N Gauge Forum

General Category => N Gauge Discussion => Topic started by: bwj on August 13, 2025, 08:09:31 AM

Title: Z21 - setting functions [and a DCC installation rec]
Post by: bwj on August 13, 2025, 08:09:31 AM

Big shout out to Jon at Hookstone Models who has installed DCC sound in my old Kato TGV Sud-Est. Installation done within a week and communications excellent throughout including sending me videos of the repair in progress.

It remains a royal PIA though to set all of the functions on the loco with a Roco Z21 (I'm using the telephone app). It can be seen on the short video that directional lighting and for want of a better phrase "automated sounds" like braking work. They are set in the app as function 0 and function 1. I cannot get any other functions to work however.

(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/10996-130825080904.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=154238)

For example the station announcement should be function 14. Putting 14 into the app does nothing whether set as a switch/push-button function etc

Jon sent me this list of functions:


(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/154/10996-130825080346.png) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=154237)


I'm having similar problems with my Pendolino (directional lighting works/no sounds) and a class 150 that has had a Gaugemaster chip fitted. On the driving car I cannot even get lighting working as F0 or F1!

Any help as to where I am going wrong would be much appreciated!

Title: Re: Z21 - setting functions [and a DCC installation rec]
Post by: jpendle on August 13, 2025, 03:22:09 PM
None of the sounds will work unless sounds are turned on using F1.

It can also be the case that certain sounds, such as flange squeal, don't work unless the loco is moving.

Regards,

John P
Title: Re: Z21 - setting functions [and a DCC installation rec]
Post by: njee20 on August 13, 2025, 04:58:50 PM
In general directional lights will be F0, and sound (where fitted) will be F1. I can't think of any exceptions to this unless so chosen by the user, which wouldn't be accidental and would need lots of re-mapping. As John said you will often need F1 selected for other sounds to work - think of this as "master sound" on/off.

Most N gauge models don't have the sophistication to handle different lighting modes, so often F0 is all you get. Certainly that'll be the case with the 150 (and Pendolino). Some with more modern decoder interfaces will use other function keys for independent control of lights.