Model Railroading > Athearn MP15 problems

I've checked out the other threads on the MP15 problems, and tried reprogramming the CV's to get rid of the excessive momentum and high starting voltage, but haven't been able to get it running smoothly yet. I was wondering what you all thought about:

- What numbers have you programmed into your MP15's for starting voltage and momentum?
- My engine sound won't start by hitting a function key twice - I have to put it into forward or reverse to start the sound. Also, hitting F8 3 times doesn't turn the sound off. Has anyone else run into this?
- I have to throttle up quite a ways to get the engine to move and when it eventually does start, it takes off.
- When it is running, it sort of "lurches" - i.e. fast slow fast slow - like a cheap steam engine would.
- After I take the speed back to zero, the engine eventually slows down, but will continue to crawl along (not stopping) unless I keep hitting the speed decrease key.

I have an NCE Pro system and while I'm not a programming genius, I think I understand how things should work. This was my first Athearn with DCC and after buying a LOT of great running Atlas' with sound and DCC, I've been really disappointed. I'll keep trying to adjust the CV's, but if it doesn't run it'll have to go back. Thanks for any and all help!

My CSX MP15AC went back a week ago to my internet dealer. I programmed every CV that deals with any type of movement that involves the MRC sound decoder with no success. Numerous calls and emails to MRC's DCC tech support have never been answered. I will never buy a factory MRC unit again from Athearn. I'm done. MRC has one guy(Frank) dealing with DCC support worldwide. Whatever.

Bruce


Matt_Gidley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've checked out the other threads on the MP15
> problems, and tried reprogramming the CV's to get
> rid of the excessive momentum and high starting
> voltage, but haven't been able to get it running
> smoothly yet. I was wondering what you all
> thought about:
>
> - What numbers have you programmed into your
> MP15's for starting voltage and momentum?
> - My engine sound won't start by hitting a
> function key twice - I have to put it into forward
> or reverse to start the sound. Also, hitting F8 3
> times doesn't turn the sound off. Has anyone else
> run into this?
> - I have to throttle up quite a ways to get the
> engine to move and when it eventually does start,
> it takes off.
> - When it is running, it sort of "lurches" - i.e.
> fast slow fast slow - like a cheap steam engine
> would.
> - After I take the speed back to zero, the engine
> eventually slows down, but will continue to crawl
> along (not stopping) unless I keep hitting the
> speed decrease key.
>
> I have an NCE Pro system and while I'm not a
> programming genius, I think I understand how
> things should work. This was my first Athearn
> with DCC and after buying a LOT of great running
> Atlas' with sound and DCC, I've been really
> disappointed. I'll keep trying to adjust the CV's,
> but if it doesn't run it'll have to go back.
> Thanks for any and all help!

By the way, one more thing. I know of 3 other people who bought the sound units and they had the same problem. None of us could turn off that darn momentum! I have seen numerous reports of people having the same problem on other forums. What is interesting is that I have also seen 2 reports of people that are not having this problem. Perplexing and makes you wonder. I watched a friend's shove numerous cars off a track after he had shut down the throttle 10 seconds before. Finally after some amusement, we grabbed it and lifted it off the tracks. The damn thing is probably still running in the box on the UPS truck! All 4 of us shipped them back and some of them had to pay restock fees. Ahhh the cost of preordering untested products.


Bruce

The damn thing is probably still running in the box on the UPS truck!

Now that made my day.......

Cabin
C290

I found one that I need to go pick up, I only need one and this is sound equipped with the dcc set up, of course I don't have anywhere to run it right now. So mine will sit collecting dust within teh box, then hopefully Athearn or MRC will have a fix for the sound/dcc chip.

Frank

fjc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I found one that I need to go pick up, I only need
> one and this is sound equipped with the dcc set
> up, of course I don't have anywhere to run it
> right now. So mine will sit collecting dust
> within teh box, then hopefully Athearn or MRC will
> have a fix for the sound/dcc chip.

Keep the lid on, and it won't get dusty ;-)

Elizabeth

No offense, this is one of the reasons why my MP15AC's do not have sound, nor will they have. DCC yes, but no sound. I have heard too much problems with the system

Yours,

John

fjc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ... hopefully Athearn or MRC will have a fix for the sound/dcc chip.
>
> Frank

Already one out there, it's called Tsunami.


TCS - what you need and what you can get in large volumes are not always the same thing

Yes indeed, those pesky kitties have a way of sending their hair everywhere.

Betsy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Keep the lid on, and it won't get dusty ;-)
>
> Elizabeth

Well unless you want to put in a Steam Tsuanmi into a MP15AC, then your out of luck! No Diesel Tsunami's at this point.

