Do I NEED a PR3 for Digitrax Firmware Updates?

[gmpullman]

Hi, Everyone

Maybe some of you remember earlier threads where I mentioned upgrading my Digitrax system to Duplex throttles and the frustrating issues that I've been dealing with due to seriously degraded signal range.

I have three UR92 that I ultimately moved to a higher location, near the ceiling but reception only improved marginally. The throttles still exhibit "unusual" behavior, especially when acquiring an address. Often, the new address will disappear then when I enter it again it will ask me "Steal Y/N?" even if the address has never been entered before, as in a newly programmed decoder!

So, acting on a suggestion from Paul Cutler III in another thread, I looked into updating the firmware on the UR92s. It seems Digitrax made a new version available in December 2015, just a few months after I purchased these.

This rev 8 fixes UR92 link issues with multiple UR devices on the LocoNet and improves Duplex reliability.

http://www.digitrax.com/downloads/ur92-firmware/

So, my question is: Do I have to buy a PR3XTRA in order to install this new firmware? I have JMRI and LocobufferUSB presently.

I'm already close to $500 just in upgrading a few throttles and buying the UR92s. Before I sink another $80 into downloading a "free" software upgrade I wanted to make sure there wasn't another way around this?

I started a Digitrax Helpdesk ticket but with the holiday, I'm sure I won't hear back until Tuesday or later.

Thanks much,

Ed

[rrinker]

 There are people on the JMRI and Digitrax lists who have gotten it to wirh with the LocobufferUSB using the firmware loader that is in JMRI (on the Digitrax menu). The DigiIPL program seems to only work with the PR3. No real surprise there, and likely all support will tell you is that doing it some other way is not going to be supported and they can't help you with it. The PR3 is their product and they darn well support it, but the Locobuffer and JMRI are not their products so despite any personal knowledge someone there might have, they aren;t going to be able to support it if it doesn't work properly.

                          --Randy

[gmpullman]

Thanks, Randy

I guess I'll go ahead and get the PR3 and do the firmware update "by the book."

Seems a shame that I have to buy another interface to correct a bug that Digitrax now has a "fix" for. I suppose they would do the upgrade if I sent them all the throttles and UR92s but that hassle isn't worth it and they would probably have my stuff for at least 3 to 6 weeks.

I sure hope the firmware upgrade makes an improvement in my throttle performance.

Thanks again, Ed

[Stevert]

Ed,

  I'm a big proponent of the PR3.  I use mine extensively and haven't ever had any issues with it.

But having said that, since you already have the LocoBuffer and JMRI, I'd say to give it a shot with that combination. 

Try one of the (pick one, UR92's or DT402's) first, and if it works, try another of the same device until you have them all done.  Then move on to the other device type and repeat the process.

DO NOT try to do more than one device at a time, and DO remove everything else from the LocoNet.

Also, I believe there are two updates for the DT402:  One for the RF module, and one for the throttle itself.  Be sure you do both.