas MP-15dc With Sound

[train_guy]

I bought a Athearn genesis CSX MP15ac w/sound on Ebay used for $110.00,This engine runs quite well.It has the QSI sound decoder in it.It is very detailed! I do believe Atlas uses the same QSI decoder(dual mode).The sounds are realistic to me.Of course the sounds are adjustable(volume,different horns,manual throttle nothing,etc) via DCC controller.Personally i would trust the Atlas version over the Athearn(IMHO).BTW here is a video i made for Youtube of the QSI sound <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPNLMVKHnw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPNLMVKHnw</a><!-- m --> It is the same as the Atlas MP15ac.

[FCIN]

UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! STRANGE PROBLEM!!!

This is really strange! I haven't operated the Atlas MP15dc for a couple of weeks, in fact had put it back in its box while working on the layout. Tonight, I took her back out of the box, put it on the DCC track, and it won't hit a lick! All it will do is make the start up sound - the headlight will come on for a second - and then nothing! Model will not operate on straight DC either. Does the same exact same thing. I've checked for loose wires, tried resetting the decoder to default values - still nothing.

As you may recall from my earlier post, this model acted strange when I first got it, but it smoothed out and was running very nice - almost as smooth as my BLI NW-2.

Any ideas fellows? I'm at a lose here! If this one has stopped working for some reason, that makes two sound equipped DCC locomotives that I have that won't run now. I won't even bother to tell you about the crappy Athearn GP15-1 that I got that was a lemon right out of the box!

[Gary S]

Oh crud. I don't have a clue what to do to fix it... the decoder reset was all I could think of. Time to call whoever you got it from?

[Charlie B]

Ed, did you do a mechanical reset or a digital reset?
I don't know for sure if that unit has a way to reset it mechanically, but if it does try it, and sometimes you have to reset a few times.
What DCC system are you using? Sometimes a reset works best on the program track, in fact if it has lost its address, that or the manual reset are the only way it will reset.
Charlie

[FCIN]

Ed, did you do a mechanical reset or a digital reset?
I don't know for sure if that unit has a way to reset it mechanically, but if it does try it, and sometimes you have to reset a few times.
What DCC system are you using? Sometimes a reset works best on the program track, in fact if it has lost its address, that or the manual reset are the only way it will reset.
Charlie

Charlie;
I did the reset digitally. Atlas has what they call a "Magnetic Wand" reset that came with it and must be done on a section of DC powered track, but haven't tried that. I did try the reset on the programming track and it does not appear to have changed anything, as the long address is still in the decoder. Am I correct that it should have reset the decoder to address 03 after a reset?

Since I've had this model since July, the Atlas warranty (good for only 90 days) no longer applies, so if I send it back to Atlas, it will cost me! Ugh!!!

I'll try again to reset the loco using the "magnetic wand" thing and/or on the programming track see if that works. If not, I give up! I'm really puzzled as to how the model was running so nice, then just from sitting in the box for a couple of weeks, it now will not run.

Will let you know what happens.

[rrinker]

Pretty sure the magic wand will work on DCC track as well. The trick is to actually find the right spot - on Broadway Limited steam locos with the wand I found it easier to take off the tender shell so I could see where the reed switch was and orient the magnet so that it truly closed. The trick with the reset on QSI decoders is after you use the wand you must REMOVE POWER FROM THE LOCO - just tilt it up on one side for a second, and the set it back down to complete the reset process.
However - you may have it in one of the shutdown modes. Do a double press of F6 to get it to start up - see of that's all it is.

Interesting, the Atlas instructiosn say definitely DC to use the wand, that's somewhat contrary to the original QSI instructions.

--Randy

[Gary S]

From my knowledge and my decoders, when i reset them, the address goes back to 03. Now, seems I remember something with certain decoders, that there are various types of resets, some are total, some leave programmed speed tables intact. Do you have the manual?

Randy makes a good point of the shutdown stuff. That F6 can be very tricky, and I have had issues with that myself, and it can be aggravating! Again, the manual!

[Charlie B]

I didn't give the shut down any thought, however I had one that did that, but generally they will recognize most function keys and restart, but like I said, I had one that did that. I think the new QSI decoders use F9 to start and shutdown.
If you still have the long address, it didn't reset. I think you can reset on the main if you can address the locomotive. It should be CV 08 Data 08. Some decoders need the 08 and some respond to just the 8, but I think they all read the 08 form.
When on the programming track you don't need the locomotive address, but some times there is not enough power to encode the chip unless you have a program track booster.
Charlie

[FCIN]

However - you may have it in one of the shutdown modes. Do a double press of F6 to get it to start up - see of that's all it is.
--Randy

Randy! You're my hero tonight! That was indeed the problem - pressing F6 a couple of times and she came back to life - although for some reason it would run very jerky. I tried using the "Magnetic Wand" thing to reset it per the instructions that came with the model, but couldn't get it to work. So I did a digital reset and now she is running great! Reprogrammed in my long address for the loco and everything is A-OK!

