Large Scale Central

Lost link on my crest revolution

Problem Solving
#1

I have a new Dash 9. It has a battery in the engine and crest revolution with generic sound. It ran great two weeks ago. I got it out this past sunday, and the controller said no link. My other dash 9 links as do every other engine I have.

So, I tried to link it. The lights won’t flash when holding down the red link button. I have another reciever and tried it. It won’t make the lights flash either. I also tried another battery. Same results. I am correct that the engines lights are supposed to flash and then I select the linking tab on the controller…correct.

I did try linking, even though the engines lights didn’t flash. And nothing. I tried it with both recievers.

So…what gives? Anybody have something I should look for? I’m hoping the mainboard is o.k.

#2

Matt Russell said:

I have a new Dash 9. It has a battery in the engine and crest revolution with generic sound. It ran great two weeks ago. I got it out this past sunday, and the controller said no link. My other dash 9 links as do every other engine I have.

So, I tried to link it. The lights won’t flash when holding down the red link button. I have another reciever and tried it. It won’t make the lights flash either. I also tried another battery. Same results. I am correct that the engines lights are supposed to flash and then I select the linking tab on the controller…correct.

I did try linking, even though the engines lights didn’t flash. And nothing. I tried it with both recievers.

So…what gives? Anybody have something I should look for? I’m hoping the mainboard is o.k. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Matt,

I think you are trying backwards. Here is an excerpt from the operating manual…

#3

Matt,

I hope this procedure works for you. I also had a Revo board that lost it’s linking about a year ago. I sent it to Crest and they replaced it. Now I don’t think that option exists! Good luck.

#4

Hi Joe,

I just went through this myself so I’ll throw in my two cents. I started a thread about it but I don’t know how to provide a link to it

I had a LGB Forney running perfectly about two weeks ago and then I could not get it to link. I took it out of the loco and bench tested it - still nothing. I checked my bench testing procedure using another loco and it was fine. This board seemed dead. My favourite g-scale dealer(WGRR) told me to check the fuse on the RX board. He said if there is no life at all on the board, it may be the fuse. (see below)

Image result for crest revolution rx

There is also another fuse just at the corner of the heat sink on the other side of the board - check that one too. Both mine were blown. A simple check with a multi meter confirmed it. Next, I soldered a jumper wire across each fuse and tested it again - voila! - came back to life and linked again. I took off the jumper wire and soldered in some replacement fuses.

Warning - I have no idea why the fuses popped in the first place but I have ran the loco on my bench rollers now for two hours with no problems. It’s going out on the layout today for a “real-life run”

Hope this helps

Mike

#5

Thanks Joe, but I’m doing it like the instructions. I push and hold the button, but my engines lights never flash. The cab lights and walkway lights are on, so I know it’s getting power. Yeah, I’d say there is no sending it in. lol.

Last time I was up at RLD hobbies I picked up another receiver.

Thanks Mike. I’ll check for the fuse. If that is it, then my other brand new receiver has a blown fuse too.

#6

Mike, mine looks nothing like that. I have the receiver that plugs into the board inside the engine.

#7

O.K., so I just grabbed the brand new receiver that I bought from Robby a couple weeks ago and tried it again. This time, it linked up and all works. So, I put the old one back in and nope. Nothing. I tried the new link plug on the old receiver and nothing.

So, I put the new receiver back in with the old linking plug and it works. I don’t know why when the first time I tried it that it didn’t work, but it is now. So, I guess I’m stuck with a dead receiver. Guess I’ll be buying another spare.

Thanks for the help guys. I appreciate it.

#8

You said earlier that you had power to some of the lights on the loco but couldn’t get it to link. Could the antenna wire solder joint be bad?
Just wondering
Mike

#9

Mike,

I looked and it’s still soldered on. I noticed when I have the bad chip plugged into to the board that I don’t get a red light flashing when I push the linking button. The board itself doesn’t look any different than the good one.

It’s aggravating that I’m out $90. I wouldn’t be upset if the chip was several years old, but it wasn’t. It was just a couple weeks. Now that crest is closed I’m outta luck. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)Guess I’m lucky I bought a spare when I did.

#10

Check the fuse… $5 multimeter from Harbor Freight will check it.

Did you look on the underside of the board, you say yours looks nothing like it… the sound and the non-sound boards look different.

The fuse is cheap and simple to replace (after you get a replacement one).

Greg

#11

Thanks Greg.
I’m out of town still. I’ll check when I get home. But I didn’t see a fuse on mine. If I can figure out how to upload the pictures off my phone I’ll do it or I’ll have to wait until I get home.
My board is the cre-57002s.

#12

Ok. I think I got the pics uploaded from my phone. I’ll see if I can get a link to http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/Alwaysbroke2006/Mobile%20Uploads/image_1.jpeg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p169/Alwaysbroke2006/Mobile%20Uploads/image_2.jpeg

Hope those links work. I did them from my phone.

#13

#14

The fuse is there on your board, right where the picture from mike above indicates… it’s a little rectangular thing in the upper left corner of your picture of the underside of the board, it’s got a “5” in the white area… 5 amps…

Just use a multimeter and make sure there is continuity.

Greg

#15

Hey Matt,

Like Greg said, I’d check the fuses. Like I mentioned, I had a board go dead a few weeks ago and it was the fuses. (same symptoms as you describe) There are two - both 5 amp. They are very small and marked with the number 5 (for 5 amp). One is on the pic I added earlier. BTW - the board I have is slightly different than the photo but the fuse is in the same place. The second fuse is on the other side, just tucked under the heatsink. I had to remove the heat sink screw and heatsink to rewire mine. I added some info to David’s pic to show you below:

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/32/0d/02/20927_7799.jpg?c=1716)

#16

Not my picture, I just posted Matt’s picture from his second link. His first link didn’t want to work. I just thought if we all looked at the pictures, then we would all know what we wuz talkin bout.

#17

Thanks David. I figured my phone wouldn’t get the entire link.

Thanks Greg and Mike! I got home last night and looked and see the fuse. I appreciate all the help!

#18

Apparently the fuse(s) blowing are not all that uncommon.

Let us know what you find.

Regards, Greg

#19

I decided that this was above my skill set, so I called Robby. He wasn’t comfortable messing with it either and said Navin would fix it. So, I’ll call him tomorrow and see what he says. I’ll keep everybody posted.

Thanks again for all the help.

#20

I called the number and I can send it back. For $20 he’ll fix it. I’m sure I’ll be money ahead paying for him to fix it, unless all my receivers start doing this. lol.