Over the summer I've been running my steam-era stock from time to time on a branch line in my N-gauge layout, without any problem. Yesterday I cleaned off the main line tracks with a track rubber and started running my modern-era stock which has been standing in the fiddle yard for several months, and immediately came across a problem: I have a double-header with two Graham Farish class 37s to drag my track cleaning train, but when I tried to start it I saw that my Lenz LH100 was showing it as "L" (single loco) and one of the pair was not powered. Uncoupling them I confirmed that each had reverted to being an individual loco from a control point of view. I also saw that the running lights were not illuminated, though they sometimes flickered very briefly when changing direction (not flashing, which would indicate some kind of short-circuit fault).
Leaving the class 37s aside for a while I then started running 3 or 4 of my other locos. They all ran okay, but none of their running lights were illuminated. They all use Lenz silver mini decoders.
Today the class 37s will be on the programming track to restore them as a double-header, and I'll be trying to figure out the lights too. Maybe a coder reset (value 33 into CV8 according to the Lenz silver mini manual) will do that job, though it will mean I then have to re-tune the speed settings to match each other. I'll try it first on another single loco that doesn't need to be speed-matched, to see if it sorts the lights.
Gremlins in my decoders!
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Class 37 double-header is reconfigured without any problem, except still no lights on it or any other loco 
Edit: Value 33 was not accepted on CV8, but I found that my LH100 has a RESET menu option which worked on all my locos. But it didn't restore the lighting.
Edit: Value 33 was not accepted on CV8, but I found that my LH100 has a RESET menu option which worked on all my locos. But it didn't restore the lighting.
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Is the battery good in the Lenz command station? If the LH100 is showing other than you would expect it suggests that the command station has forgotten the consisting information (did you set up a double header?) I suspect that this is the root of the problem. In the short term you can clear the stack first and then rebuild your consists.
Lenz decoders, especially some of the mini ones, are a little prone to losing their settings, so they might need a thorough reset and reconfigure. You might like to use DecoderPro to read out the current settings to see what is as you set it and what is not, and at least you will be able to save anything that is still there.
Lenz decoders, especially some of the mini ones, are a little prone to losing their settings, so they might need a thorough reset and reconfigure. You might like to use DecoderPro to read out the current settings to see what is as you set it and what is not, and at least you will be able to save anything that is still there.
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Thanks Suzie. Is there a battery in my LH100 Command Station? It shows no sign of being out of power, and it surely gets its power via the cable that attaches it to the power supply unit 
Anyway, I've had no problem using the LH100 to read the settings from my locos, and it's also been able to do a RESET back to factory defaults on them. Having done that, reinstating the double-header was also no problem, following the LH100 instructions.
My only remaining problem is no running lights (the white/red at front/rear) are lit on any of my locos, and I can't find what CV (assuming there is one) configures or enables them.
Anyway, I've had no problem using the LH100 to read the settings from my locos, and it's also been able to do a RESET back to factory defaults on them. Having done that, reinstating the double-header was also no problem, following the LH100 instructions.
My only remaining problem is no running lights (the white/red at front/rear) are lit on any of my locos, and I can't find what CV (assuming there is one) configures or enables them.
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Thanks Bigmet, I'll have to check it out. Mine must be about the same age as yours but, as I said earlier, I'm not aware of the LH100 displaying any sign of loss of memory -- unless the absence of lights on the locos is such a sign
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Mine has worked 100% reliably from day one to yesterday evening, so if yours has done likewise, I would be inclined to think that may be a symptom. That's the trouble with total reliability, you don't know what the symptoms are until they appear...
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
There is no battery in the LH100, but there is one in the command station. It is a soldered-in lithium battery that eventually goes flat and has to be replaced. I usually replace the battery with a battery holder so that the next replacement is easier. I am sure that Lenz are surprised that we are still using the LZ100 and LZV100 command stations after all this time - the built in batteries do last a decade and sometimes two.abenn wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2024 11:45 am Thanks Suzie. Is there a battery in my LH100 Command Station? It shows no sign of being out of power, and it surely gets its power via the cable that attaches it to the power supply unit
Anyway, I've had no problem using the LH100 to read the settings from my locos, and it's also been able to do a RESET back to factory defaults on them. Having done that, reinstating the double-header was also no problem, following the LH100 instructions.
My only remaining problem is no running lights (the white/red at front/rear) are lit on any of my locos, and I can't find what CV (assuming there is one) configures or enables them.
