Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

How do you tell the engine decoder number on used DCC equipped engines?

25014 views
45 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Sunday, February 15, 2015 1:01 PM

 With Digitrax systems you just select address and hit the Read button (or the Write button if you want to set a new one) and it reads either CV1 for a 2 digit address or 17 and 18 for a 4 digit and displays the actual address, not the contents of 17 and 18. Assuming you have anything but the DB150 which does not support any CV readback. Works with the DC100, and both the original DCS50 Zephyr and the DCS51 Zephyr Xtra.

 If you select CV17 and hit Read, it displays the actual value in CV17, or 18, or whatever CV you want.

 Kind of amazing that NCE can't do that.

              --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Trois-Rivieres Quebec Canada
  • 1,063 posts
Posted by jalajoie on Sunday, February 15, 2015 2:29 PM

We don't have Internet access at the club. So I made my own Excel work sheet to convert back CV17 and CV18 to the loco long address.

Granted it is not very usefull but it was a good refresher to my binary math.

Jack W.

  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Ontario Canada
  • 3,574 posts
Posted by Mark R. on Sunday, February 15, 2015 4:41 PM

rrinker

 With Digitrax systems you just select address and hit the Read button (or the Write button if you want to set a new one) and it reads either CV1 for a 2 digit address or 17 and 18 for a 4 digit and displays the actual address, not the contents of 17 and 18. Assuming you have anything but the DB150 which does not support any CV readback. Works with the DC100, and both the original DCS50 Zephyr and the DCS51 Zephyr Xtra.

 If you select CV17 and hit Read, it displays the actual value in CV17, or 18, or whatever CV you want.

 Kind of amazing that NCE can't do that.

              --Randy

 

So, there are systems that will read CVs 17 and 18 automatically and give you a read-out of the actual 4-digit address if you don't know what the 4-digit address is ?

Mark. 

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Sunday, February 15, 2015 6:13 PM

 Yes, The Zephyr and Zephyr Xtra will do it right onthe console, the DCS100 does it if you have a DT300, DT400, or DT402 throttle (the ancient DT100 throttles used a pseudo-hex for numbers over 100, which is probably where the "OMG you need to be a computer programmer to use Digitrax" thing got started - the DT100 was superceded by the DT300 more than 15 years ago). On the Dt400/402, you enter a program track programming mode with the program key, and if you turn the left knob the first thing it shows is AD2=?? and if you turn another click it displays AD4=????. While displaying those prompts, you can key in a new address and press CV-WR to write it, or you cna press CV-RD to read the current value. What gets displayed is the actual address that the current values of CV17 and CV18 translate into. You can also slecect CV17 and hit CV-RD and get the raw value from CV17, and select CV18 and hot CV-RD, and get the raw value for CV18 to convert it yourself, but since it has the conversion built in, there's little point. Same thing when programming, on the AD4=???? prompt, you can key in the address you want (NOT CV17 and 18 values) and hit CV-WR. Say you want to set the loco to address 1234 - you just key in or use the right knob to scroll throught he numbers until the display says AD4=1234 and then hit CV-WR. it will then prompt you to confirm enabling the 4 digit address (sets CV29 automatically) by saying AD4=on?. Just press the Yes key and CV29 is programmed to enable long addresses and your loco is now set as 1234.

                       --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    June 2021
  • From: Lewiston,Maine
  • 15 posts
Posted by loggingfirefighter388 on Friday, December 31, 2021 7:56 AM

I have a NCE Power Cab system...starter set. I am also trying to figure out what my Soundtraxx econami's address has been set too by the previous owner. Any suggestions? 

Samuel Robinson

Lewiston,Maine

  • Member since
    June 2021
  • From: Lewiston,Maine
  • 15 posts
Posted by loggingfirefighter388 on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:00 AM

[quote user="hon30critter"]

Hi Productionmanager:

In case nobody has said it so far, Welcome to the forum! Welcome

We can answer your question better if we know which NCE system you have. Then we can walk you through the steps needed to identify the locomotive's address if the above explanations haven't answered your question.

Dave

 

I have a NCE Power Cab starter system and am also trying to get what my Econami's address is set too.  The previous owner had no clue what locomotive it came out of.

Samuel Robinson

Lewiston,Maine

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:17 AM

loggingfirefighter388

I have a NCE Power Cab starter system and am also trying to get what my Econami's address is set too.  The previous owner had no clue what locomotive it came out of. 

You would be better off starting a new thread with a more relevant title. This thread is 6 years old.

Rich

Alton Junction

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:45 AM

loggingfirefighter388
I have a NCE Power Cab system...starter set. I am also trying to figure out what my Soundtraxx econami's address has been set too by the previous owner. Any suggestions?

Samuel,

Using your Power Cab, enter programming track mode and read the value for CV 1...

  1. Press PROG/ESC 4x then press ENTER
  2. Press "2" for CV
  3. Enter "1" in PROG CV NUM and press ENTER

That will show you your short address, which should be "003"

For figuring out your long address and using the same method above, enter the values for CVs 17 & 18 in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields at the following link and press the "<- Calc address" button for the results:

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

As a confirmation, my RS12 is addressed to "7301".  Reading CV17 gives me a value of "220" and CV 18, "133".  Entering those values in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields and pressing "<- Calc address" yields me an address of "7301".

HTH,

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:59 AM

tstage
  

Samuel,

Using your Power Cab, enter programming track mode and read the value for CV 1...

  1. Press PROG/ESC 4x then press ENTER
  2. Press "2" for CV
  3. Enter "1" in PROG CV NUM and press ENTER

That will show you your short address, which should be "003"

For figuring out your long address and using the same method above, enter the values for CVs 17 & 18 in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields at the following link and press the "<- Calc address" button for the results:

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

As a confirmation, my RS12 is addressed to "7301".  Reading CV17 gives me a value of "220" and CV 18, "133".  Entering those values in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields and pressing "<- Calc address" yields me an address of "7301".

HTH,

Tom 

Tom, am I correct that the binary equivalent would be 1110010000101?

Smile, Wink & Grin

Rich

Alton Junction

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:06 AM

I believe you're right, Rich.  Did you do that in your head? Wink

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:11 AM

tstage

I believe you're right, Rich.  Did you do that in your head? Wink

Tom 

Yessir, I did. I relied on no written sources. Blindfold

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Christiana, TN
  • 2,134 posts
Posted by CSX Robert on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:13 AM

loggingfirefighter388

I have a NCE Power Cab system...starter set. I am also trying to figure out what my Soundtraxx econami's address has been set too by the previous owner. Any suggestions? 

 

I wouldn't bother, just put it on the program track and program the address you want it to have.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 31, 2021 2:46 PM

I am tempted to note that in this context, 7301 would read as 0001110010000101... Whistling

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 3:15 PM

Overmod

I am tempted to note that in this context, 7301 would read as 0001110010000101... Whistling 

000Super AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper Angry

Alton Junction

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!