Hi!
I'm actually learning stuff every day about the Digitrax Super Chief system and feel I have the basics pretty much under control. Obviously I've just touched the surface, for its possibilities are huge!
I do have one question that are bugging me, and look to you all for help and advice.
My BLI locos (or is it the system???) are using the 128 speed steps, which seems to be way more than I need. Of course I may change my mind on this once the layout is up and running. Anyway, how do I change the loco (or is it the system?) to get the smaller number of speed control steps - which I believe is 28? I know there are differences of opinion as to which is best, but I would like to try the smaller number and see what works for me.
Thank you,
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
128 speed steps allow for smoother operation when one doesn't have CV3 (accel) or CV4 (momentum) activated. You have 99 throttle notches on a DT400, and this is divided over 128 speed steps.
If you try to use less steps without CV3 or CV4, then you will get more choppy performance. 28 speed steps isn't that bad, but 14 is very noticable. However, using 14 speed steps with some CV3 and CV4 in play can be fun, sort of like the 8 notches on the real diesels. You have to play with the momentum in order to get the train to start and stop smoothly without being out of control. But keep that Emergency Stop button handy (as it temporarily cancels out CV4's momentum effects to stop the train quickly).
To change speed steps temporarily with the DT400, you can "Status Edit" the address (rather than re-programming the decoder). Say you have a DCC address "1234" and you want to make it 14 speed steps. Plug in the DT400, hit "LOCO", then enter "1234". But instead of hitting ENTER or LOCO to select the address like you normally would, hit "EDIT" instead. The display will change, and now you can use the throttle knobs to scroll up and down and select the different speed steps you want (14, 28, 128, Trinary format, etc.). Once you select "Step 14", then hit "ENTER". The system will now operate address "1234" as if it were only 14 speed steps. This can easily be reversed by doing the above steps again, just pick "Step 128" instead.
Personally, I would stick with 128 speed steps.
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
Paul,
Thank you for the tip and advice! I changed 3 BLI diesel locos to the 28 step, and will play with it for awhile. Funny thing, I could see reasons for having either one of the two, and I guess time will tell which works best for me.
I'm gonna work on the 3 BLI steam locos next, and may find I enjoy the 128 more so with steam.....
Thanks,
I've never been good at manuals, more of an OJT kinda guy.
Paul, that's the best "how-to" advice I've seen in a long time.
Thanks.
Terry
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
Hi again,
As I wrote earlier, it would be nice if the DCC and some of the other manuals were written in three sections. The first would be aimed at the beginner, with enough easy to understand instructions to getting trains running. Jargon would be minimal and what there is would be clearly defined.
A second section would have intermediate stuff, and a third section would have the high level stuff that beginners just don't have to know.
Having said all this, I am finding that I'm making progress on the DCC learning curve, thanks to my streak of stubborness and of course the help of the folks on this Forum. Ha, I also have to say that stuff that was "Greek" to me a week ago is now fairly straightforward!
Thanks all,
saronaterry Paul, that's the best "how-to" advice I've seen in a long time.
NO KIDDING! Step by step, easy to understand, and CORRECT! Trifecta!
Doug
I'm not sure about 128 speed steps being "more than I need"?? If you're going to set up your own speed curve, you're going to only have the option of putting in 28 steps (CV 67-95) whether you're using 28 steps or 129 steps. The difference is that if you're using 128 steps, the decoder will fill in between each of the CV steps with intermediate steps that will make the transition smoother. You can get something kinda similar by using CV 3 and 4, but if you have 128 steps AND use CV 3 and 4 you can get an even smoother transition.
Think of it this way, suppose you set up an engine so it's stop speed is 100 scale MPH. If you're using 14 speed steps, every time you move up a step, the engine will jump up about 7 MPH. If you are using 28 steps, it will speed up about 3.5 MPH. At 128 steps, it only increases by about .75 MPH. Obviously, the 128 step setting is going to give you smoother speed transitions and more control.
I certainly tend to agree with you. But being "me", I need to find out for myself which suits me better. Of course the good thing is that it is easy to reprogram the locos back to 128. Ha, I should say its easy to reprogram the locos now that I know how!
ENJOY,
DANSGRANDPAPAsaronaterry Paul, that's the best "how-to" advice I've seen in a long time. NO KIDDING! Step by step, easy to understand, and CORRECT! Trifecta! Doug
saronaterry Paul, that's the best "how-to" advice I've seen in a long time.
Paul, that's the best "how-to" advice I've seen in a long time.
If you configure the command station to send 14 speed step commands to a decoder that is set for 28 speed steps, you will not be able to turn the headlight on or off - turning the headlight on on the throttle will cause the engine to speed up slightly and turning it off on the throttle will cause it to slow down slightly( controling a decoder set for 28 speed steps with 14 speed step commands would actually be fine for experimenting with 14 speed steps, because the throttle would actually have 14 steps - with the headlight off it would be the 14 even steps and with the headlight on it would be the 14 odd steps - but I do think it is important to know what is going on if you try to control the headlight ). If you configure the command station to send 28 speed steps to a decoder that is configured for 14 then turning the headlight on and off on the throttle will have no effect, but as you adjust the speed of the engine the headlight will turn on and off - off on even speed steps and on on odd speed steps - and the engine will only have 14 speed steps.