I'm trying to run 6 engines with MRC prodigy Dcc wireless. at times I can not stop, start, or control anything on one of the engines. others work fine ( everything is brand new, system and engines ) At 1st was told I have 2 different version of controllers. I sent them back and they updated them but I still have the same issues. All 6 engines are new and have diferent #'s Any idea? cant run operating sessions like this Thanks Greg
I'm trying to run 6 engines with MRC prodigy Dcc wireless. at times I can not stop, start, or control anything on one of the engines. others work fine ( everything is brand new, system and engines ) At 1st was told I have 2 different version of controllers. I sent them back and they updated them but I still have the same issues. All 6 engines are new and have diferent #'s
Any idea? cant run operating sessions like this
Thanks
Greg
is it one particular engine or one particular controller? I have this system and the times I have had this problem was one of the controllers batteries were low voltage, Engine just kinda did whatever it was doing at the time of failure. If its one particular engine only , say #229 , i would 1st suspect that engine/decoder
Just a long shot but have you disabled DC running on your decoders?
Joe
At first it seems to be one engine. took that one off and seemed to work for over an hour with everyone running. I thought I'd try it again. As soon as I put it on someone else lost controll of there's. I quick took it off and everone was again OK. So it seems to be one engine but can efect two. Both of the two are the same brand. Genesis DCC w/ sound. They do have different addresses
can a bad decoder in one engine make that engine run away and make someone else have issues??
no issues when I run by myself each of these two work fine. Only time is when I have the gang over running
Thanks and looking forward to your responce
I have a Genesis F3 with sound and it has started by itself and I couldn't contol it. I was told that mine are the earlier versions with MRC decoders and they are known to do this. I disabled DC on the decoder and it hasn't done it since. Worth a try, even if it isn't an MRC. I had a Bachmann do this too, and it is brand new 2011 version.
- Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
How do I disable DC on the decoder. My engines came with DCC and I havent even had the body off
It's been a while since I've run any trains but I have had similar situations with my Prodigy express. So far the suggestion to disable DC makes the most sense. IIRC changing cv29 is the way to disable DC, check the manual for the decoder for the correct value.
Another thing I've run into is: if a loco shorts the tracks I've had that loco runaway and knockout control of the layout. Checking wheel guaging, making sure turnouts are thrown completely and a few dabs of clear nail polish fixed that.
And one other quirk of the Prodigy systems: they need the cabs/throttles numbered so that there is one master cab and others get ID ed for loco control. If your throttles aren't numbered then there may be more than one cab controling these locos. The MRC manual explains how to set up the throttles.
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
Check your cab numbers. Hit "SYS" then "6" to get a read of the cab #. If you hit "enter" then a # then "enter" again it will change the cab to that #. Set one cab as #1 and the other cab to #2 (or any # up to 99). The cabs must all have different cab #'s. Cab #1 will over ride all the others so if you have a loco on 2 or more cabs at once it could cause your problem.
ruderunnerAnd one other quirk of the Prodigy systems: they need the cabs/throttles numbered so that there is one master cab and others get ID ed for loco control. If your throttles aren't numbered then there may be more than one cab controling these locos
That's not a "quirk of the Prodigy systems". It's a design shortcoming of the polled-bus architecture, and it's common to all DCC systems that use that type of architecture.
It's actually a common decoder issue. That;s why the DC off mode exists. Set CV29 to 34 if using long address and you'll be set. Here's a CV29 calculator link
http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm
Springfield PA
is there a option to turn off DC on a factory DCC engine?
I'll give it a try.
Any other ideas??
Thanks Guys
DM&IR
HO Scale
Yup, any DCC decoder should handle CV29 as shown on the calculator linked above. Pick your options and set CV29 to the result, if you've unchecked the DC operations option then the loco will no longer respond to DC. I don;t think this works with MTH, but those really aren;t DCC decoders in there, they just (mostly) work with DCC. All the others should handle this.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker Yup, any DCC decoder should handle CV29 as shown on the calculator linked above. Pick your options and set CV29 to the result, if you've unchecked the DC operations option then the loco will no longer respond to DC. I don;t think this works with MTH, but those really aren;t DCC decoders in there, they just (mostly) work with DCC. All the others should handle this. --Randy
It doesn't work with MTH, nor can you change the NDOT in CV29 but as you point out, they really aren't fully DCC compatible. With the MTH DCC ready models you get to install your own decoder.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
I haven't heard of MTH having the run away train issue to date. Maybe they have a different way of handling it.