Hi,
I am almost embarassed to post this problem, for I suspect the solution is straight forward and I am just overlooking the obvious...................
I have several HO DCC locos with sound, and I have (with your help) fine tuned their CVs to my taste. All of these have 4 digit addresses, and I have successfully changed direction on some to facilitate A/A or ABBA consists.
The last set to fine tune is a P2K E7 A/A consist with factory installed QSI sound and DCC. This is the only P2K set I have with factory DCC/sound.
The locos have run quite well on the layout in a normal A/A positioning and answering to I.D. 40. What I wanted to change was to give it an I.D. of 400, and adjust the sound levels. The problem arises in that I can change the I.D. to 400, but can't reverse the direction of one of the locos. OR, I can retain a two digit address and successfully alter one of the units direction.
The layout is run with Digitrax Super Chief (DT400 throttles), and I have tried both (and combinations) of operational programming and the paged programming via a programming track.
While I am prepared to live with it having a two digit address, it is eating me up not being able to give it a 4 digit address and change the direction of one unit. Because I have done this with BLIs and Stewarts, it must be a quirk in the P2K factory decoders - or a quirk of my own.
Is there anyone out there that can give me that "duhhhh moment" that I am overlooking?
THANK YOU !
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Are you trying to give both the same address? If they have different cab numbers, just set them up to run as a consist. That way you can adjust sound levels, and anything else you want, individually.
Thanks, but the problem is that with a 4 digit address, I cannot reverse direction of either of them. And I worked with them separately and not together. With a two digit address, I can reverse direction.
Like I said, this certainly isn't a showstopper (having to use a two digit address), but it is something I should be able to do, but can't.
For some reason CV29 is not getting the message to change and activate the the new address and normal direction change. If you can read out CV29 it should be 34 for four digit address, disable DC, standard speed steps, and forward is normal direction. Add one for reverse direction normal.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
What Pete said. Do them one at a time and then individually set CV29 on the one you want to run in reverse. Nice thing with an E unit is you don't also have to fool with the headlight. I've been having to do much the same thign with my locos on the club layout because they decided not to allow anyone to consist the usual way, and for my Geeps I had to reprogram the lights to the trailing unit wouldn't shine its light into the cab of the lad unit.
34 for CV29 for normal direction and 25 for reverse would be correct. http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm This calculator will show you how those numbers were derived. And if it won;t take the actuall address, the calculator also has a place to calculate CV17 adn CV18 based on the desired address. On the QSI locos, if they are runnign on the default short address 3, you can use Ops Mode to set CV17 and CV18 based on the calculator and then set CV29, Control will be lost when you senter CV29, but then you should be able to select the long address and run them. In Ops Mode you can do both at the same time if they both have the same short address, but then tip one off the rails to program CV29 since they need to be different for each loco.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy,
Thank you (and the other responders). Before I do anything, did you make a typo in your reply - referring to a value of "25" when I think you meant "35"?
I believe he meant 35 for the loco to run in reverse.
Guys, I have to ask...................
Right now I have two locos coded to I.D. 40 - with one going in reverse direction. All is well.
What is the exact sequence to get them to be I.D. 400 - with one going in reverse direction?
I'm obviously getting my sequences mixed up, or using the wrong programming mode, or very worst case, having a "senior moment"..................
I am not a Digitrax programer but you should be able to address the locomotives on the programing track. They are addresses and not codes. Then they should run at the new address.
If it won't respond ont he program track, which is common, what you woudl do is put the unit youw ant to run forward ont he main track, select it on address 540, and verify that you have control. Use the calculator I linked to get values for CV17 and CV18 for address 400. Use Ops Mode to program CV17 and 18 to those values. Then set CV29 to 34. You now have to select loco 400 to access it - it should run as 400 now. Next, repeat the same thign with the other loco, but use 35 for CV29 (yes the 25 was a typo). Take the first one off the track or put it on one of you isolated storage tracks just in case, but when sending commands to loco 40, loco 400 will not accept them.
mobilman44 Guys, I have to ask................... Right now I have two locos coded to I.D. 40 - with one going in reverse direction. All is well. What is the exact sequence to get them to be I.D. 400 - with one going in reverse direction? I'm obviously getting my sequences mixed up, or using the wrong programming mode, or very worst case, having a "senior moment"..................
Since you got one going in reverse with the 2 digit address, then you obviously understand something about CV29(unless you just got really lucky). To get it to run in reverse, you probably programmed CV29 to either 3(28/128 speed steps, analog conversion on, reverse, 2 digit address) or 7( 28/128 speed steps, analog conversion off, reverse, 2 digit address ) . What messed you up is when you program the 4 digit address, Digitrax reprograms CV29 to a value of 38 to enable the 4 digit. AFTER programming the 4 digit address, you have to reprogram CV29 again, to a value of 35( 28/128 speed steps, analog conversion off, reverse, 4 digit address ) or 39( 28/128 speed steps, analog conversion on, reverse, 4 digit address ) to reverse the direction again.
Ahhhh, I see the light !
I got my sequences out of whack - AND - the programming mode. All is now well, with the locos running properly and the Illinois Central passenger train is doing its thing..............
Its been a true learning experience (laden with "challenges and opportunities") adjusting the operational and sound CVs on the layout locos. While the basics are the same, the BLIs, P2Ks, Stewarts, etc., all have their own peculiarities.
I've made a lot of notes along the way, and printed out your responses, and assuming I get them properly organized, I'll be asking significantly fewer CV questions in the future. Gotta say, I'm glad this stuff is not an everyday occurance or need.
Thanks all, you've come thru again!