Dead 65000 European Sound Unit.

[Mike Bett]

Hi Guys,

I have an LGB 65000 European Sound Unit that has stoped making sounds.
It is in the first carriage behind my Masouth XL equipped engine.
The power is supplied through the power out take on the engine and the lights in the carriages from which it is powered still work. Possible 65000 failure.

I do like to have the sounds on this engine available on demand.

If I need to replace this unit, without a mega buck outlay. What recommendations can anyone make for replacement.

Mike.

 

[dunnyrail]

I would check the cables on the sound unit first, speaker link etc. If all that fails then a replacement coukd be a My Loco Sound unit. Quite a bit less than a LGB unit unless you can get hold of a second hand one. Note to get specific sounds called on the MLS needs some work. Think M Moonraker can comment on that.

 

[SevenOfDiamonds]

If I need to replace this unit, without a mega buck outlay. What recommendations can anyone make for replacement

I note that you are "on the other side of the pond" so what follows might not be relevant to you but I thought I'd add it here in case it might be of any use to others.

Back at the end of 2020 I had a 65000 that didn't work. When I asked Massoth by email if they could repair it they said "please send us the article for repair. Unfortunately, we cannot promise you that we can repair the module". I'm not sure whether there would have been any charge if they hadn't been able to repair it but they did repair it, and charged me 25EUR for the repair, and 18EUR for the return postage (I obviously had to pay the outbound postage in addition). I reckoned that this was a better proposition that buying a like-for-like replacement.

Cheers

David

 

[Mike Bett]

I would check the cables on the sound unit first, speaker link etc. If all that fails then a replacement coukd be a My Loco Sound unit. Quite a bit less than a LGB unit unless you can get hold of a second hand one. Note to get specific sounds called on the MLS needs some work. Think M Moonraker can comment on that.

Thanks for that. The unit has only one cable to it, the speaker is built in, checked the cable, power is getting to the box. So faulty box.
Will look at your potential replacement.

 

[Mike Bett]

I note that you are "on the other side of the pond" so what follows might not be relevant to you but I thought I'd add it here in case it might be of any use to others.

Back at the end of 2020 I had a 65000 that didn't work. When I asked Massoth by email if they could repair it they said "please send us the article for repair. Unfortunately, we cannot promise you that we can repair the module". I'm not sure whether there would have been any charge if they hadn't been able to repair it but they did repair it, and charged me 25EUR for the repair, and 18EUR for the return postage (I obviously had to pay the outbound postage in addition). I reckoned that this was a better proposition that buying a like-for-like replacement.

Cheers

David

Thanks David,

A like for like replacement over here is $170. It might be much cheaper to go the Massoth route even though the postage will be greater.
Firstly I will let my son, an electronics engineer by degree, have a look. He might be able to sort it, if he can remember what he learnt twenty years ago!

 

[Mike Bett]

Thanks David,

A like for like replacement over here is $170. It might be much cheaper to go the Massoth route even though the postage will be greater.
Firstly I will let my son, an electronics engineer by degree, have a look. He might be able to sort it, if he can remember what he learnt twenty years ago!

I checked with Massouth here in US. They say the LGB 65000 is not repairable! If necessary I will try Germany.

 

[Dan]

For the cost of the 65000, I would just put a sound DCC decoder in the engine. there are sound files by several manufacturers that can be loaded in the decoder like Zimo, Massoth, ESU, etc and they are approx the price of the 65000 but lots more capability. Myself I choose Zimo and have volume control, servo (remote uncoupling), pulsed smoke for steam users, 10 watt audio, etc.

 

[LGB333]

I checked with Massouth here in US. They say the LGB 65000 is not repairable! If necessary I will try Germany.

The cost to ship from the USA both ways to Massoth Germany is expensive, plus Massoth repair rate is expensive. I'd give up on that approach. Before ditching the LGB 65000 unit, get someone with a DCC command station to first try testing it in DCC; if that doesn't work, do a reset on it. These units are sound-only dcc/dc decoders (no motor control) and have a reset function which I recall is CV55=55 but double check the manual. I've found these decoders to be a little fickle and sometimes they can be made to work in DCC still when not working in DC analog power.

 

[LGB333]

For the cost of the 65000, I would just put a sound DCC decoder in the engine. there are sound files by several manufacturers that can be loaded in the decoder like Zimo, Massoth, ESU, etc and they are approx the price of the 65000 but lots more capability. Myself I choose Zimo and have volume control, servo (remote uncoupling), pulsed smoke for steam users, 10 watt audio, etc.

Hi Dan - My favorite sound decoder for large scale is the ESU LokSound 5XL but unforunately the reed switch function does not work properly. Additionally, I have at least one customer who operates in DCC but sometimes wants to use track magnets to activate his locomotives whistle/horn and bell even when operating in DCC, so he also won't use the ESU decoder for his engines.

So, when I'm installing a DCC/DC sound decoder into a customer's LGB locomotive to operate only on DC analog, I can't use the ESU decoder and must use instead a Massoth XLS or LGB 65000-series sound decoder that does have a good reed switch function.

Dan, do the Zimo dcc sound decoder have a reed switch function for use particularly when operating in DC analog?

 

[Dan]

Zimo decoders will operate reed switches and you can program wheel/axle speed or use a reed switch. These decoders will do DC, DCC and even the old LGB serial interface with 14 speed steps. I even operate over the shelf servos with standard Kadees and do remote uncoupling via the Zimo'waltz' Push a function key and the engine backs up and opens the Kadee, stops and pulls forward. Now you have the choice to 'hump the car or just close the kadee.