NCE and JMRI Won’t Read Brand New Bachmann ES44AC SoundValue Decoder

[mikemac58]

I haves submitted a repair request to Bachmann, but thought I would try the group for other input.

Brand new, right out of the box NS Heritage Southern ES44AC SoundValue locomotive will not read CVs.  I have tried both NCE Power Cab and JMRI.  I was able to write CVs from a duplicate JMRI file from a similar unit and get some functionality, but not all.  I tried resetting the decoder with both the NCE Power Cab and JMRI.... no luck.  Continues to not read CVs.  I did setup another new ES44AC after the fail on the Southern unit with no problem.

I have 13 Athearn Genesis Tsunami locomotives and this is my 4th Bachman SoundValue locomotive. So this unit is not my first rodeo on sound decoders, but that doesn't  make me an expert!

Appreciate any  thoughts on how to get this locomotive operational!

[Hunt]

If it will not work using just NCE Power Cab,  it will not work using JMRI 




The usual suspect is wiring.

Using the Power Cab without JMRI in circuit

Start with motor wiring,

Remove locomotive shell. Locate, pull off and reseat one at a time the black plastic clip holding in place each of the two wires connecting the motor to the circuit board. Be sure the bare end of the wire is in good contact with the solder pad on the circuit board and remains in contact during replacement of the clip.

Reset decoder and test before replacing the shell.



Reset the decoder
Resetting the sound decoder CVs to their factory default value is a two-step procedure.

   1)  Program 8 to CV 8
   2)  Cycle power to the decoder by turning power to the track off and back on.

After about six-seconds upon restoring power the headlight will blink 16 times indicating that the CVs were successfully reset. However, if sound or light come on immediately upon restoring power, the decoder did not successfully reset. Repeat the two-step procedure.

[rich1998]

I would have to agree with Hunt.
I have had a Power Cab and never had any issues with any decoders that I can think off but have never had a Sound Value loco which I understand uses SoundTraxx decoders.
The Power Cab always worked with them. I did resets also.
I even put the decoder on a decoder tester that simulates a loco. The tester included a can motor.

Rich

[mikemac58]

I figured out that if I set JMRI to paged mode vs. direct mode I got it to work.

Evidently paged mode, which is for older decoders, has a longer wait period for decoder response.  The decoder was slow to respond and direct mode looked at it as a time-out error.