A British domestic train from Kato? 800 series available from May 2021

[Graham]

So finally I get decoders and have hit a slight issue with the lights.
I got one set of decoders from Osbournes via a fellow modeler at my local club, and one sent from Kernow
The set from Osbournes is a kato original set the set from Kernow a Gaugemaster rebadged Kato set.
On the original set, once installed both front and rear can be turned on and off, and change direction with the direction of running,
however the rebadged set will not change direction with the direction of the running.
I have made sure CV29 has Railcom turned off.
Anyone got any ideas?
cheers
Graham

[Spanners70]

I bought myself a 3rd kato 800 the lights have me this time. On dc red one end white the other swap direction becomes red. So I know both white and red work on both front and rear carriages. Fit the dcc to the motor and the two end coaches, drives fine, one way I have red and white change direction zero and red, for the life of me I cannot get the white to work on one end with dcc but works on dc without the decoder, any one got a clue on this one please? I'm baffled why the white on dc works but on the decoder it will out the red on or off correctly but never the white but only on one end the other end is fine,

[Spanners70]

Even more baffled after a week of fiddling gave up last night still one end no white lights and went to bed. Get up this morning working find for the first time . No idea on a so,Union to help others Im afraid...

[PaulCheffus]

So finally I get decoders and have hit a slight issue with the lights.
I got one set of decoders from Osbournes via a fellow modeler at my local club, and one sent from Kernow
The set from Osbournes is a kato original set the set from Kernow a Gaugemaster rebadged Kato set.
On the original set, once installed both front and rear can be turned on and off, and change direction with the direction of running,
however the rebadged set will not change direction with the direction of the running.
I have made sure CV29 has Railcom turned off.
Anyone got any ideas?
cheers
Graham

Hi

You need to turn off the Railcom in the command station not the decoder.

Cheers

Paul

[njee20]

Eh? What if you use Railcom? You're saying that for an 800 to work properly you can't use Railcom on any stock...?

[PaulCheffus]

Eh? What if you use Railcom? You're saying that for an 800 to work properly you can't use Railcom on any stock...?

Hi

Exactly that. The only way I could get the Gaugemaster decoders to work was to switch Railcom off on the command station. I realised this when I tried the decoders on my MERG DCC system which doesn't have RailCom.

Cheers

Paul

[njee20]

Wow. That's rubbish.

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

Yes it is and I'm lucky I don't use RailCom.

Cheers

Paul

[Snowwolflair]

RailCom is a parasitic protocol not in the original NMRA spec.

Digitrax decoders don't like it either.

I use Zimo  loco decoders and they are fine, however my layout uses Kato points and their dedicated Digitrax decoders which just don't work if RailCom is on.

[jpendle]

RailCom is a parasitic protocol not in the original NMRA spec.

I think symbiotic is a kinder way to put it 

Anyhow, Railcom is fundamentally a European invention, whether the US manufacturers will ever get around to living alongside it, let alone supporting it, is anybody's guess.
I'm using NCE Switch8's for point control and they have the same issue, luckily my layout is big enough that I needed to add a booster to my Z21. So now the booster controls the Switch8's and has Railcom switched off and my Z21 has Railcom enabled.

Don't forget that Zimo make decoders for the CL800, and they will support Railcom.

Regards,

John P

[Snowwolflair]

RailCom is a parasitic protocol not in the original NMRA spec.

I think symbiotic is a kinder way to put it 

Anyhow, Railcom is fundamentally a European invention, whether the US manufacturers will ever get around to living alongside it, let alone supporting it, is anybody's guess.
I'm using NCE Switch8's for point control and they have the same issue, luckily my layout is big enough that I needed to add a booster to my Z21. So now the booster controls the Switch8's and has Railcom switched off and my Z21 has Railcom enabled.

Don't forget that Zimo make decoders for the CL800, and they will support Railcom.

Regards,

John P

As it steals slots in the data frame I prefer parasitic , and its the use of these slots already allocated to other functions that is the problem.

[PaulCheffus]

Don't forget that Zimo make decoders for the CL800, and they will support Railcom.

Regards,

John P

Hi

However that information is not a lot of use though if you've already bought the others and use RailCom.

Cheers

Paul

[njee20]

I'd say that's extremely useful, as I suspect those using Railcom would choose to buy a couple of new decoders rather than throw away a load of occupancy detectors rendered useless by Kato.

[PaulCheffus]

I'd say that's extremely useful, as I suspect those using Railcom would choose to buy a couple of new decoders rather than throw away a load of occupancy detectors rendered useless by Kato.

Hi

The problem here is the use of rebadged decoders and not knowing they are not compatible with RailCom before purchase.

Cheers

Paul

[njee20]

Not sure of your point anymore? If you want to use Railcom and have an 800 then the Kato badged decoders are useless. The Zimo ones are not. Telling people that it's because they didn't confirm this before is very much "ackchyually" levels of internet pedantry, particularly as this is not a common behaviour.