# Crest Train Engineer gremlins.



## rbwhale (Sep 15, 2008)

I finally bit the bullet and ....tried...to switch over to battery power. I bought a 75 MHz receiver/transmitter package, installed a Crest 55491 Receiver in my new Aristocraft RS-3, connected it to my battery car, and ran into the following problem:

I went through the link-up process with the CRE 55492 transmitter, after choosing frequency and channels. The process went as described in the manual: press Code Set Button, lights blink rapidly, press one of the alpha button, blinking slows, press alpha button again to set reverse delay, finally, I pressed the "F" button to set the memory. At this point the headlight went out, the lights in the cab and numbers are lit, and the fan is running. However, the train won't move. No combination of button pushing will get the darn thing to go forward or back. I checked the battery; no problems there, and went through the link-up process 10 or 12 more times, changing frequencies and channels; no help. Finally, I powered the track and switched the RS-3 to track power; same result, lights and fan on, no movement, although another non-RC loco ran fine. I should mention that the transmitter was always within a foot or two of the loco.


As far as I can tell I installed the receiver into it's plug and play socket correctly. I took care to stretch out the antenna wire as advised. At this point I'm at the end of my knowledge about how these things work. Is there something really obvious that I'm missing here? I'm assuming that since the link-up seemed to go correctly, and the lights and fan work, that the transmitter signals are being received. Do I just have a bad transmitter or receiver, or is the RS-3 defective? One thing I have not yet tried to to remove the receiver, since it's a major job for a fumble-fingers like me. If forum members are not able to point out something simple that I've overlooked, I suppose that is the next step?


Thanks in advance.

RB Whale


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Sometimes--and I know this sounds ridiculous--you need to be a few feet away. Try the procedure from about 6-10 feet away. It's actually in the documentation somewhere. I remember trying it standing over the thing and wondering why it would not work. 

Also I never had any luck varying the momentum. I just pressed "B" all the time. 

But if it won't run at all...I have an rs-3--is there a motor on/off switch? I can't remember. 

The only other thing I can think of is that the plug and play socket was miswired, and motor was not fully isolated from power. You may have to disassemble it and try it on track power with the shorting plug installed in the socket.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have likewise had to collapse the antenna... being too close makes the signal so strong, the receiver is overloaded... distorts the signal and it cannot "understand". 

I had the same problem on the 27 MHz stuff too, especially the accessory receivers. 

Regards, Greg


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## rbwhale (Sep 15, 2008)

I'm beginning to think that fate does not want me to have battery power....I took the RS-3 apart to make sure all the connections were tight, and I hooked up my battery car to try Greg's suggestion of moving off several feet. Went through the initialization process once, with no different results; fan and lights on, motors don't start, then...there was a pop, a puff of smoke and the lights went out. I hurriedly turned off battery power and smelled that awful "it shorted out smell". Now the engine won't run on track power and the receiver is totally inoperative.

I'm stumped. One of the web posts I read stated that my model RS-3 had PNP socket problems due to "interference", but I don't know how to evaluate that. Can I get a new circuit board from Aristocraft? It looks like it would not be too hard to solder a replacement in. More to the point, should I even_ trust_ Aristocraft? This should have been a straight forward procedure, but I've felt nothing but frustration, and I still have no idea what went wrong. Are there other locomotives available with MU plugs and a PNP socket? I just want the darn thing to work so I can play with my railroad.


So: Trust Aristocraft and get another circuit board?
If I do get another circuit board, would it be sensible to use another brand receiver and transmitter?
If not, are there other locos available with MU plugs installed that come with PNP capability
If so, what receiver and transmitter combo would you all recommend; price is a factor, if I have to buy a new loco too, but above all I want it to WORK!

Thanks again for all of the sage and useful advice on this forum 



RB "derailed" Whale


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I've blow up more than a few of the 75 mhz receivers--aristo will fix them, or at least they used to. Sometiems it was my fault, sometimes the fault of the socket. I have three aristo locos with sockets, and none of them were wired the same way. On one of them I got so frustrated I ended up just tearing the socket out and wiring the decoder directly. The socket is a great idea, the track/battery switch is a great idea, but as far as I can tell the factory just does not wire them consistently. I've never tried to use the track/battery switch, and knowing what I do I never would trust it. 

If you send the loco back to Aristo they will fix it. Annoying, I know.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm a member of the "Fish Guts" crowd and tend to rip out any wiring that I don't know about and wire it so it will work.

If you have the TE transmitter too close to the receiver when you link it, the receiver can see its signal on the wrong frequency and get linked wrong. Not a problem with the Revolution.

Disclaimer: I've never had one of the 75MHz ones to play with, just the 27s.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

RB: 

There are several different versions of the RS3, you can check my site under MOTIVE POWER....ARISTO....RS3 .. 

The short story, is that the ones that do have the PNP socket have 2 versions, one where there is not enough space between the speaker for the PNP board, and one that does. 

Aristo assembled them backwards. See my pictures, but maybe you have shorted the receiver against the speaker. 

New boards are available, but there's 3 in there if I remember right, the base on the chassis, and 2 smaller ones... lots of places to melt down. 

It might be better to hardwire... 

Regards, Greg 

I only purchased the latest one with the clearance and assembly problem resolved. 

Regards, Greg


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## rbwhale (Sep 15, 2008)

First off let me say that I am so grateful for the informative replies that I've gotten on this topic. Second: I want to tear my hair out. My reason for wanting a garden railroad was, I suppose, a grown man's way of combining happy childhood memories with a adult's perspective and resources. I've spent several years on my layout, and my strengths seem to lie in ground cover and scenic design. That part is a lot of fun. The mechanical part is getting to be kind of a drag.


My expertise does _NOT_ lie in electronics. Reading Greg's replies make me want to throw the whole thing in the trash. When Torby and Greg mention "hard wiring" I start to shudder. I am challenged by installing a new light switch in my bedroom. If that switch has a light, I'm lost. How would I hard wire my RS-3 without winding up with a smoking pile of plastic and 6 months of psychological; counseling?


This is a rant about_ my_ shortcomings, by the way. I admire people like Greg and Torby, who understand this stuff, immensely. But, for those of us who don't have the smarts, why do manufacturer's like Aristocraft make it so darn hard? _Three_ different variations on the sockets? Did these people run Lehman Brothers before they went into G scale? What are they thinking?


Is there a link that would show how to hard wire my RS-3? I assume that means hard wiring the receiver directly into the loco without use of the RS-3 "Plug and Pray" socket. I suspect I'll use a different kind of receiver and transmitter than the 75 Mhz; and it does not have to be Aristocraft: something reliable and cheap. Any suggestions?


I hope I'm not sounding too whiny and petulant, but this business with the socket burnout has really eroded my confidence. I just want to get back on track.




Thanks
RB Whale


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