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ok , tell me whats wrong or what Im doing wrong ?

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  • Member since
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  • From: high desert so cal
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ok , tell me whats wrong or what Im doing wrong ?
Posted by BIG JERR on Sunday, October 4, 2009 7:59 PM

hey all ,finishish an install of a tsunami at-1000 in a rs-3 ,recominded bye many. ran good sound dis appionted with volume ,but maybe its just turned down ,so off to the program track (zephyr ) first address ,problems geting it to take in the digitrax recomended page mode and add my lack of knowlege ,played with differant modes till I got it going (I think direct mode) put on track only runs at one speed fast ,great   ....oh well I got me a pr-3  and a decoderpro program Ill just get the computer thing going ,,,,2 hrs and I cant get it to work ,,,,plus the power supply on the pr3 makes the mouse on my wifes laptop go crazy .....so now I got a decoder that suks and the system I got to fix it ,oh you know .....and you know what im thinking ,should off went with the cvp easy dcc there units can program any thing.   ......ok ,focus , ,,,,,so could anyone help figure out how to reset the tsunami at-1000 with nothing more than a zephyr ,please oh and if theres some one who knows anything about a new pr3 hooked to a almost new laptop W/vista (oh yea the pr3 thats new tech, the paper work only talks about xp no vista)and decoderpro 2.2 W/java 1.6   in a stand alone set up .......much t6hankfull   J.W.

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, October 4, 2009 8:19 PM

Jerry,

Here's a handy link that you'll want to bookmark:

How to Rescue a Faulty Decoder

To reset your Tsunami decoder you'll need to change CV 30 to "2" and/or CV 8 to "8".  CV8 = 8 is a very common reset so I'm guessing it's an either/or.

Hope that helps...

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, October 4, 2009 8:19 PM

paragraphs, please, so we can figure out what you're trying to say.

 Item 1: You got the PR-3 and a power supply, and it makes the mouse go nuts in the laptop. Which power supply did you get, the Digitrax one, or just a random one? I don't see how this would happen other than a port conflict with the mouse. Is this the internal mouse or an external mouse plugged in to the laptop? Most laptops these days have 2 sets of USB ports, sometimes 2 on 1 side and 2 on the other - try plugging in to a different port.

Item 2: loco runs at only one speed - fast. By this do you mean it takes off at fast speed as soon as you put it on powered track, or does it sit there until you dial up the address and move the speed control? If the former - sounds like a short. COuld be a short for the latter, but in pressing buttons you may have set the start voltage to max so at speed step 1 it goes like full throttle. If you have it programmed to an address, you cna always program on the main (Po display on the Zephyr). Selec the address, and make sure you have no other loco on the track with that same address. The hit program until it says Po. Hit CV, key in 02, hit CV, key in 00, and hit CV WR. Exit program mode, and repeat for CV03 and CV05. That will clear any of that nonsense. Now try it. Or do a full reset, program CV30 to 2. You can do this in ops mode on the main as well as the program track. Try it on the main (Po). After the CV WRite, exit program mode, then turn off the track power and turn it back on. The loco should now run on address 03 with no speed tables or start/mid/top values or momentum settings. Pure defaults.

Item 3: "Digitrax recommended" paged mode is for DIGITRAX decoders. Other brands of decoders will vary. Most support multple modes. Some will tell you if they have a preferred mode. If it's a newer decoder and it doesn't specify, paged is probably a safe bet.

