Athearn N Scale FP45 w/ DCC & Sound Programming Track Issues

[CB&Q4-8-4Fanatic]

I just bought an athearn fp45 with dcc & sound. i used a digitrax zephyr to program the decoder. recently when i tried to program it on a program track using every single mode i got an error message, i.e. dna. What else can i do?

[Jacktal]

Though I'm not sure,I believe you have an MRC decoder (Athearn's steamers do).I've programmed both my Challenger and Big Boy on the main without any problem.Read your instructions in your Digitrax manual and you'll likely have to toggle modes until one works.I don't remember wich did in my case.

[CB&Q4-8-4Fanatic]

This is the N Scale version not the HO version. The N SCALE version has the tsunami sound decoder in it.

[CSX Robert]

You should be able to program it in Ops mode, but there are a couple of things you need to be aware of. First of all, if you are using the Zephyr's built in throttle it does not write all three of the necessary CV's when writing a 4 digit(long) address in Ops mode(it does if you are using Decoder Pro or a DT series throttle). If you are using the built in throttle you will have to write CV17, 18, and 29 separately(and make sure you do them in that order). This page can calculate CV17 and 18 for you and this page can show you what to program into CV29. The other thing you need to be aware of is that the Tsunami will not let you change the currently active address in Ops mode. For example, if the engine is currently using the default short address of '3' then you can not directly change to another short address. You would first have to give it a long address and activate it, then using the long address you can program a new short address.

[darrel480]

I have an FP45 with sound nscale and had no trouble changing the address to a 4 digit address using and MRC Prodigy Advance2 on the programming track.