Imperium (Dapol) Decoder

[Peterm]

This is something that really annoys me. I use Zimo exclusively except for one ESU, and although I've got all the loco's I want, I won't be told that I have to use a certain one to make things work. I think I'd be chucking the pcb and making my own on a piece of plasticard as I've done before.

[Bigmet]

... I won't be told that I have to use a certain one (decoder) to make things work...

Same here, I use the two decoder brands that I have found consistently reliable for first class motor control, with the choice made on the basis of lowest cost for the required functionality and ideal fit on the loco. And that often requires hard wiring, in which I have had plenty of practice from day one of my DCC adventure when most locos required this; because either there were no sockets, or the socket placement was inept.

[Mike Parkes]

This is something that really annoys me. I use Zimo exclusively except for one ESU, and although I've got all the loco's I want, I won't be told that I have to use a certain one to make things work. I think I'd be chucking the pcb and making my own on a piece of plasticard as I've done before.

Are the lights on the 57 meant to work independently of each other or is there the situation where a light will only come on if another is on. In that latter case logic outputs are needed from the decoder otherwise they need to be power outputs. The instruction leaflet with the decoder is erroneous as it refers to CV59 being set to 1 for logic outputs and 0 for power outputs but then refers to the default setting of 1 for CV56. On mine the default readings were CV56 = 3 and CV59 = 1 so I changed CV59 to 0. No idea what CV56 does, Dapol have implied full CVs will be available on their web site in the coming days.... They should have been there when they released the decoder.

[centenary]

Have you resolved this?

Heving acquired one of these Imperium 3s it is working in a Heljan 4 wheel railcar but with completely different functionality in that the instructions say the interior lights are activated by F5 but they come on immediately and F3 switches them off. I fitted a 4 function Zimo decoder originally not realising F5 was needed and the lights never come on. Seems there is something strange with the Imperium 3s and they do not seem to correspond to recognised function outputs.
Heljan advise ESU decoders to work the lights right on the GWR Railcar so maybe the same applies to the 57,

Hi Mike. No, Ive effectively given up until either a solution for cv settings falls into my lap or, I get a Loksound 5 sound decoder for the Heljan 57. Im leaning towards the latter.

This is something that really annoys me. I use Zimo exclusively except for one ESU, and although I've got all the loco's I want, I won't be told that I have to use a certain one to make things work. I think I'd be chucking the pcb and making my own on a piece of plasticard as I've done before.

I think there's a bit of crossed info here. Heljan are not saying you have to use only one manufacturer's decoder. IIRC all they said was you need a 6 function decoder and didnt state a required manufacturer. Rails have said in there opinion, their own brand 4+2 decoder enables all the light functions to work. This is the non sound decoder they will fit to the 57 if you want it chipped at purchase. Even so, they dont state that in the webpage for the model, it just states DCC decoder fitting £xx.xx

The reason I bought a Dapol Imperium is because Hornby Magazine in their review of the Heljan 57 said after trying many other decoders, the Imperium was the only one that got all the light functions working for them. Unfortunately, they didnt say which version of the Dapol Imperium they used nor the cv settings they had to set.

Are the lights on the 57 meant to work independently of each other or is there the situation where a light will only come on if another is on. In that latter case logic outputs are needed from the decoder otherwise they need to be power outputs. The instruction leaflet with the decoder is erroneous as it refers to CV59 being set to 1 for logic outputs and 0 for power outputs but then refers to the default setting of 1 for CV56. On mine the default readings were CV56 = 3 and CV59 = 1 so I changed CV59 to 0. No idea what CV56 does, Dapol have implied full CVs will be available on their web site in the coming days.... They should have been there when they released the decoder.

On the Heljan Class 57, the headlights are F0, direction dependant. According to the Heljan info leaflet, red tail lights at one end are F5 and at the other end F6 so you can stable the loco with reds at both ends, have no red light on the relevant end when hauling stock or have red lights at the relevant end when light loco.

[Mike Parkes]

Are the lights on the 57 meant to work independently of each other or is there the situation where a light will only come on if another is on. In that latter case logic outputs are needed from the decoder otherwise they need to be power outputs. The instruction leaflet with the decoder is erroneous as it refers to CV59 being set to 1 for logic outputs and 0 for power outputs but then refers to the default setting of 1 for CV56. On mine the default readings were CV56 = 3 and CV59 = 1 so I changed CV59 to 0. No idea what CV56 does, Dapol have implied full CVs will be available on their web site in the coming days.... They should have been there when they released the decoder.

On the Heljan Class 57, the headlights are F0, direction dependant. According to the Heljan info leaflet, red tail lights at one end are F5 and at the other end F6 so you can stable the loco with reds at both ends, have no red light on the relevant end when hauling stock or have red lights at the relevant end when light loco.

Try CV59 = 0 and try all function keys - not just F5 and F6 given F5 is F3 IME with that decoder

[centenary]

Are the lights on the 57 meant to work independently of each other or is there the situation where a light will only come on if another is on. In that latter case logic outputs are needed from the decoder otherwise they need to be power outputs. The instruction leaflet with the decoder is erroneous as it refers to CV59 being set to 1 for logic outputs and 0 for power outputs but then refers to the default setting of 1 for CV56. On mine the default readings were CV56 = 3 and CV59 = 1 so I changed CV59 to 0. No idea what CV56 does, Dapol have implied full CVs will be available on their web site in the coming days.... They should have been there when they released the decoder.

On the Heljan Class 57, the headlights are F0, direction dependant. According to the Heljan info leaflet, red tail lights at one end are F5 and at the other end F6 so you can stable the loco with reds at both ends, have no red light on the relevant end when hauling stock or have red lights at the relevant end when light loco.

Try CV59 = 0 and try all function keys - not just F5 and F6 given F5 is F3 IME with that decoder

Ive taken the decoder out of the loco but if I put it back in, I'll try that cv change.

[centenary]

For some unknown reason, I thought installing a Loksound 5 21 pin MTC decoder with a sound file might bring about a miraculous solution to this problem.

To recap, the Heljan Class 57 is supposed to have independently setable red rear lights at both ends with headlamps that operate in the forwards direction of travel.

So did the Loksound 5 fix the problem? Nope, but it sounds great with 2 speakers in it!

That's 3 different decoders Ive tried in this loco and none allow me to operate the headlights in one direction of travel without them being 'turned off' when the red lights are on at the other end! In the other direction, headlights and tail lights operate correctly. While the body was off, I tried moving the 2 dip switches in all configurations but to no avail.

I can only presume since 3 different decoders, a Dapol Imperium, a Bachmann36-557A and a Loksound 5 all produce the same effect, there's a fault either in the wiring or pcb.

Im really in 2 minds to sell this now because I cannot see a resolution and there's no local expert to give it the once over. It's really disappointing because the loco runs excellently and sounds great. The support from Heljan, Dapol and Heljan's UK agents is laughable.