Bruce


TopcoatSmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fjc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ... hopefully Athearn or MRC will have a fix for
> the sound/dcc chip.
> >
> > Frank
>
> Already one out there, it's called Tsunami.
>
>
> TCS - what you need and what you can get in large
> volumes are not always the same thing

Ooops, you're right. (dang, it seemed so easy) uhmm Loksound ?


TCS - too easy in fact (not to be demanding but yeah, we need a tsunami diesel decoder)

Yup - Loksound.

Gettin' to be the only game in town.

Those guys are nobody's fools...

How sad:

It really seems like the more one pays for a model locomotive, the greater the chance of something going wrong.

The older ("Blue Box") Athearn locomotives may have not been as well detailed or as well painted, but at least they didn't have these problems and their prices were relatively modest.

Sound was never a big deal to me and when I see these threads, I'm even less likely to buy a locomotive with sound.

Dave - if I want to hear locomotive sounds, I'll just walk over to my local railroad.

Matt,

I asked the same question(s) in a previous post and have not received any solutions either. We also had trouble eliminating the momentum and sent MRC an email requesting additional info just today. The best I have come up with is to set CV6 at a value of 2 keeping the acceleration and deceleration CVs at 0. This helped enough to use at slow speeds but certainly doesn't eliminate the problem. While you're waiting for a reply from MRC, set your deceleration CV to a value of 30. The loco should stop about the same time as the arrival of the MRC reply....

When/if I receive a reply, I'll be happy to share it. Despite the momentum issue, the MP15s we have run smoothly, display amazing (SP) lighting, pull well considering their weight and size and have acceptable sound, given the constraints of the body while keeping the intakes clear. I believe we'll be keeping ours.

Fred

There are two choices (that I know of). First, buy the engine DC only. The expensive, good solution is to put a LokSound decoder in, set it up and enjoy! For about half the money you can get an MRC 1662 Sounder decoder and a good DCC motor function decoder of your choice. The MRC Sounder has the same sound as the Athearn decoder, but it actually works acceptably. Of course since it doesn't control the motor, acceleration is not a problem, you can set that to your taste in the motor decoder you install.

To John and others that think sound is no good: There is nothing wrong with DCC sound, user or factory installed. It is just the MRC decoders that Athearn insists on using that give trouble. Atlas and Walthers/Lifelike with QSI decoders are fine.

Barry Draper

barrydraper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are two choices (that I know of). First,
> buy the engine DC only. The expensive, good
> solution is to put a LokSound decoder in, set it
> up and enjoy! For about half the money you can
> get an MRC 1662 Sounder decoder and a good DCC
> motor function decoder of your choice. The MRC
> Sounder has the same sound as the Athearn decoder,
> but it actually works acceptably. Of course since
> it doesn't control the motor, acceleration is not
> a problem, you can set that to your taste in the
> motor decoder you install.

another expensive solution would be to buy an Atlas MP15DC with sound and use that
in an Athearn MP15AC...They should sound pretty similar. Internally they're almost
the same. The Atlas decoder should be a QSI.

For Digitrax Super Chief sets and DCS100 command stations, the solution is simple as changing one of the Option Switches on the command station. As soon as that was done at the Club, all of the sound MP15AC's (5 different ones, owned by 3 people) that were being tested began to respond instantly to all throttle commands. I was testing two of them for another member and reset the decoders back to the factory defaults other than the addresses and the sound volumes.

I believe the Option Switch is OpSw 05, but I'm not sure whether needs to be thrown or closed. I was tending to my duties as a club officer while the Electrical Chairman checked the Option Switches on the command station, so I did not see what got changed. Afterwards, he mentioned that the changed Option Switch was "only to make diagnostics easier" and that is what the Digitrax manual says about OpSw 05.

I just tested my Athearn Undec MP15AC's with sound that came to me from MB Kleins yesterday. I tested them in DC and DCC and they have no problems whatsoever with the momentum and are in all respects outstanding models. That being said I have a MRC Modern EMD Switcher decoder (the large one) that I installed in a Kato SD38-2 that has the momentum problem. So it has to be a quality control issue at MRC.

The MRC sound decoders are the most realistic sounding units on the market. You can say Loksound and QSI all day but in the end they all sound like coffee grinders at speed and represent in NO way the sound of actual locomotives.

atsf5704 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe the Option Switch is OpSw 05, but I'm
> not sure whether needs to be thrown or closed. I
> was tending to my duties as a club officer while
> the Electrical Chairman checked the Option
> Switches on the command station, so I did not see
> what got changed. Afterwards, he mentioned that
> the changed Option Switch was "only to make
> diagnostics easier" and that is what the Digitrax
> manual says about OpSw 05.

Might explain why not everyone was having problems with the FEF steamers from Athearn as well.

Don't have the Athearn MP15 but went through same thing with SD45-2.

That's why it is now a Sound Only dummy. And yes, the sound is awesome.

Doug