Not how, but - why?
While my DCC system supports a dedicated program track and can read as well as write decoders, I have to tell you, I RARELY actually read anything.
My locos all get addressed as the cab number. If it's not, it's because the decoder has not been programmed yet so the address is 3. Most anything else, like momentum or sound volume, I don;t really care what it is now, I'm setting a new value. I've occasionally read things for people at club shows, because they set some random address because someone else had the same cab number and now they don't remember what they made theirs. Most of the time, once I have an address set, I'm using ops mode on the main, no reading that back anyway.
All in all, I find it no big deal, if your system doesn't read, so what? Part of that may be because I've standardized my decoders, so I don;t really have to read an old one to see what to set a new one to.
--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.
I end up diagnosing problems with installed decoders for club members and being able to read CVs is a must. I don't use decoder pro but log changes that I make to decoders in case I need a reset. After programming and am satisfied with how it runs I will go back and read the CVs I changed and log them in a book. I know DP would be quicker, easier, and the modern way but hey, I'm old and set in my ways. The old dog thing I guess.
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!
While we can certainly get by without the reading of Cv's I must say I wouldn't go back to my old DCC system. One benefit that immediately comes to mind is on a new decoder install I make sure all is installed good by placing the loco on the programing track and read the address before placing loco on the main. If the is an installation error then you will not be able to read the address.
OH, I wouldn't want a system without a dedicated low pwoer program track - I always put new installs on the program track first and set an address. Full power on a fresh untested install is asking to smoke a decoder - 10+ years now and haven't smoked one.
I use DecoderPro at the club, because I never have any idea what's in some people's locos. I honestly don;t bother at home because I'm using all the same decoders, and my railroad has no fancy blinking beacons or anything, I just need an address and basic lights, and maybe a little momentum. It's quicker for me to just do it from the throttle than click through DecoderPro.
On the other hand, Randy, imagine a DCC system with no ability to read CVs.
There are times when any operator needs to know the value of a given CV.
Or, at least, someone else wants to know the value of a given CV in order to lend help to the operator.
Rich
Alton Junction
I am. There are many of them, actually.
Mine can - but I so rarely do, I'm not sure when I last did it. But I've set up plenty of locos. The only reading I've done lately is completely off-layout with my laptop and PR3 at a club show. Can't help it but when you read a whole decoder, JMRI creates a roster entry - but I don;t even bother to save those, and often they get overwritten because the biggest issue at club shows is two people with the same address. Our basic rule is first come, first served, and those who help with setup and teardown get preference, so some people, depending on their availability for a given show, are constantly changing their addresses. I can understand not being able to remember all that info, especially those who don't run DCC at home and so only run their DCC locos once every few months. For my home layout stuff though, once set, I rarely if ever change anything. For example, I happened to look up a real rule book entry for switcher lights, and I realized I have mine set incorrectly, so if I remember it, I'll probably change them around - although at the rate things are going, it may be another year or so before I actually get around to it. Even for that - the motor only ones are TCS and it's quicker for me to look on the programming quick start sheet they include with the decoders and use my throttle than to fire up JMRI just to pick the setting from a dropdown. One's a Loksound, I may have to cheat and use JMRI there, because I haven't done enough Loksounds yet to remember the values for the lighting CVs - after a dozen or so TCS ones, I hardly have to look at their sheet to know what CV to change to what, for the basic stuff. And, as I mentioned, on my layout, per the prototype, it's all basic stuff - no ditch lights, no rooftop beacons, no Mars lights.
I'm not putting down JMRI, it's a great tool, I wouldn't want to mess with equalizer and reverb sound stuff without it, or do speed curves (another thing I don't do, and part of the reason I got rid of all Tsunamis - I can get my locos to speed match just fine using CV2, 5, and 6 ). And standardizing on one brand of decoder isn't everyone's cup of tea, and in N scale might even be impossible or at least very difficult since not every manufacturer makes every fitment. I may not use the Decoderpro portion, but I will almost certainly use Panelpro to create my dispatcher panels. None of the alternatives really have nice US&S graphics, and while I am capable of writing the required code, drawing the pictures is definitely not in my skill set. I haven't tried the Operations part, but I already have a very nice program that records my railroad inventory, cars, locos, buildings, DCC equipment, etc, and generates car cards, waybills, and switch lists.
While I have spent thousands on my railroad by now, I never upgraded the Zephyr Xtra. I think the only thing I canot do is read CVs. I don't miss much. DecoderPro stores what I wrote (although not always) ... But like Randy, I just write what I want in there.
I can read any CV on any brand of decoder on the Programming Track with my NCE PH-Pro 5 amp system with a Power Pax wired in line. However, I cannot read CVs on some decoders when the loco is on the main layout. I seem to have no problem with non-sound decoders, but sound decoders seem to be another story.
The Zephyr and Zephyr Xtra both can do read/write on the program track. My layout can;t handle more than 10 locos running at the same time, so my Zephyr is still my command station.
You shouldn;t be able to read any CVs on the main, unless you have Digitrax Transponding and transpondign decoders, or Lenz Railcom and compatible decoders. If you see values for CVs when reading on the main, it's just because those are the last values set and remembered in the cab.
Program track boosters: attempt to seperate you from your money to solve a poor design in the first place. The only non-Loksound sound decoder I have now is a QSI and my Zephyr does seem to be able to read it on the program track just fine.
rrinker You shouldn;t be able to read any CVs on the main, unless you have Digitrax Transponding and transpondign decoders, or Lenz Railcom and compatible decoders. If you see values for CVs when reading on the main, it's just because those are the last values set and remembered in the cab.
OK, that would explain it. That is what is happening. I see the CV values after I program on the main, but they cannot be read on the main once I power down and then power on again.
rrinker Program track boosters: attempt to seperate you from your money to solve a poor design in the first place. The only non-Loksound sound decoder I have now is a QSI and my Zephyr does seem to be able to read it on the program track just fine.
Yep, you got that right.
Yes, the Digitrax handhelds work the same way - if I POM, then go back into program mode at a later time without shutting down, the last value I set is still there for a given CV. The clue that it isn't 'live' - I never hit the READ button.
Same thing happens on the program track, at least with the DT40x throttles - if say I just set CV2 to 5, then go run a train, then come back to the program track and go to program CV2 again, the display will show a value of 5, even if I'm now programming a different loco. Until I hit the CV-RD button to read the selected CV, the last selected value is displayed. Once I read, if the read is successful, it will show the actual value in the decoder currently on the program track.
When I need to set a given CV to the same value for multiple locos, this comes in handy - program the first one, swap the next loco, just hit the CV-WR button to write the value, swap locos, CW-WR, etc. until they are all done.
richhotrainI see the CV values after I program on the main, but they cannot be read on the main once I power down and then power on again.
I think Randy already said this, but just to be clear those CV values you are seeing are not being read. I believe that the DCC system remembers what the CV was last set at using that cab. But that might not actually be the current CV value.
maxman richhotrain I see the CV values after I program on the main, but they cannot be read on the main once I power down and then power on again. I think Randy already said this, but just to be clear those CV values you are seeing are not being read. I believe that the DCC system remembers what the CV was last set at using that cab. But that might not actually be the current CV value.
richhotrain I see the CV values after I program on the main, but they cannot be read on the main once I power down and then power on again.
Yeah, I agree with you, maxman, and with Randy as well.
It was actually you who mentioned that to me a few days ago, and up until then, I mistakenly thought that I could read the CV values on the main. It is clear to me now that I cannot and that what I saw was the temporary "memory' of the CV value until I powered down the layout. Thanks for setting me straight on that.