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Digitrax 'Universal' Consisting Confusion

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  • Member since
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  • From: Baltimore, MD
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Digitrax 'Universal' Consisting Confusion
Posted by CSX_road_slug on Friday, July 4, 2008 5:41 PM

Do any of you Digitrax users know where I can find info on Universal consisting?  I've spent the past 18 months installing decoders in my loco fleet, now I'm ready to go 'live' with it - but the manuals don't talk about anything but Basic consisting.  All they say is that universal is "the Digitrax preferred method", nothing more.  They keep telling me to go to their website, but the search engine doesn't say squat about universal consisting - only advanced.Question [?]

Can anybody tell me how to change my DCS-100 from basic to universal consisting?

t-i-a

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

  • Member since
    February 2006
  • From: Gahanna, Ohio
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Posted by jbinkley60 on Friday, July 4, 2008 6:12 PM
 CSX_road_slug wrote:

Do any of you Digitrax users know where I can find info on Universal consisting?  I've spent the past 18 months installing decoders in my loco fleet, now I'm ready to go 'live' with it - but the manuals don't talk about anything but Basic consisting.  All they say is that universal is "the Digitrax preferred method", nothing more.  They keep telling me to go to their website, but the search engine doesn't say squat about universal consisting - only advanced.Question [?]

Can anybody tell me how to change my DCS-100 from basic to universal consisting?

t-i-a

http://www.digitrax.com/kb/index.php?a=642

Universal is automatic with Super Chief systems.  I believe it is also for Zephyr systems.  You don't need to do anything special other than add and remove units from the consist.  With basic you set all decoders in the consist to the same address.  With advanced consisting you set the consist address on the decoders.  Advanced consisting is good if you are moving consiste between DCC systems and layouts.  The downside is that they limit you to 2 digit consist addresses.

http://www.digitrax.com/kb/index.php?a=145

 

 

   

 

Engineer Jeff NS Nut
Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/

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Posted by simon1966 on Friday, July 4, 2008 6:18 PM

If you use the DT400 throttle, here is the quick explanation

http://www.digitrax.com/kb/index.php?a=828

 

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

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Posted by mfm37 on Friday, July 4, 2008 6:58 PM

Basic consisting is nothing more than programming the same address to every engine  (decoder) in the consist. Select that address and all will run.

 Universal consisting allows one adress to be the "top" address. Other addresses are mu'd to the top address. Speed and direction commands sent to the top address are also sent to the mu'd address'.

You didn't mention which Digitrax system but they all default to Universal Consisting. Those are the instructions included in the manuals. 

Multiple unit instructions can be found at:

Zephyr manual: Page 26

Empire Builder Manual: Page 61

Chief Manual: Page 64

  • Member since
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  • From: Baltimore, MD
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Posted by CSX_road_slug on Friday, July 4, 2008 7:29 PM

...So my Super Chief automatically goes into 'universal' by default - interesting!  I never stop learning new things in this hobby.

Thanks for the replies, gents! Cool [8D]

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

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