I guess the last time I ran it, I must have used the F6/F9 function to simulate shutting the loco down and forgotten about it. With my BLI NW-2 - I always have to press F6 to start up and can then use F9 to simulate shutting it down. Works like a charm. But with the Atlas loco, using F9 to simulate the shut down seems tricky. At any rate...

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

Thanks guy's for helping this DCC newbie out - I'll get the hang of it one of these days!!! For now, I'll just stick with blowing the horn, ringing the bell and prototype running speeds. I'll master the other stuff one of these days!

[rrinker]

Glad you got it runnign again! Be glad it wasn't in 'disconnect' mode - that one is ever MORE aggravating, as the motor sounds will rev up, the horn and bell will work - but it won't turn a wheel! Great for simulating a load test I suppose. I can see why they put that stuff in there, but problem 1 is it remember that setting through a power off, so if you last shut it down then put it away for a month or so - who remembers they did all that shutdown rigamorole?
It's not just you - this is probably the most common 'problem' with locos using the QSI decoders. It's easy to get there accidently as you try to see what each sound is, but once it's totally shut down there is absolutely no clu that this is what's wrong, it just sits there dead.

--Randy

[FCIN]

Want to thank you again Randy for the F6 function button idea. I sure felt like an idiot when I hit that button twice and the loco came to life! I was already wondering how much it was going to cost me to ship the model to Atlas and what they'd charge me to repair it.

I just recently installed non-sound decoders in two loco's I have, just for the experience, but haven't really attempted to fine tune any of the CV's in either one of them. So many possible settings and a lot of experimenting. If it runs smooth and starts/stops smoothly, I'm a happy camper! Once I get off my butt and get my switching layout in operation, then I'll spend more time learning the ins and outs of DCC.

Thanks again!

[torikoos]

Cool! Now tell us about your Athearn GP15-1, what's wrong with that, perhaps we can help you to get that going too?

[FCIN]

Cool! Now tell us about your Athearn GP15-1, what's wrong with that, perhaps we can help you to get that going too?

You sure you want me to open that can of worms? The Athearn GP15-1 is one beautifully detailed loco, but as for running - forget it! It won't!!! Here's the issue...

On DCC, it frequently stalls and/or the sound will reset. Not due to dirty track by any means - all the other DCC loco's run just fine with no stalling.

On DC, it won't run at all. Sound will come on at about 7 volts - won't start to move until full 12 volts, then it moves about an inch and stops.

I was messing around with it the other night and it acts like it isn't getting power from the rear truck or at least not all the time. I've taken the shell off (as much as you can because of light wiring) and can't see any loose wires. I can hold it still on the track while running - lift the rear truck off the rail - keeps running. Lift the front truck off the rail - it stops.

Yes, should have returned it to Athearn as soon as I got it. Hobby shop (mail order) where I purchased it would not accept it back for replacement - said send to Athearn. I emailed Athearn about the problem and they said send for repairs at my cost. No way!!!

At this point, I'm just accepting it as a very expensive display model....

[rrinker]

It's fixible, my Athearn RS-3 was like this. It probably still only picks up with wires on one side, through the truck bolster for the other. Part 1 of the solution, I soldered pickup wires to the other side of the trucks so it was all wires, no relying ont he truck bolster. That improved things but it still wasn;t perfect. I found what ought to be a true solution on another forum - the whole pickup system depends on the metal axles rolling in the square bronze bushings, and those bushings touching the metal parts of the sideframes. But it seems the plastic sticks down too far on som and they don't make good contact with the metal sideframe. The trucks need to be taken apart and the plastic filed a bit - or you can just use some flexible wire and solder the pickup wires right to the bronze bushings. I cheated - I got another one in an 'off' road name for $20 of eBay and that one ran perfectly so I swapped shells. Eventually I get around to fixing the other one.

--Randy

[FCIN]

Randy;

On the Athearn GP15-1 there are wires coming up from each side of the truck and routed to the circuit board. Seems to be a design like what Atlas/Kato and a some others have used for years.

I haven't had the nerve to try disassembling the trucks for fear of making things worse. Just looking at the trucks from the top and bottom, I can't see anything loose nor by carefully pulling on those wires is there any indication of one being loose. So I'm puzzled.

I've wondered about soldering the connection wires to the circuit board - replacing the push fit connections in case that is where the problem lies, but like I said, I don't want to make things worse. I may have to just give in and send it to Athearn for repairs although I'm not at all happy with the prospects of spending even more money on this model.