Froggy, I reiterate, just reprogram the decoder in your new loco to the address you want. I usually use the number on the loco as a reminder of its address.Each decoder will have its own address. If you do not use a program track seperatly you will program all decoders to the same address if you left any other locos on the same track you are programming on.
The program track is to program decoders. In a way you can disregard the fact that its even in a loco. You could solder the red and black leads to the program track and program the loco. Maybe you should get or build a decoder tester. Again you are progamming the decoder not a cab.
Two wires to the trck is sufficient to run a small layout.You will need to add more feeders from those two wires as you expand your layout.
The two wires you run to a program track you will leave permanently connected. You will need it to program new decoders as you begin to collect locos.
I hopr this helps,I went through all these same problems a few years back. Also the man was right when he said,"get this book".
Basically, that's the idea.
The programming track, as originally designed, is a low-power section of track which can "talk" to the decoder, but little else. There isn't enough power to run the engine. This is deliberate. If you happened to mis-wire your decoder, and you put it on the program track to test it, you will get an error but will not fry the decoder, because they limited the power.
This has a problem with some of the newer sound decoders. They require a bunch of power just to get going, so to the programming track, it looks like something is wrong.
My programming track is a siding on my layout. It is electrically isolated from the rest of the layout, and I use a double-pole, double-throw toggle switch to select either the programming track outputs or the main line outputs as the power for that siding. That way, I can run an engine from the main line on to the siding, flip the toggle, program the engine, flip the toggle again and then run the engine off, all without having to touch the engine or lift it up from one track and re-rail it on another.
Before I rigged that up, though, I simply had a short section of straight snap-track connected to the programming outputs of my DCC system. This track had no connection to the layout, so I had to put engines on it to program them, and then replace them on the layout. This worked just fine, but I didn't like doing it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Programming track is just that, for programming. It will not run locos and you put one loco at a time, on the programming track, to program it (change CV values).
Main track is your layout. You can run multyple locos on the layout under DCC up to the limit of your controler.
Froggy,
Do yourself a huge favor and order this book:
http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/12242.html
It will answer your questions in a very easy to understand method. It is an invaluable resource for DCC beginners.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
froggy wrote:I found out the decoder that someone sent to me was the wrong one.It is for a Kato N-scale E8, PA1, etc.I need it to fit a SD 35.I found a good website to buy decoders.It is www.fiferhobbies.com I was just reading my instructions for the MRC Prodigy and it shows a diagram to connect the wires.On the base unit it showstwo wires going to the main track and then two wires to the program track.Can someone tell me what this means? I am totally new with DCC.
It means you take two wire to the main track, and two to the programming track. That way you can program one loco at a time. If you only have one loco, you could just take a set of wires to the main track and be done. (This is for the Prodigy, other systems are different.)
Fifer is a good place to buy N scale stuff. Good service, good prices.
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
Just change CV8 to "8" and your Digitrax decoder will do a factory reset. Here's a link that may come in handy for you:
http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/dec_rescue.htm
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.