Model Railroading > PIKO Krauss Maffei - DC to DCC

Hi all.

Following on from other posts, the two LokPilot 5 (Plux22) decoders arrived the other day.

Installation was a breeze, removing the top, removing the jumper plug and installing the new Plux 22 decoder.

Big questions are;
1. Has anyone else taken a DC version, and swapped over to DCC?
2. Piko have been very elusive in the documentation with the loco (little more than an exploded parts diagram, and a bit of general info). So we dont know what lights are active on what functions (I know these can all be mapped), but there must be a standard "out the box" configuration. Just trying to save the headache and time associated with working through each and every option (via programming).

I have emailed PIKO USA, but to date no response. Their technical info line is only open three days a week (so not ideal), especially when calling from the other side of the World.

So keen to see what others have or are doing with their Piko KM models, and changing to DCC.

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,

Allister
New Zealand.

 

---

Piko America is a fairly small operation, mostly being a warehouse.  I believe their support tech is only there three days a week.

I have forwarded your message to Piko.

Charles
Reeds Hobby Shop
La Mesa CA

Allister,
Have you found this Piko web page with further documentation? I have just downloaded the 3 documents, but have not had an opportunity to read them, as I am at the office currently.

=13pxhttps://www.piko-shop.de/de/artikel/ersatzteil/xref_suchtext-97445.html

JB
 

M-636 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Allister,
> Have you found this Piko web page with further
> documentation? I have just downloaded the 3
> documents, but have not had an opportunity to read
> them, as I am at the office currently.
>
> =13pxhttps://www.piko-shop.de/de/artikel/ersatztei
> l/xref_suchtext-97445.html
>
> JB
>  

How's your German?  

Went to the link and looked around, Google offered to translate the text which made it easier to sort out. I didn't see anything of interest but I didn't chase down every page as I don't have an interest in the model. Curious how the DCC / Sound conversions work out, should be straight-forward if everything is purchased through Piko.

The Europeans have a different expectation of DCC and their Hobby products. There's a discussion on another Board about using a European product to run signals, very different than how it's done with ' the old fashioned way '.

My browser did the translation for me, and the documents are multi-language. Unfortunatley, other than the DCC F- key functions, there are no other details as to what physical outputs are utilized.

Hi all.

After no response from Piko USA via email / messenger, I rung them this morning. 

Quick background. I have installed a LokPilot 5 DCC (59622) decoder in both my locos.

I spoke with Josh in the Technical Department, whom was very helpful. I explained that on DC operation, the loco's lights did not come on until about 90% power was applied (and even then, they were intermitent). I also went on to say that there was no "standard" configuration of which lights were on which wire/function.

Interestingly, his reply was;
1. There were some units where under DC Operation, the lights worked. Others that didn't. So it will be a suck and see on this (pending part 2).
2. It appears that Piko have not yet completed the manual around the electronics. What Josh did say, is that Pin 3 & 4 provide all the lighting controls to a lighting controller on the main circuit board of the locomotive (after the DCC Chip). This is quite interesting, as the lighting controller, must some how make sense of a series of signals that are pushed down the rails, through the decoder and then into the lighting controller, to in turn, turn the lights on or off. Now given there is at least 7 different lights, this (to my lay-man knowledge) is going to be quite a feat. Historically, a light function has the light effect determined, then the function key assigned to the respective light wire (white/yellow etc). This would appear to not be the case with these Piko lighting control boards. So what is clear, is that trying to programme the lighting functions via say JMRI and using the Function Output tab, and the Function mapping tab won't provide any help at all.

So for us with DC Krauss Maffei locomotives from Piko, whom have installed DCC chips (Plux 22), looks like we'll have to play the waiting game for Piko to issue the technical manuals around the Light Functions and accessing them. Frustrating, and almost as if they rushed the product out the door without the supporting information.

That aside, I've still got two very nice models. They both run smoothly, just no lights!

I'll update you all once I know more.

Regards,

Allister 

New Zealand.

Any reports from folks with the factory DCC / Sound?

Frustrating,
> and almost as if they rushed the product out the
> door without the supporting information.

The DCC info package provided by PIKO is very typical of their tried-and-true European formula, used on probably hundreds of different models. The advance info on U.S. expectations that was provided to the designers by PIKO America was thorough, delivered early, and monitored consistently on this side.

PIKO Germany is a giant firm, and this one model has required a rather steep learning curve on their side as to how much 'roll-your-own' energy American modelers employ; we have very different expectations for DCC in the U.S., it would seem, than European or world market modelers.

PIKO America is a small outfit, and knows that well. The process is evolving, and PIKO Germany is smart. It'll get better, and the folks in San Diego are working to assure that. Modelers should know that the USA KMs were a full-time effort by PIKO America to enter the market fully buttoned-down. More info is forthcoming, for sure.

~ BZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/24 09:44 by Notch16.

Perhaps the most direct path to DCCing the PIKO America KM4000s seems to just purchase their Plux22 sound decoder and speaker direct from the PIKO America website.   From my emails with PIKO America customer support, he sound decoders are currently in stock in limited numbers, and the speakers are due in soon.  At least here, you get the correct sound straight out of the package, and all lighting functionality will be supported straightaway.

 Here are the links:

PIKO DCC/Sound decoder for KM4000 - with KM4000 sound effects and light programming preloaded. - Now in stock.
https://www.piko-america.com/products/et97442-118-psd-xp-5-1-us-km-ml4000-sound-decoder-plux22?_pos=1&_sid=ff9cb86ff&_ss=r

PIKO Speaker for KM4000:(coming soon)
https://www.piko-america.com/products/56334-psd-xp-5-1-speaker-km4000-plux22?_pos=2&_sid=ff9cb86ff&_ss=r

Cheers,
Harry