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Digitrax 402R problem? Or decoder problem?

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  • Member since
    May 2012
  • 602 posts
Digitrax 402R problem? Or decoder problem?
Posted by NP01 on Thursday, April 20, 2017 3:17 PM

I have two RDC1 units, one with a DH163 (address: 12) and another with a SDHC166D (address: 11). Just installed the latter (prior was a DH123). While trying to speedmatch the two units for consisting, I had both the decoders programed into my DT402R. One let and one right. 

Funny ... I am running #12 at speed step 1, and #11 also at speed step 1. #11 is not moving, even though I just adjusted the (simple) speed table for start voltage.

Then, I turn the #12 to speed step 0, and suddenly #11 starts to move! This happened multiple times. I reset (and reprogrammed) the decoders and also reset the command station (Zephyr Extra).

Anyone else seen this?

NP

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, April 20, 2017 4:30 PM

 Does it do the same thing plugged in? It sounds like it may not have sent the command via radio when moving 11 to step 1, but when you put 12 back to speed 0, it did a radio refresh and realized #11 should be at step 1.

 I've never had anything similar happen on any of my throttles, but I don't have any radio throttles, yet. If you plug it in and try it, that will tell if it is a throttle issue or more likely a radio issue - although how much of an issue - it might be a one time sort of thing and the signal just didn't get through. Or the throttle was asleep. Good battery in the throttle, and is the power supply to the UR91 definitely still working?

                                    --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
    May 2012
  • 602 posts
Posted by NP01 on Thursday, April 20, 2017 5:58 PM

Randy,

Thanks. Yes. Throttle battery is good, UR91 power supply is good. I will test again tonight when I get home. I will also put #11 on left and #12 on right (opposite of what I did before) to see if the problem follows the knob.

I tried the same thing with two JMRI throttles on my macbook, but somehow when I open JMRI throttles my little Zephyr Extra gets full so could not complete that test.

NP.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, April 20, 2017 6:10 PM

 Might have something else going on there the, I've had no problems using JMRI throttles or WiThrottle with my original Zephyr, which has half the slots of your Xtra. Just opening a throttle or two shouldn't fill anything up, it doesn't really do anything until you aquire an address on the throttle. With 22 slots you should probably end up with the screen too cluttered to use before you have 22 throttle panels open.

                       --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
    May 2012
  • 602 posts
Posted by NP01 on Friday, April 21, 2017 8:48 AM

Yeah there is something going on. I was unable to program with DecoderPro as well, which in the past I have been able to do. I have to step back and maybe do things step by step again. 

By the way, if you are doing OPS mode programming, does it matter if there are other throttles in the system with the loco you are programming selected?

NP. 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, April 21, 2017 12:02 PM

 It probably shouldn't matter, unless someone was using one throttle in ops mode to program CV3 to 10 and the other throttle was also in ops mode programming trying to set CV3 to something else. However it's generally not good to have multiple throttles with the same address selected, just because it can result in tricky to figure out issues depending on the throttle type - encoder type DT40x vs a potentiometer type like a UT4. SO in your case, if you had loco 11 dialed up on a UT4 but set at stop - that could be why it wasn't moving when set to step 1 on the DT402. By the time you sent an ops mode command to increase CV2, the UT4 could have set it to step 0 again.

 If JMRI and/or the system go crazy on starting up JMRI, you may have some sort of startup script configured or maybe a panel that is getting loaded on startup and trying to do things.

                         --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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