I think I have a big problem. I'm relatively new to DCC and recently acquired an MRC Prodigy Advance2. While replacing cars on my layout while holding my cab, it seems I accidentally programmed a consist. My loco on address 1 is not responding anymore. When I press "Loco" and enter "1" like I did since the beginning, the cab displays "Consist" at what appears to be address 1. If I increase the throttle, nothing happens. I read the instructions in MRC's manual to clear the consist. I pressed "Consist" 3 times to get the "Consist: clr" on the cab, then pressed enter and entered 1, the cab goes back to "Consist 1". I tried to reprogram my loco at address 1 to address 16 on a programming track. I can read CV values. CV 17 and 18 seems to display 16. But when I put my loco on the main track and enter 16 for the loco, nothing happens.
Can someone help me getting out of this mess?
Thanks in advance!
Set CV19 to 0, that will clear the consist.
What decoder is it? Might be easier to just reset the decoder if it has a reset option. Then it will be address 3, but you cna then set it to whatever you want. Unless the cab number is 1, it's probbaly easier to set the address to the cab number instead of using 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Easier to remember, anyway - just read it off the side of the loco.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker Set CV19 to 0, that will clear the consist. What decoder is it? Might be easier to just reset the decoder if it has a reset option. Then it will be address 3, but you cna then set it to whatever you want. Unless the cab number is 1, it's probbaly easier to set the address to the cab number instead of using 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Easier to remember, anyway - just read it off the side of the loco. --Randy
Hmmm... good question. It's the decoder in the Broadway Limited Imports UP Big Boy (4-8-8-4). Not sure if it's Paragon3? How do you reset a decoder?
RR_Mel Randy is correct try a reset back to 3. Reprogram the locomotive to 0003 and start over. Don’t do a consist unless you are running two or more locomotives in a consist. Use the Loco button on the upper left to run a single locomotive. Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951 My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Mel,
I didn't intend to create a consist. I was just holding he cab in one hand while re-arranging cars on the track. It's when I tried to start my loco that i realized it would no longer to any command and then I noticed that the cab was displaying "Cons" when I would press "Loco" and enter "1".
RR_Mel When you press the Consist button does it say SET? Try removing the hand held control RJ45 from the controller and plugging it into a different Cab Jack. Try the Loco button then Recall to select your locomotive. Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951 My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I just tried unplugging and plug in the hand held control to a different jack. As soon as I plug it, it displays "CONS 0001". Trying to recall, I can't see "Loco 1". What I see when recalling are my other locos and the "CONS 1".
Yes, when I press the Consist button once, it displays "SET". I press again and it displays "old SET". I press a 3rd time and it displays "clr". I press "Enter" like it's suggested in the manual. The cab then asks for a CONS #. I enter "1", then "Enter" and it's back at displaying "CONS 0001".
And they say Digitrax manuals are ambiguous..ok, after reading the Advanced^2 manual, I think what they mean when they say enter 0-9 is to use the number keys and put in whatever sort of address you want - not that you cna just use 0-9. So if you want to make the loco address 1234, just put in 1234 at the Addr prompt. It will take care of CV17,18, and 29 for you.
Your original loco address was 1, that doesn't necessarily mean your accidental consist number is also 1. I'd follow the instructions on setting a CV and make sure 19 is set to 0. If you accidently created an advanced consist, resetting the system or the cab won't undo that, it's programmed in the decoder.
RR_Mel Have you powered the controller off so that it would do a reboot? Pull the power plug from the back of the controller for a bout 30 seconds. Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951 My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
OK, I did unplug the controller off for a couple of minutes. Plugged it back in and the cab again displays "CONS 0001". My Big Boy is not even on the main track, it's on the program track. I checked the Paragon3 CVs and was able to do a reset of the decoder by putting "8" in to CV8. Since I already have a loco with address 3, I changed the Big Boy to address 16 (since I still don't know how to enter a 4 digits address).
I think I'm getting somewhere! I put back the loco (Big Boy) on the main track. Entered "16" and then forward and it starting puffing and chuggling along!
Thank you!
I'm still stuck with this "CONS 1" when I press "Loco" and enter "1". I guess I'll never be able to set a loco to address 1 but that won't be a problem because I want to change the loco addresses to their road numbers.
RR_Mel Randy is correct, just inter your locomotive address 4001 or what ever. If you error just put in 0s until it’s back to 0000 and start over. The four digit address will program the number in the display. Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951 My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Ok, I put the Big Boy back on the programming track. I did assume that I had to set CV1 with the 4 digits address? Well, that's what I tried. It doesn't work. It keeps the old address. After I reset the decoder, I set it from the default 3 to 16 for 4016. Then, everything was fine. After reading your message and Randy's message about how to input the long address, I put it back on the programming track and tried to set CV1 to 4017. Back on the main track, the Big Boy doesn't respond when I enter 4017 to loco. But when I enter 16, it does recognize it.
So, obviously, I'm missing something. I was thinking that maybe CV17 has to be set with the high bytes of the address desired, in my case "40" and CV18 the low bytes, or "16". Would that make sense?
Don't program CVs, just enter the address when the cab prompts for Addr. CV1 is the short address (1-127, or some variation depending on the system). You should not have to monkey with CV1, CV17, CV18, or CV29. The system does it for you based on what digits you put in for the address when asked.
ANd you cna just keep hitting numbers until you get what you want. Suppose you want 4001, but hit the 1 twice by accident. The display should do this:
0004 (press 4)
0040 (press 0)
0400 (press 0)
4001 (press 1)
0011 (oops, hit the 1 twice - so now just start over)
0114 (press 4)
1140 (press 0)
1400 (press 0)