Hi gang:
I have a Digitrax DN136D decoder installed in my McKeen Motor Car. I managed to get the motor wiring backwards for forward and reverse. Correcting the wiring is a non-starter. I wouldn't be able to get to it without doing some major disassembly. I have figured out how to change CV 29 so that it goes forward when I want it to, but the headlight won't cooperate. It will only come on in reverse.
Can anybody tell me what CV(s) to adjust to get the headlight to come on when it is going forward?
Actually, I wouldn't care if the headlight stayed on in both directions. It will rarely run in reverse anyhow. There is a quick and dirty solution. The white and yellow decoder wires are exposed on the bottom of the frame and could be connected fairly easily.
Thanks,
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
It's in the function mapping. See how in the manual.
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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GraffenIt's in the function mapping. See how in the manual.
Come on Graff, please give me some credit. Yes, I fully understand that the solution is in the function mapping. What I haven't been able to figure out, despite several hours of studying the decoder manual, is what specific functions (CVs) I need to adjust.
I have to say that I much prefer Loksound decoders and their manuals. The ESU manuals are bulky for sure, and it can certainly take some time to get used to understanding them, but once you figure things out they address almost all issues that may come up.
Dave,
Have you tried changing CV49 & CV50 to "constant bright light" under Rule 17 dimming options?
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Try setting CV33=2 and CV34=1.
That should remap the function outputs for F0F and F0R.
Rich
Alton Junction
hon30critter Graffen It's in the function mapping. See how in the manual. Come on Graff, please give me some credit. Yes, I fully understand that the solution is in the function mapping. What I haven't been able to figure out, despite several hours of studying the decoder manual, is what specific functions (CVs) I need to adjust. I have to say that I much prefer Loksound decoders and their manuals. The ESU manuals are bulky for sure, and it can certainly take some time to get used to understanding them, but once you figure things out they address almost all issues that may come up. Dave
Graffen It's in the function mapping. See how in the manual.
I'm not very good at Digitrax decoders....
Is digitrax nice enough to provide an extendend manual online? My experiences with their decoders has not been posotive, and scant manuals don't help either. Also, you could check youtube to see if you can find anything.
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
The trick is to map F0 (f)orward to the yellow wire and F0 (r)everse to the white wire. Richhotrain in spot on in programming CV33 to 2 and CV34 to 1. Follow his advise.
Jack W.
Yes, the full manual for the decoders that explains all CVs is online. No different than may others, including TCS, where the included instruction sheet only shows some basics.
You can also change the lights to be on regardless of direction by changing the effects in CV49 and 50. The fefult setting is on, when F0 is on, in the respective direction. A value of 32 in each one should make the lights go on with F0 and both go on regardless of direction of travel.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi Dave,
to have both headlights continuously on in both directions, I enter 3 for CV 33 and CV 34 in Soundtraxx and Zimo decoders, you can try also this (if you wish both headlights on all the time).
Regards,
Hrvoje
Hello everyone:
Sorry for not responding sooner, but I spent the weekend at the Muskoka Rails train show in Bracebridge, ON. I'm currently the only club member who can tow the trailer which contains our portable layout.
Thanks for your responses.
First, I did study the on line Digitrax manual for about two hours, and I did change some CVs based on what I had read, but it didn't work.
Now for the really stupid part. I have to admit to having suffered a really serious 'senior's moment'! I'm suprized that nobody castigated me for not keeping proper records of what CV changes I make to my decoders. The fact is that I do keep proper records, and the answer to my question was right in front of me the whole time! I keep a recipe card with all CV changes in each of my locomotive boxes. The CV changes that I needed to make to the new decoder were indeed written down on a card in the engine box. All I had to do was read the thing!!
I input the CV values that I had written down and voila! Headlight on in both directions!
FYI, the CV values are:
CV 29 = 007 (to reverse the direction of travel)
CV 33 = 001
CV 34 = 001
CV 36 = 008
Sorry for wasting all of your time! We need a new emoticon for senility! Some doddering bald old man with a cane would describe me perfectly .
OK, now I am really feeling like a dunce!
New situation, different critter:
I have a critter in which I have installed working headlights and a reverse light. It is using a Loksound Select decoder. I want the headlights and the reverse light to stay on all the time. How do I do that?
Please understand that I have spent a lot of time reading the Loksound Select and the Loksound V4.0 manuals.
Again, changing CV49 & CV50 to constant lighting (a value of 32) should accomplish that for you. And it's simpler than remapping.
And set CV 61 to 1. That makes the front and rear lights operate seperately, controlled by F0 and F4.
James in Texas
Hi Tom and James:
I have done as you suggested and the lights are still directional. I made sure to power the decoder off and then back on after each change but the wee beastie isn't cooperating. I'm reluctant to hit it with a big hammer or throw it at a wall so I will go back to the Loksound manual and read some more. The answer has to be in there somewhere!
Thanks
Finally figured out a way to get the headlights and rear light to stay on in both directions:
CV 32 = 2
CV 266 = 3
CV 282 = 3
The problem with function changes with Loksound is that the function controls are all in a table. The order of the table does not matter - you can have an entry that controls what F2 does (horn and sitch lights, for example) that comes before an entry that controls the headlight (F0). The settings, or at least the defaults, can vary from sound project to sound project, which is why you see some people say "change CV415" and others say it's 421, or 399. The only way you can actually know is for whoever made the project to list what the defaults all are.