                                        --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by BIG JERR on Sunday, October 4, 2009 9:37 PM

hi Randy , the power supply for the pr3 is a ps14 ,try,d all other ports on laptop ,no good and yes its a internal type mouse (the scratcher pad) .   .sorry for the lack of writeing skills ,Im  a retired carpenter (dumb as a bag full a hammers at writeing) and have never figured out how to bring the currsor down ......ok the unit was working good after assembly ,its when I tryed to  program on the program track with the zephyr that it went wacco ,Im going to go out and try  cv s 2,3,5 according to youre reply ....thanks again just a tad bit frustraded...J.W   ...ps-the only other thing ive programed is a dh-163 and it was so easy compared to this

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Posted by selector on Sunday, October 4, 2009 10:09 PM

Jerr, I have a strange heavy steam Tsunami that has written its own rule book.  This is the first ever decoder of any make that has confounded my DB150 Super Empire Builder when it comes to a simple factory default restore.   What I have found is that I first place the engine on a piece of track where only it gets the signal.  I enter adress "00" on the active throttle, and then select Ops Mode programming.  I dial CV8 and enter a value of "8".  When I hit enter, the decoder makes the engine lurch, but it doesn't seem to reset.  Without doing anything else, I enter Paged Mode, and do the CV8 = "8" programme and the DB150 automatically kills power to the track immediately.  When I restore track power, the headlight then, and only then, goes into its blinking mode, indicating a reset.

Try that weird method and you may find yourself back in business.   But there is more...had you meant to programme an extended, or "long" address, a number higher than 127?  If so, you would also have to set CV29 to a value of either "34" for straight DCC (and never DC) operations, or a value of  "38" if you would sometimes want to run the engine on a DC layout and want the decoder to sense the difference upon power-up.

-Crandell

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, October 4, 2009 10:25 PM

BIG JERR

hi Randy , the power supply for the pr3 is a ps14 ,try,d all other ports on laptop ,no good and yes its a internal type mouse (the scratcher pad) .   .sorry for the lack of writeing skills ,Im  a retired carpenter (dumb as a bag full a hammers at writeing) and have never figured out how to bring the currsor down ......ok the unit was working good after assembly ,its when I tryed to  program on the program track with the zephyr that it went wacco ,Im going to go out and try  cv s 2,3,5 according to youre reply ....thanks again just a tad bit frustraded...J.W   ...ps-the only other thing ive programed is a dh-163 and it was so easy compared to this

 Nothing wrong with being a carpenter, my grandfather was one and while it was never my dad's profession, he certainly learned a lot from his father and built lots of nice things around the house.

 While a DH-163 can get complicated, especially if you hook up lots of lights and want them to flash and so forth, a sound decoder of any brand is a whole new ballgame. Even the simplest ones have infinitely more settings than a basic motor decoder. Add tot eh fact that the Tsunami is ALSO a motor decoder - so you have all the settings from a motor decoder like the 163, PLUS all the EXTRA stuff to make the sounds work and sound the way you want them. This is a job for DecoderPro!

 Not sure on the laptop thing, I've had all sorts of USB accessories plugged in to various laptops and haven't come across the twitchy mouse problem. But assuming you get that to work - what seems to help the PR-3 with sound decoders is using a slightly heftier power supply, on the order of 17-18 volts. It should handle all 'normal' decoders with the standard PS14, but sound decoders are a bit special when it comes to programming, and not just for the sheer number of CVs to set. I've never had one I couldn't program on my Zephyr, although sometimes it required Ops Mode and I've yet to try a Tsunami.

                                         --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by BIG JERR on Sunday, October 4, 2009 10:39 PM

thanks Crandell, no Randy hit it right on the head cv  2 was the culprit and after plying with ops mode programing iI know what I did  wrong  to thow it off...... so I did not have to reset ,thanks again Randy,,,the volume is still disapionting but Im comparing to my p2ks w/factory sound and they are in stock defalt level ( but they have two speakers per unit ) ....I set the volumes to full but still no comparing(I can always turn the volume down on the p2k sSmile,Wink, & Grin)thanks again .....  now back to the pr3 I think I ll call digitrax in the morn I suspect a problem on the driver ,there instuctions mention an issue with vista & the driver ...

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Posted by BIG JERR on Monday, October 5, 2009 12:00 AM

well been messing with the pr3 installed everything on the decktop ,no problem with the mouse ,but keep getting the error no conection type message played with the driver update but no good, Ill call tomorrow...J.W.

