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71
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Rapido B36-7 Decoder Mapping
« Last post by CPRail on August 13, 2024, 08:02:59 AM »
Hi Tim,

Okay, sounds easy enough. Just need to have enough time where the bravery/insanity levels are to attempt it. Maybe this weekend.

Of course, She Who Must Be Obeyed may have other plans...
72
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Rapido B36-7 Decoder Mapping
« Last post by G8B4Life on August 13, 2024, 07:50:57 AM »
Hey Ian,

Sorry, I totally missed your reply! Anyway, yes, what you asked is what I said you'll need to do.

I don't know which version of the TCS 21 to 9 pin adapter board you got; the old version just has pads for the 9 pins but the new version has a whole bunch more pads. If you have that version just ignore all the extra pads as we can't use them.

So, on the 9 pin side the adapter will power the front and read headlights, and should also power the front ditch lights (Output 3 and 4 on RailPro).  For everything else this is what you'll need to do:

On the gyra board that attaches to the chassis (not the one in the shell) unsolder/sever the X8/X10, U+/X12  and X11 black wires and solder an output wire from the 6 pin to each. A resistor will likely need to be soldered inline to each of them.

If you have a multimeter / voltmeter you should test the U+ red wire on the gyra board to see if there is connectivity or any resistance between the pad on the Gyra board and the blue wire on the adapter board (just put the harness on the motherboard without the LM attached). This is the common and it should be straight through with no interference.

Hope that's all explanatory enough.

- Tim


73
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / RailPro installer
« Last post by Huffduff9 on August 12, 2024, 09:48:04 PM »
Does anyone know if G-Scale Installations, (Robert Buck York Pa.) is still doing installs?
74
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Handheld HC-2 Not Charging
« Last post by rsmproductions on August 12, 2024, 08:10:51 PM »
Did the toothpick for an hour suggestion but still no luck getting the unit charged.  I've opened up the back and noticed 3 rechargeable 2400 Mah batteries. Tested each one and all were dead.  I've ordered some Tenergy 2500 Mah on Amazon that arrives tomorrow and hopefully that will solve the problem.  I have 4 steam engines 2 of which I'm changing out RCS America stuff and two first time installs.

Richard
75
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Handheld HC-2 Not Charging
« Last post by rsmproductions on August 12, 2024, 05:13:46 PM »
There is no error message at all.  I'll contact Ring and see what they say.

Richard
76
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Handheld HC-2 Not Charging
« Last post by William Brillinger on August 12, 2024, 05:05:25 PM »
Are you getting an error or no message at all?

If it's an error, you probably need new batteries.
If there is no message at all, the plug may be damaged.

Either way, I suggest you contact Ring Engineering directly.

- Bill
77
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Handheld HC-2 Not Charging
« Last post by rsmproductions on August 12, 2024, 04:59:18 PM »
I've discovered that my HC-2 is not charging.  Thankfully I still have a club members unit and charging cable so I could determine that it was the USB cable or plug.  It's actually the handheld unit itself.  Does anyone know where I can get it fixed?  I can't seem to figure out how to post the picture, so have added it as an attachment

Thank you,
Richard
78
General Discussion / Re: Facebook Group Vs. This Forum
« Last post by OccamsRazor on August 06, 2024, 07:50:32 PM »
As a network administrator IRL I have never used Facebook and never will. I much appreciate the straightforward searching offered by this dedicated site.  :D
79
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Broadway Limited Sharknose - 21 Pinout Questions.
« Last post by OccamsRazor on August 06, 2024, 06:32:51 PM »
Okay...

Pulled out the multi-meter and traced out all of the lighting circuits.

Immediately found my problem!

Turns out that the J1 and J7 sockets go to a row of surface mount resistors on the bottom of the MTC motherboard, (to reduce the voltage to the lights I am guessing). Bypassing the board was feeding a straight 13-15 Volts to the lights, (causing an "Output Short" error), and not making them very happy.

The Rear Light cluster is simple. Two wires. (J1:Pin4 = Rear Anode = RP Blue Common + and J1:Pin3 = Rear Cathode = RP Output 4 Violet) Since they are LED's and don't appreciate being zapped with 13-15 Volts I installed a 1k Ohm 1/4W resistor on the Cathode and Bob's Your Uncle!

The Front Light cluster was a bit more involved.

The mini light board has some surface mount resistors for the Frt Light but they DID NOT reduce the voltage! (Ask me how I know! :( ) Not sure of the resistor value or if they are supposed to add in serial to the resistors on the MB or if they are there for some other function?

Anyway... Frt. Mini Light board is:
J7:Pin5 = Common +3.3V for the Anode + of the # Boards and the Front Markers. (NOT FOR THE FRT LIGHT!)
J1:Pin1 = Front Light Anode +
J1:Pin2 = Front Light Cathode -
J7:Pin1 = # Boards Cathodes -
J7:Pin2 = Marker Lights Cathodes -

Soo... With the replacement of one burnt out headlamp later I ended up with:

J7:Pin5 to the RP Blue Common +.
J1:Pin1 to the RP Blue Common +.
J1:Pin2 with a 1k Ohm 1/4W resistor to RP Output 1 (White)
J7:Pin2 with a 1k Ohm 1/4W resistor to RP Output 2 (Yellow)
J7:Pin1 with a 1k Ohm 1/4W resistor to RP Output 3 (Green)

(Hence the reason why the Rear Light is on Output 4 (Violet). (See! There is a method to my madness!)

Now everything works! Even bidirectionally! I even added the MARS light feature to the front light even though I am not sure if the B&O Sharknose used one... Sue me!  ::)
80
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Rapido B36-7 Decoder Mapping
« Last post by CPRail on August 06, 2024, 04:09:48 PM »
Hey Tim,

After reviewing your message and looking at the pics again, I'm thinking that soldering change plan is beyond my skill set. Heck, I'm amazed every time I can get a loco to work on RailPro.

I'm okay soldering, but fiddling with teeny wires is my nemesis. There's a reason the 4 Rapido SW1200RS units I've converted to RP don't have any working lights.

Also, I must be the only person on the planet who couldn't figure out how to use a Decoder Buddy, so I'm guessing that's not an option.

I'm using what I believe are TCS 21 pin-9 pin harnesses (I got them from Bill).  Could I use any of the function wires on the 6 pin side to connect to the wiring going to the Gyra-Lite board? I'm okay with severing the connections from the 21 pin motherboard to those wires and hooking them up to the 6 pin side, even if I have to wire in a resistor. There's enough room to do that kind of work.
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