I haven't programmed for a year, and while trying to program the loco number for a new Broadway Limited GP30. When I enter the loco number, using page mode, and hit enter, an error code comes up, which is "NoAK". This has happened in the past, and I can't remember for the life of me what that means. I have looked thru the Digitrax manual and there is no mention of that error code. HELP!
For Acknowledgement to work the programmer is looking for a bit of a load as in a motor being in line or sometimes a resistor is used across the programming track rails. This is why you might see the headlight blink and the motor slightly jump when the acknowledge bit is trying to function.
It could simply be that your wheels or programming track rails are dirty. With my older DCS200 I needed a programming booster for most BLI decoders. Later command stations or, in my case I use a Sprogg, the programming is better and the decoders are better designed for getting the programming signal.
Some of my decoders that have stay alive capacitors still give me a few error messages. Sometimes even if there is no acknowledgement from the decoder the command was still written OK.
There's a Digitrax group on groups.io and if you go there and type no ak into the search field there are several responses you might find helpful
Good Luck, Ed
Thank you Ed!
I have a programming booster PTB100 (SoundTrax) and I did clean the rails on my programming track...to no avail..yet.
With modern motors and electronics, I wonder if the PTB100 is strong enough to handle them. (!, ?)
I have watched for the AD4?Y prompt, but it doesn't seem to happen. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
I looked up Sprog for programming boosting. Which Sprog would be best for my situation. The SoundTrax has been good up til now, I think, unless I'm missing something. I am not familiar with Sprog units, but am willing to try anything! Any suggestions?
I would try putting one of your other DCC engines on the programming track and see if you can read any CVs from them. If none of them work, it may be something with the programming track or your Digitrax unit. Could be something as simple as a loose wire connection between the track and the DCC system.
As Ed points out, it can happen that a DCC programmer can program CVs but not read them back for that particular decoder. I find MRC decoders are often like that; I can program them but not read them.
You could try hooking up your programming track to your computer using a Digitrax PR4 and installing JMRI Decoder Pro on your computer. Sometimes if my system won't read CVs, Decoder Pro will.