Hello all i know we have had a question regarding programming with the intellibox 11 recently but does anyone have experience with trying to program Soundtraxx Tsunami and QSI sound decoders with this latest model of the Intellibox 11 , i have read the instruction manual but i am no wiser as to whether to use the programming track or program on the main it tells you how to program their own decoders , Digitrax and Lenz but no mention of the two i have installed in my locos , i dont want to blow the decoders too expensive to replace , any help will be much appreciated.
Tony.
It's always safest to program on the programming track if you have installed the decoder yourself, because the amperage on the programming track is less than on the main line and the decoder won't be burned out if you have made a mistake.
But if you have a factory installed decoder, the chances of it having a short circuit right out of the box is very remote, so programming on the main line is safe.
If you can't program the decoder on the programming track because your DCC system doesn't have enough power output, you may be forced to try main line programming, especially with a Tsunami.
The main problem with getting a more accurate answer from us is that Uhlenbrock is a rather rare brand in the U.S.
It would help if you indicate where you are located, geographically, because very few people in the U.S. have even heard of the Uhlenbrock company, and after seeing the price of the Intellibox II it's easy to understand why.
The basic steps of programming are the same regardless of decoders used. It's just that specific CVs and their values will vary from decoder to decoder. Common items like setting the address are the same on all decoders, because the CVs involved are part of the NMRA standard.
JMRI DecoderPro does work with Uhlenbrock, and makes the more complex things like setting sound characteristics and defining lighting effects MUCH easier - basically you select chocies from drop down lists and check boxes instead of trying to interpret user manuals to figure out what value some CV should have to make a flashing beacon or something.
For sound decoders, Uhlenbrock may have the same issue many systems do, insufficient power on the program track. Test things out before buying any extras though. Some people have problems with the system I have, but I've had no problems programming Tsunami and QSI decoders.
As mentioned, testing the loco on the low current program track before putting it on the full power main is a good sanity check. If it won;t program, check for wiring errors. It's not a 100% foolproof way to prevent damage, but it's a good first step, especially for self-installed decoders. It can catch many common wiring faults that would mean near instant death for the decoder if placed on the full power main track.
There's not much you can do when programming a decoder that would actually break it permanently, except possibly programming a CV that doesn't exist (just because the manual doesn;t mention a CV doesn;t mean it isn't used internally or at the factory for something). You cna cause erratic operation, or kill the sound, or make the loco uncontrollable, but most current decoders have a reset option which will reset them to factory defaults, including the address. So there's a way out of most any trouble.
Once you have it all sorted out on the program track, programming on the main is perfectly safe. POM directs programming commands only to the selected address - so if you are programming #1234 it won't change #324. Now, if you have two locos on the track with the same address - both will be programmed. Not sure if Uhlenbrock supports this, but address 00 is often a 'broadcast' address, so if you use POM with address 00, you WILL program ALL locos on the track. This can sometimes come in handy if you have a loco where you don't know the address and it won't program on the program track - take all other locos off the track first and then use POM with address 00 to issue that decoder's reset command.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.