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Posted by BIG JERR on Monday, October 5, 2009 11:27 AM

well Ive been playen with the decoder some more(at-1000 in a rs-3)and I found a tuning the volume thred in the search archives by david bedard that told how to adjust the equilizer useing cv s153 thru159 and 3,4,196,198,& gave the settings for each,wow what a differance thanks David & Randy your my heros.....now if I can get the pr3 working ..J.W.

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Posted by wjstix on Monday, October 5, 2009 2:54 PM

I had no problems getting either a steam or diesel Tsunami to program using a Zephyr in page mode on my programming track (I assume you did set up a programming track?). However the Tsunami does have a LOT of CV's to work with so it could take a while to get things just the way you want.

BTW re an earlier response, ID "00" is for running a DC engine using a DCC controller like the Zephyr....03 would be the default decoder address.

Stix
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Posted by selector on Monday, October 5, 2009 3:47 PM

Stix, address "00" will broadcast to all decoders receiving the DCC signals from the base station.  It's like Paged Mode, but you can use 00 in Ops Mode to get the extra power in the signal to reset balky decoders like the Tsunami.....usually.  You can only use address "03" once the decoder is in full factory defaults, which, if it won't reset in the first place, is not the address to which it will respond.  It will only listen to commands sent to its current address, except that it won't play.

-Crandell

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Posted by cudaken on Monday, October 5, 2009 7:31 PM

 Jerry, not meaning to sound like a jerk and if I do I am sorry. In the upper right you should see ABC with a check mark. That button is for spell check. I am not one for correcting spelling errors, my spelling sucks. But, spell check has helped me a lot and my spelling is much better now. It still sucks but not as bad.

 I do not have a Tsunami decoder, but my PR 3 will read Loksound, QSI, BLI Blue Line and simple Digitrax decoder.Well all but two engines that is, which is odd.  

 First think is check to make sure you have up dated software for Vista. I had the wrong version at first. Simon 1966 fixed that problem. Then I had to change the USB port I was using, but you have tried that all ready.

 Good luck with getting it working, but when you do you will love it.

          Cuda Ken

I hate Rust

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Posted by BIG JERR on Monday, October 5, 2009 9:32 PM

thanks to all , Ken  I do remember your troubles with the pr3 that's what makes me think I got the wrong driver .did not mess with it today but I well call digitrax ...Ill also try the spell check again but it always says "not supported " what I need to know is why my zephyr isn't programing in page mode on the program (see if spell check works ) track .    thanks to all J.W.

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Posted by BIG JERR on Monday, October 5, 2009 9:36 PM

well the spell check on the toolbar in the reply box does not work but the one on the computer does ...

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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 6:37 AM

 Sound decoders are 'special" and can require more power to program than the system puts out on the program track. I've been able t program all sorts with my Zephyr, but I do not have any Tsunamis and haven't tried one. If you can program your Digitrax decoder on the program track of the Zephyr then the Zephyr is working properly.

                             --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by BIG JERR on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 7:12 AM

yes randy ,the zephyr I have does do the dh163 (digitrax) decoder on the program track in page mode ,just having trouble with the sountrax on the program track. sorry if I didn't clarify that. this is all new to me but I'm learning fast.heck yesterday I didn't no how to use spell check ,now look at me Wink PS I even figured out how to use those little faces

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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 8:10 AM

selector

Stix, address "00" will broadcast to all decoders receiving the DCC signals from the base station.  It's like Paged Mode, but you can use 00 in Ops Mode to get the extra power in the signal to reset balky decoders like the Tsunami.....usually.  You can only use address "03" once the decoder is in full factory defaults, which, if it won't reset in the first place, is not the address to which it will respond.  It will only listen to commands sent to its current address, except that it won't play.

-Crandell

Interesting, I didn't know that. I have one early QSI / BLI engine I haven't been able to set all the CVs on, maybe I should try doing it that way and see what happens. Thanks!

Stix

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