Was on eBay the other day and scored me a heck of a deal on a BLI E7 decorated for Pete Marquette #102. Being my second sound locomotive (My first being the Bachmann Berkshire decorated for the famous PM #1225) I was quite impressed with the sound, particularly liking the radio tone-up, tone back and the detector read back. Was having a blast with it until I tried to program the loco for #102, then nothing. Could not control it, even at the default address of 03. Had to do a CV8 reset to the factory settings and currently can only run it that way. I'm fairly new to DCC. Any suggestions? DCC system is a Digitrax Zephyr Xtra.
If you are addressing the decoder with the cab number, that's a 'long' or 'extended' address in DCC Land. Decoders do unfortunately vary somewhat in their function assignments (which buttons do which), and they vary a bit as to which numbers consitute long and short addresses. BLI's decoders would mean a long address from addresses 127 and on upwards to higher numbers.
However, long addresses require a setting in CV29. There is a calculator on line that you can google, and you can set your CV29 according to the result the calculator gives you. You tell the calculator which characteristics you want the decoder to take on for the locomotive, and then you enter that number...you programme the decoder with that number in CV29.
One other thing: many people don't know, or they forget, that a decoder must have power cycled immediately after receiving the changes to CV29. That means track power under the locomotive must be cut off, and then you re-power the rails. You acquire the newly assigned address on your active throttle and you should find the locomotive responding to the new address.
Another point: for some reason, BLI's paragon decoders remain silent upon power-up. They won't budge or make a sound until you have their address active on your throttle AND you give it one speed setting, whether speed step 01 or crank the throttle much higher. No sounds, no movement, until you give it some throttle.
Good catch, selector. Yeah, locos with cab numbers below 128 get treated as short addresses by a lot of, if not all, DCC systems.
Rich
Alton Junction
102 will ALWAYS be a short address on Digitrax. The Zephyr will set CV39 accordingly.
If trying to program on the main (ops mode) for this - you probably can't, most decoders do not allow changing one short address to another on the main, nor do they allow changing one long address to another on the main. On the program track (direct mode, most commonly), it doesn't matter. Even with a notoriously finicky decoder like BLI, changing from one short address to another on the program track should work, even if the CV29 update failes, because CV29 is already set for a short address.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Initially I did try to change the address on the main but I still get the same results on the programming track. I'm fairly new to DCC (this situation was my first changing CV variables), so for now I guess I'll run addressed to 03 until I get to the local mom and pop train shop were there is a guy that's a pro with custom installations. If he can't do it, no one can.