Chipping the 071

[trainboy]

Hi,

I successfully chipped several of my locos awhile back- o71 , 141 and 201 class using Bachman 36-557 chips. Recently, I bought another 5 chips of the same kind but was only able to successfully program the 141 class locos and no luck with the 071 class. I use prodigy express to program. The two 71s (NIR 112 and IR 73) run fine in DC mode. I switched the chips to the 141 and they programmed just fine. I could get the Murphy 071 chip ( extra functions but more expensive) but I don't understand why the 36-557 chip does not work on the 71 class. Anybody have this experience?

Thanks, Brendan

[Noel]

Hi,

I successfully chipped several of my locos awhile back- o71 , 141 and 201 class using Bachman 36-557 chips. Recently, I bought another 5 chips of the same kind but was only able to successfully program the 141 class locos and no luck with the 071 class. I use prodigy express to program. The two 71s (NIR 112 and IR 73) run fine in DC mode. I switched the chips to the 141 and they programmed just fine. I could get the Murphy 071 chip ( extra functions but more expensive) but I don't understand why the 36-557 chip does not work on the 71 class. Anybody have this experience?

Thanks, Brendan

 

Hi Brendan. The 36-557 should work ok with MM 071s, I have used 36-557 in two 071s with NCE, but the older 36-554 was a better decoder. Some versions of 36-557 chips have behaved oddly and inconsistently with some DCC controllers, see links below. Apparently there were two variations of the 36-557 and one variant was problematic with certain DCC controller systems.

 

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25748

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68254-bachmann-36-557-21-pin-decoder

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/68820-bachmann-36-557-decoders-and-hornby-elite/

 

However in your case if you switched the chips between 141s and 071s they should behave identically (i.e. worked in 141 and 071 or not worked in either). Just be absolutely sure you know what address you have programmed. If in doubt reset the decoder by setting CV8=8, this will change the decoder/loco address back to the default of 3.

 

http://www.bachmann.co.uk/pdfs/36-558Tech_Ref.pdf

 

PS: Since then I have been using Lenz 10321-01 Silver+ 21pin decoders on all my non-sound MM locos. See http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/4338-Lenz-Silver-21-pin-decoders-€25-Rainer-Kieskemper

Edited August 28, 2016 by Noel

[trainboy]

Thanks for the info Noel. I'll give it another go when I get some more chips. Brendan