Upside is it is FAR more versatile than othe decoders that have dedicated CVs for each function, and because of bit mapping only allow remapping of certain functions to certain outputs, whereas Loksound is 100% flexible. Any F key to any sound to any output wire based on any condition with multiple conditions per entry. Downside of that is - unless the project creator gives you their default, or yoou read the entire function map table and then carefully decoder the values (which isn;t too hard, actually - just scan the CVs that represent the function to find lines that refere to the function yoou are trying to adjust and then check the other values for the conditions - if you are looking for what is controlling F0, there's no need to analyze a row that is controlling F7.
The table is that huge multi-page spread in the V4 manual. Once you get what it does - read across the headings for each column - you'll see just how powerful it is. I don;t think anyone else comes close to the level of flexibility. On some you cna program youself, ie Digitrax (ignoring the sound quality issues - although the newer X series with 16 bit sound actually aren't bad, if you use a proper 16 bit recording and not one of the old ones), yoou can do this same sort of mapping with conditionals, but you have to actually write code to do it - say for example, you want to make the horn blow 2 blasts whenever the loco starts moving forward, and one blast when stopping. You cna do that with Loksound, just by changing CVs. There is a conditional for stop to moving in the forward direction. There is another conditional for moving and coming to a stop. It's truly amazing. Honestly, I think it would be EASIER if you could write it as code - hmm, that may be something to add to JMRI, instead of a giant page full of dropdown booxes - like "if STOP_TO_FORWARD F2 ON 500 F2 OFF 500 F2 ON 500 F2 OFF"
Which would be, if the loco goes from stopped to moving forwards, turn on F2 for 500ms, turn it off for 500ms, turn it on again for 500ms, finally turn it off. And then a compiler would take that and turn it into the CV values needed to enter row(s) in the function map table.
Hi Randy:
I'm sorry to admit that I will have to read your last post a few times before I can take it all in, but I do grasp the concepts that you are speaking of. Thank you for taking the time to work with me!
My next task will be to revise the speed tables for this same critter. When I built it I used a motor from a very old kit. When I attempted to use the Loksound automatic motor control programming function the critter took off like a scalded cat and it didn't slow down as it was supposed to do according to the programming instructions. In fact I had to catch it in mid flight as it rocketed off the end of my six foot test track! My guess is that it had a six volt motor in the kit. I was able to slow the critter down to the point where it would run very nicely using the speed tables, but now I want to increase its' top speed a bit. Wish me luck!
Here is the wee beastie:
hon30critterMy next task will be to revise the speed tables for this same critter. When I built it I used a motor from a very old kit. When I attempted to use the Loksound automatic motor control programming function the critter took off like a scalded cat and it didn't slow down as it was supposed to do according to the programming instructions. In fact I had to catch it in mid flight as it rocketed off the end of my six foot test track! My guess is that it had a six volt motor in the kit. I was able to slow the critter down to the point where it would run very nicely using the speed tables, but now I want to increase its' top speed a bit. Wish me luck!
Hi, Dave. Are you using the umteen speed table settings or just CV2 (min.), CV6 (mid) and CV5 (max)? I just do the latter and create a 2-slope "speed curve". Programming on Main, I set CV2 at speed step 1, then top speed with CV5 at speed step 126, then CV6 (mid) at speed step 63 to get the slopes I want. That is how I speed match consist locos. I imagine you understand this, but if you set the umpteen speed steps I'm curious why one chooses the more complex approach.
On BEMF adjustment, I did do the CV54 auto adjustment, particularly, on a Bachmann Doodlebug where I added a NWSL Stanton drive. I could not get it to behave at all with manual adjustments and the CV54 adjustment did the trick (without taking a swan dive).
BTW, I had to adjust the same light CVs yesterday when addressing an issue with an Atlas RS-1 with my added LokSound Select. The sound was cutting out and I removed the hood and someone(!) apparently had not effectively soldered one speaker wire that had separated at the connection to the decoder wire. I was happy to discover an easy to spot problem. I also found that, since I had reset the decoder, the lights were working backwards. Well, someone(!) had failed to note the CV changes he had made earlier so I had to adjust sound volume, address, etc., but the lighting change I had to research. Perhaps it was as simple as changing CV29 to reverse operation, but I did not understand the CV29 default (14??) so I made the lighting function CV changes with the CVs you mentioned.
The function map table in the Select manual is not terribly hard to understand once you decode the issue and understand the index CV (eg., CV32) interaction. I thought that some of yesterdays replies on CV61, etc., were confusing, at least for me, as that did not seem to relate to the Select manual for those CVs. Not sure if the guidance did not apply to Selects or if the Select manual is "off".
A last point. I find the Yahoo LokSound User Group also useful for nitty gritty LokSound info. But one has to sign up to get there and read the threads 9or ask questions). If you use it, note that a recent thread indicated that the "group" will likely be moving to another website as there apparently have been issues with the Yahoo groups. Not sure how people will get notified but the aforementioned thread said to stay tuned, so I presume at some point they will post a tread there about the move.
I am happy that I chose Select as my default decoders.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Hi Paul:
I used CVs 2, 5 and 6 for setting the speed curve. The values I put in were really low because the critter has what I believe is a six volt motor.
CV 2 = 1
CV 5 = 12
CV 6 = 7
I'm guessing that the motor is six volt because when I used CV 54 to adjust the settings the critter took off like a scalded cat and did not slow down even when it got to the end of my six foot test track. Normally the self adjustment take less than two feet.