Blinking headlight

[Cortland]

I have a Spectrum 2-8-0 (DCC with sound) and I notice the headlight blinks on and off at regular intervals. Is there some adjustment that needs to be made? It's not shorting out.

[Santa Fe buff]

Your track may be the problem, check for any bad spots. If it's not the track, check the wiring, might be something related to that, all I got to say that it's the engine or the eletircity-one or the other.

[Cortland]

The track is not the problem.

[James Hail]

There may be a dimming function on the headlight and a cv to adjust the volts,,,,,feed a LED too little volts from the decoder and they can flicker.....check it out it could be your problem.....get the bachmann instructions for the cvs.

Or you may have its  headlight cv programmed to a lighting effect instead of steady on.
Jim

[Yampa Bob]

I have noticed that my wife's dc loco has a continuous bright light, but I get a slight flickering on my DCC locos.  I'm inclined to think it may be the CV as you mentioned.  It's barely noticeable so I don't worry about it. 

I only have EZ Command so couldn't adjust the CV anyway.  I'm considering getting an NCE Powercab just for programming.  I know very little about changing CVs, and don't intend getting too involved with it.

Bob

[James Hail]

Bob i started a year ago in dcc with the powercab and i love it........Easy to understand and programming is a snap when you have the cv list from the decoder manufacture......The powercab is layed out very well and understandable.

Jim

[Yampa Bob]

I've had my nose in a book my entire life just keeping up with things.  I'll probably get a Power Cab. I've procrastinated because I don't like the power panel that has to be mounted to the table, but I can build a small chassis/box to put it in.  That's why I bought an MRC Advance Square, but didn't like it and sent it back.

I'll have to read the stupid manual again, I d/l their 75 page pdf.  Not sure I like the thumb wheel, does it have a stop at zero or  continuous?  I prefer a knob with a stop and an arrow to see where I'm at.  Guess it's what you get used to.

I'm also considering Dynamis (sp), but haven't read any reviews on it yet.  I may start a thread on it later.

I have only Bachmann locos, I read that they have a CV list, haven't looked for it yet.

Bob

[Zorch]

I was just reading this thread and it was mentioned that you can't adjust cvs with ez command seeing as i'm new at this  I was thinking of using ez command, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

[Yampa Bob]

The EZ Command at $80 is a great way to start out, and I usually recommend it.

As for adjusting CVs, I'd rather wrestle with an alligator, and will only update if absolutely necessary.

Bob

[Guilford Guy]

EZ Command is okay for a starter. You can only run 10 locomotives, and can't run others unless their locomotives address is between 1 and 9. Lenz, Digitraxx, and NCE are all good systems, and allow much more than the EZ Command does.

[James Hail]

Bob the Powercab has a 360 thumbwheel.....and on the left and right are speed pushbuttons that jog fast or slow through the speed steps.



The 360 wheel is for yard mode by design where your sorting cars ect you can roll the wheel and cross the zero point easy to help you actuate magnetic couplers by bumping fore/aft ect.

But when your not in yard mode it will roll to zero and stop there Not changing direction until you press direction button.......

Bachmanns decoders are as stripped down as the system...not much to adjust via CV's...

Hope this helps.

[Tom Hogan]

RE: blinking lights.....I had the same problem with my PowerCab....at 2,4,6,8,ect speeds the light was on.....at 1,3,5,7,9,ect the light was off....sooo.....it looked the the lights were blinking on/off as I increased the speed....I inadvertently set the loco to...um...14/28...speed steps....should have been set at 128...I believe...was a while back