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Hmmm, I replied to this yesterday, but seems I must have forgotten to click on the "Submit" button
Anyway I quickly discovered that there's no battery in the LH100 handset, and I've ordered a replacement battery for the LZV100. Will that restore the running lights on my locos (everything else is working okay), or is that something to do with programming the CVs?
Anyway I quickly discovered that there's no battery in the LH100 handset, and I've ordered a replacement battery for the LZV100. Will that restore the running lights on my locos (everything else is working okay), or is that something to do with programming the CVs?
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
It may. Lenz consisting sends commands to the locos separately for motor, functions on front unit and functions on rear unit. If the consisting information in the database is corrupt due to flat battery then there is no telling what the command station will send. Replacing the battery, clearing the Lenz database, and then rebuilding the consist/double header for your locos should restore full functionality.
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Yes, fingers crossed 
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
New battery arrived today, and installing it in my LZV was no problem. But I then had to do a factory reset on most of my locos, mainly because their speed steps had changed and the double-header had reverted to two single locos.
Soon everything was back to normal except for one loco that shows up as a multi-unit consist ("M" prefix), and I can't figure how to restore it to a single loco setting ("L" prefix). I've been through the Lenz manual and tried to follow the instructions for "Erasing a complete MU", but I end up with "ERR 28" which doesn't show in their list of errors. The loco runs okay, so maybe I shouldn't bother about it.
Lastly, I still don't have any running lights on any of my locos. Any idea how to restore these? Is there a CV setting?
Soon everything was back to normal except for one loco that shows up as a multi-unit consist ("M" prefix), and I can't figure how to restore it to a single loco setting ("L" prefix). I've been through the Lenz manual and tried to follow the instructions for "Erasing a complete MU", but I end up with "ERR 28" which doesn't show in their list of errors. The loco runs okay, so maybe I shouldn't bother about it.
Lastly, I still don't have any running lights on any of my locos. Any idea how to restore these? Is there a CV setting?
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Have you reset the command station? You need to clear all the addresses from the address database.
1. Press clear
2. Press 0 0 to select loco 0
3. Press F4 twenty times.
4. Power off the command station and wait two minutes.
5. Power on the command station and it should now be reset.
You should now be able to set the speed step mode for each of your locos (27, 28 or 126 stored in the command station) and set up your consists and double headers (also stored in the command station).
1. Press clear
2. Press 0 0 to select loco 0
3. Press F4 twenty times.
4. Power off the command station and wait two minutes.
5. Power on the command station and it should now be reset.
You should now be able to set the speed step mode for each of your locos (27, 28 or 126 stored in the command station) and set up your consists and double headers (also stored in the command station).
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
Thank you Suzie. No, I didn't know about resetting the command station. I'll do that next time I get the chance.
Re: Gremlins in my decoders!
I don't know if it's reset or not, for I was unable to follow you instructions exactly:
I pressed Cl > 0 > Ent to select loco 0, and it displayed "L0000"
I then pressed F and it displayed "SET--F" so I then pressed Ent and it displayed "SETF __"
When I then pressed 4 the display didn't change -- it just wouldn't accept 4 as a valid entry.
So instead of pressing F > 4 I simply pressed 4 several times and saw that a small number 4 was toggled on/off below the loco number each time I pressed it. So I continued until the 4 had toggled at least 20 times, then powered off the command station.
When I powered on again after a few minutes something had happened, for the loco that was showing as an "M" is now a "L" as it should be, and my double-header pair had reverted to two single locos -- the latter easily fixed. The four locos that I tested were all programmed for a 28-step speed control, which is what I expected.
So it seems like the command unit has been reset. But I've still got no lights on any loco. How do I fix that, please?
I pressed Cl > 0 > Ent to select loco 0, and it displayed "L0000"
I then pressed F and it displayed "SET--F" so I then pressed Ent and it displayed "SETF __"
When I then pressed 4 the display didn't change -- it just wouldn't accept 4 as a valid entry.
So instead of pressing F > 4 I simply pressed 4 several times and saw that a small number 4 was toggled on/off below the loco number each time I pressed it. So I continued until the 4 had toggled at least 20 times, then powered off the command station.
When I powered on again after a few minutes something had happened, for the loco that was showing as an "M" is now a "L" as it should be, and my double-header pair had reverted to two single locos -- the latter easily fixed. The four locos that I tested were all programmed for a 28-step speed control, which is what I expected.
So it seems like the command unit has been reset. But I've still got no lights on any loco. How do I fix that, please?