Am returning to this forum/community; it's a good place for answers and tips. In the process of converting to DCC. Installed the Digitrax...Empire Builder. The instructions in the users manual aren't real clear.
Is there a community or group of Digitrax users with whom I can communicate. I am a little challenged . Perhaps others might answer my (dumb?) questions. Thanks,
G' Flash
For the first few weeks after I installed the Empire Builder on my layout I was getting a bit frustrated with the manual. Finally I said Aw hell and threw it in a drawer and it has rarely seen daylight since. One of the problems is as you move from step to step you sometimes have to be fast when pushing the buttons when prompted to. There is a learning period and it goes easier to learn by repetition.
I recommend the Digitrax Yahoo Group and sometimes they are aggressive as stated above.
Georgia Flash Perhaps others might answer my (dumb?) questions. Thanks, G' Flash
Perhaps others might answer my (dumb?) questions. Thanks,
Why not try this forum to start. Most of us don't bite. I don't have your particular unit but others here do and would be glad to try to help.
Joe
I actually found the manuals to be pretty good, not perfect. But, after I got the system installed with the quick set up, I read both manuals and made highlights with a yellow marker and notations with a pen to make going back to them easier. There were a few issues, but calling digitrax was easy too.
Richard
What step to step are you talking about? If you do go to the Digitrax sight, you'll be told the Empire Builder isn't a good choice as it can't read decoders. I have one and like it because I haven't met a decoder I couldn't program. I have a PR3 and use JMRI's Decoder Pro. It makes programming easy. So bring on you questions. Joe
I don't find Digitrax manuals to be at all confusing. I think what intimidates most people is the sheer volume. That has been addressed by the addition of the quick start guide at the beginning of most books.
The only thing that the non-computer types usually find confusing is the CV programing that still contains the hexadecimal values as well as the decimal values. Since the hex values are not needed, they serve only to confuse. Perhaps the hex values should be placed in a separate table in the back for the few computer geeks that might like them for custom programing, though such people are capable of translating them.
There are many Digitrax users in here who can answer most of your questions. Richotrain is probably the most knowledgeable.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
When I started my new build I, after much investigation decided on Digitrax and purchased a Super Chief Xtra. I really studied the manuals and never having been around DCC, stumbled some but it is the best decision I have made in years. I have never thought the manuals are intimidating, just informative. My suggestion is to study them as you go and I think you will catch on quickly. Read and study. Also I contacted Digitrax by email twice and the replies came quickly with informative answers. After taking the plunge I would never go back to DC. You will be happy you did also. Doug
The Digitrax Empire Builder is not a good choice because it can't do readback? What Digitrax site says that? Digitrax's own site or the Yahoo group site? I've had the Empire Builder for over eight years and never had any problems programming with it. I have the PR3 and JMRI, couldn't get it to work even with great help. It's not really needed anyway. Recording CV values with a pen and paper is all you need and you avoid the cost of the PR3.
When I said step by step I meant when the manual says to press a button, read the display and then press another button, the book does not tell you how fast you have to press the second button or you will have to start over. Just turning on the track power requires you to press the power button then quickly press the Y+ button, but the book does not say how quick.
Welcome aboard!
Feel free to ask questions. This board has a lot of very knowledgable and helpful readers.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Your definition of "quickly" and mine must be different. I just pressed the track power button on mine without pressing the Y button. I waited a full minute and it never timed out. It was still patiently waiting for me to press either the Y or the N.
A CV can be written or read. When you program a CV you are writing it. Read back means you can see the value of a CV. So if you program a CV and forget the value, read back lets you see the value. This can't be done with the Empire builder. I use to write down the CV value as I changed them, but went with the PR3 and decoder Pro as I like to use speed tables and Decoder Pro makes it easy to program. As far as pressing buttons there is no time limit that I know of. Joe
Depends on what buttons you are pressing. There is no timeout on the Power or on the Loco Select button, if you hit the power button, you will be in the power on/off mode until you press Exit. If you hit Loco to select an address, it will stay there waiting for you to pick the address you want until you actually pick on and press Enter, or press Exit to cancel.
Where it DOES matter is when programmign decoder addresses. If you select a 4 digit address, the display will show Addr4On=? for only a limited amount of time. FOrgetting to press Y here means CV29 doesn;t get set to support the long address you selected and the loco won;t respond to the expected address.
Despite having all the equipment, I rarely use JMRI to program my locos. My non-sound lcoos all have the same TCS decoders (sometimes a different shape or size one, but they all program alike) and all I ever set are the address and basic headlight operation. I can program several locos using the throttle in the time it takes to boot my computer and load JMRI. I tend to use JMRI when I take my laptop and program track to trains hows with the club, so I can read other member's locos and make adjustments. Unlike mine which have little set beyond the address, I have no idea what someone else's loco might be configured for, so before makign changes I like to read and save the current settings.
Nothing in the first few pages of the Digitrax manual should require any quick fingers on teh buttons. I don't knwo how much easier they could make it, they step by step tell you which wires to connect where, and where to plug things in. Then step by step they tell you how to seelct address 00 and run a non-decoder loco, and then step by step how to select address 3 and run a loco with a default decoder. All three current systems manuals have this as the first page past the cover and contents, before any of the technical details and information on programming or setting defaults on the throttle.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I think that we all need to take a collective breath.
The OP has yet to tell us what the issue even is.
Rich
Alton Junction