# AirWire 900



## Heiksjames (Nov 8, 2008)

I am new to the hobby, and at the moment, I'm feeling like I must be in over my head. I'm hoping that someone can give me a simple fix to my situation:

I bought an Aristocraft Mikado a year ago - along with a Crest DC power supply, AirWire900 remote control, and QSI sound. I installed the sound myself, and amazingly, everything worked. I ran the engine throughout the winter with no problem, except that the smoke would not work. I took the system down for the summer months. This fall, I called Aristocraft and asked about the smoke. They told me to take the smoke unit out and check it over. I did that, and it looked fine. I reassembled the smoke unit and put the top back on the engine. I also changed the batteries in the AirWire. When I put the engine on the tracks after all this, it was dead. No lights, no sound, nothing. There is power to the tracks because the caboose lights up just fine. 

The Troubleshooting section of the AirWire book says: "Does the frequency of match the frequency of the loco? Check the decoder's frequency selector switch and re-select the throttles transmit frequency" 

It goes on to suggest: "Look at the display. Did you key in the correct address? 

I am too new to this to understand either of these suggestions. A year ago I simply turned things on and everything worked. I did not match frequencies or addresses. Can someone give me a step by step to check out what might be going on?


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## RGSNH (Jan 13, 2008)

if you used Airwire out of the box it is defalted to chanel 3 and you probally have not changed the frequency. i assume that the batterys you changed are in the handheld unit. and you are using track power for everything. please advise the model of the handheld unit to the group, as this will aid in further debug. i suspect you have a direct short in the loco wiring, and if i remember correctly the airwire is polartity sensitive and you may have destroyed it. the airwire is specifically designed for use with batteries that have a polarized connection. tets see what others have to say

Al P.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Sounds like no power. Yours might have a track/battery switch in the cab on the backhead. See if it's in the wrong position. Careful, as the "manual" may have it marked backwards. 

Not sure why the smoke doesn't work. Get the lights and motor back on, then we'll figure out the smoke.


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## Heiksjames (Nov 8, 2008)

The hand held is T9000. I can't imagine where a short in the loco could be. I was really careful taking out the smoke unit. The handheld is on channel 3. I'm stumped.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Heiksjames on 01 Dec 2009 05:55 PM ... When I put the engine on the tracks after all this, it was dead. No lights, no sound, nothing. There is power to the tracks because the caboose lights up just fine. ...



Well, since AirWire is battery power only, as far as I know, hopefully the power to the track is just to light up the caboose? Is your AirWire system completely isolated from the track pickups?


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## Heiksjames (Nov 8, 2008)

No, the AirWire remote runs the loco on track power.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Well, if you have a model G2 decoder, I just looked at the manual and it looks like reverse polarity will kill it. Did you reverse the polarity of your track voltage? (There is also no mention anywhere I can find, of being compatible with track power).


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

The AirWire default channel is #0. The default DCC address is 2. 

Make sure what the channel setting is on the receiver in the locomotive.


If you are using the RF1300 transmitter, you can take the case apart an check the channel switches to make sure that it matches the receiver.
If you are using the T9000 transmitther, press select an 1. Then, press the channel number that matches the receiver setting followe by #.


If all of this is OK, I would reset the locomotive adddress.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Airwire/QSI/G-wire will run on battery or track power sounds to me like he needs to reset decoder to factory defaults page 36 of the manual of airwire. Or he can try this------- Turn on throttle hit SPR until it blinks, then hit SEL, when the blinking stops after hitting SEL, then put in *1* then hit SPR again then put in #your loco number# that should reset it. The Regal 

That sequence always works for me after it has set for some time!! Yours is a T-9000 right/???? If you want private email me and we will get together on the phone, or give Greg E. an email he is the expert in this field and that system.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

I guess I didn't read the post very well, just the subject. Sorry.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The QSI does not care about input voltage polarity. 

Your smoke unit should be wired directly to the rails. It should run with voltage on the tracks, at 7v or above. 

Either the track/battery switch is in the wrong position or something has broken in the power from the track. 

Take out the QSI, put the Aristo shorting plug back in and get it running DC... I don't think your problem is with the QSI or the Airwire. 

Regards, Greg


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## Heiksjames (Nov 8, 2008)

Solved! I followed The Regal's advice (see above) and the engine jumped to life. Now, can anyone figure out what caused the engine and Airwire to stop talking to each other? Was it the time off line...or the Airwire batteries...or something else? Thanks for your help - at least now my grandchildren will not be disappointed in me!


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