Hi Matt,
I use a Revolution controller, too, but only the track power base station. With over 65 locos, the cost and time to equip them all would be too much.
How close are you to the locos when trying to control them? Sometimes when I am out of range, there is a pronounced delay in response, even though the “Link OK” is displayed.
-Ted
That’s a lot of loco’s! I only have 10 and equip them as I buy them.
The distance doesn’t seem to play a factor in it at all. I can be right next to it, or across the yard. After about 3-4 minutes they will stop and the controller just says no link. That’s if the speed is above 60. I thought maybe it was the battery plug, so I ran them in the opposite direction with the battery car plugged into the chessie. Nope. It still will stop. Both will run just fine on their own too and the chessie will run with any other of my engines. So, there is something going on with the GT engine.
I did notice a high pitched squeal coming from the front and I think one of the wheels may be rubbing. I only noticed it after I turned the sound off. I’m going to look into that here in a bit. It seems to turn just fine and doesn’t show any sing of lag compared to the rear truck. But, the noise is annoying. haha.
Matt,
Is the Revolution receiver board with its antenna intact in the GT unit and in the same place as in the Chessie unit?
BTW, former Aristo employee, Navin, is very familiar with the Revolution.
-Ted
Ted, it is. It the same setup as the chessie. The board was new from RLD too. I fixed the noise I was hearing, so I thought I would test them out on my bench. I had the chessie and gt mu’d together and hooked my battery car up. I ran them at 100 for at least 10 minutes. Then I changed directions and did it again. They never stopped and had no issues.
So, I took them outside and put them on the track. I got up to 60 and they just stopped. That only took a few seconds. I had to unplug the battery and plug it back in to reset them. This is strange.
Thanks,
Matt
Matt to me sounds like you are trying to power the track also
have fun
Richard
Richard, it’s dead rail. I have no power to the track.
The chessie by itself or mu’d with any of my other engines runs fine.
The GT by itself outside runs fine.
The GT and Chessie Mu’d inside ran fine.
The Gt and Chessie outside stop after a few seconds. I wonder if since there was no load on them inside, if that is doing it to the GT. I don’t have test rollers, so I just had them laying on their side when I tested them the house.
But it’s weird I don’t get any error on my controller. After they stop, it just says no link. If I keep the speed around 50 I think they both run fine. I need to check that, but I know if I try to speed up very quickly, they stop. I’ve also tried another battery in my battery car and had the same results.
Now, I only replaced the front motor on the GT. After I replaced the front I tested it and both spun at the same speed. I have another motor, but the rear spun just fine and made no noise, so I didn’t see an sense in swapping it out. Could that be it?
Matt,
Poly fuse tripping?
Matt I know that your dead rail so you have on soldered the pick up wires reason I say this is they have been know to have bad switches and cross over. Also isn’t that a sign
of a bad motor it starts to draw more under load. take both motor blocks off and feed one at time with 9v and with a amp meter read each.
cheers
richard
Matt,
Some thoughts:
What’s common with Paul and Richard postings is an interruption of power to the loco/s, with the cause to be determined, hence, “No Link” reported. And, as I understand, you reported when the battery is un plugged and plugged back in, the locos are “reset” into an operable state.
If for some reason the “dead rail” track is coming into play, maybe because of switches that Richard referred to, first use a multi meter to see if there is no resistance or short measured across the rails, but be sure to remove locos and cars that have lights, like a caboose when doing this. (With the meter leads connected across the rails the meter should measure open circuit.) Then operate the two locos with battery car on the track whilst they are running OK, and at the same time take a voltage measurement across the rails to see if there is a reading. There should be none.
I know on the other thread you said you have 10 locos. Out of curiosity to confirm the GT unit is at fault, perhaps you can use one of your other locos as a substitute for the GT unit, and see if similar results happens on your outdoor track. Assuming you don’t have another GP40, maybe you have an SD45 or a USA Trains GP38 to use.
-Ted
Matt… I had a problem with one of my engines kinda like what you described… After a bit, it would just stop… But the revolution said it was overheat…
This went on for a couple of Ops sessions… Finally removed the shell and discovered that when the shell was put back on, it had pinched a wire…
Unpinched the wire and put the shell back on and no problems since…
Just something else that may be a factor…
Matt,
As I understand it you are connecting the two locos together with the connectors that stick out of the ends of the locos. If that is the way it is setup then the loco connected to the battery car has to carry the current for both locos. That’s why I think that at higher speeds(more current) it could be tripping a weak poly fuse cutting power to the locos.
