Activity › Forums › Community Support for Troubleshooting Model Trains › Troubleshoot Locomotive Issues | Find Solutions to Common Problems › Decoder Confusion? Let’s Solve Your DCC Troubles! › Reply To: Decoder Confusion? Let’s Solve Your DCC Troubles!
once installed a brand-new ESU LokSound decoder and the loco just sat there buzzing. Turns out I had a CV set to 0 that shouldn’t have been, and the motor control was all over the place. A factory reset saved me hours of head-scratching.
I’ve also had address conflicts when two locos shared the same long address—took forever to realize why they were both responding at once. 🤦♂️
Here’s what helps me:
Keep a printed decoder manual nearby (CVs can be a rabbit hole)
Use DecoderPro if possible—it makes reading/writing CVs way easier
Always double-check motor wires after soldering (swapped wires = reverse direction)
Glad to see this thread started! I’ll share a wiring diagram of my setup later today. Looking forward to seeing what others are running and how you all solve the weird DCC gremlins!