Paul, good thought. I would think when the locos are connected using the cables that stick out would not result having the Poly fuses in series. I wonder what would happen if the Chessie and GT locos were connected in opposite positions? Would the Chessie loco then become the suspect problem? That said, as I understand, Matt stated he connected the locos and battery car placed on their sides and could not duplicate the problem.
-Ted
Just got home not too long ago, so i don’t know how much testing I will do tonight. It’s also getting cold out and dark. So, I quickly grabbed my aristo sd45 and mu’d it with the aristo gp40 GT. If I accelerate fast, they both stop. If I slowly accelerate, then I can make it to almost 80 on my controller with no issues. From 80 I held the button down to 100 on the controller and they both came to a stop in about 10 seconds.
Oh, and the engine that I had originally been running with the aristo GT, was my Aristo gp40 chessie. Also, everything else I have runs fine. It’s just this Aristo GT I have. I have multiple dash 9’s, a couple sd40-2’s, a single sd45 and the two gp40’s now.
So, I just hooked up the aristo chessie gp40 and the aristo GT gp 40 with the battery car on the bench. If I just hold the speed up all the way, they stop before they get to 100 and the controller says no link. If I ease it up slowly…it does o.k. If I hold the throttle button down, they both stop before reaching full speed. I guess the other night I was slowly increasing speed with them on the bench.
I don’t have anymore time tonight to mess with them. I think tomorrow morning, I’ll just go ahead and replace the other motor.
I’d like to say thanks to all that have commented. I sure do appreciate it! I love all the help and good feedback. THANK YOU!!
Hi Matt,
RE: "…If I accelerate fast, they both stop…From 80 I held the button down to 100 on the controller and they both came to a stop in about 10 seconds…If I just hold the speed up all the way, they stop before they get to 100 and the controller says no link…If I hold the throttle button down, they both stop before reaching full speed… " Presumably, the link is lost for all those conditions?
The Revolution would be expected to have a momentum setting, so I wonder if this were set to a slower (more inertial) setting, it may “mask” the problem. But the basic problem should be resolved.
Please let us know of your progress.
Thank you,
-Ted
X
Yes, they engines come to a stop, just like hitting the stop button. And on the controller says link lost.
I haven’t had any free time to work on them again. I’m hoping after I run some errands, I will have some time this afternoon.
Thanks!
Matt
I FINALLY, got time to work on it again. Just to remind those reading this, the seller sold this engine to me as only having 10 hours of run time on it…max. Those were his words. ugh. Thank you all to have helped me figure out what all was wrong.
So, what fixed the problem of both engines just stopping, was to bypass the poly fuse. I did that, and ran both engines mu’d together until the battery died. So, I think it is FINALLy fixed. whew.
Care to mention the seller, so others don’t get taken by his lying a$$. If you don’t I understand , just wondering.
Matt Russell said:
I FINALLY, got time to work on it again. Just to remind those reading this, the seller sold this engine to me as only having 10 hours of run time on it…max. Those were his words. ugh. Thank you all to have helped me figure out what all was wrong.
So, what fixed the problem of both engines just stopping, was to bypass the poly fuse. I did that, and ran both engines mu’d together until the battery died. So, I think it is FINALLy fixed. whew.
That’s great Matt; you fixed it. Did you bypass the poly fuses only in the GT unit?
What happens if you put the GT unit as the lead loco, and put the Chessie unit second, connected to the battery car?
-Ted
Ted,
I asked Matt to give me a number off one of the poly fuses. It ends in 300 which tells me it is a 3amp fuse. What I don’t know from what he sent is if that is the operating value or the trip value. In any case it seems low.
Pete, I didn’t get it off this site. I got it off the facebook group called, buy and sell large scale trains. He has since left that group and has been banned from the gscale swap and shop. His name was Kyle Lael.
Thanks Ted!!! I did. I bypassed the poly fuse’s and it runs fine. I never had to do that to the Chessie Gp40. Its never cared where it was mu’d. I could run it anywhere. I plan on putting batteries inside each of those engines. I didn’t want to put one in the GT right now, because I’ll have to ship it off to a painter and I didn’t like the idea of having a battery in the engine while shipping it.
Paul, that’s all that is on the fuse. There is a number 30 above the numbers I gave you and made in China on the other side. I’ll look again later to make sure though.