NDOT challenged

[tomikawaTT]

From reading the preceding posts I finally figured out that NDOT was DCC shorthand for Normal Direction of Travel.  Before that, I was wondering who was confronting my state's Department of Transportation...

I can understand that normal should be the timetable direction of the train, no matter which way the various MUed diesels are facing - especially since good practice dictates that at least one cab should be faced 'backward' to avoid having to swap ends at the terminal yard.

This is one case where analog DC is a lot more straightforward than DCC.  DCC depends on slaving the locomotive(s) to respond to a signal incorporated into the waveform of the track power.  With DC, if the common rail is negative polarity and the controlled rail is positive polarity the train will move in the UP direction (toward virtual Tokyo) no matter which way the various pieces of motive power are faced or where they are in the train.  Sure symplifies my life.

(And for all of you who are ready to urge me to convert to DCC - fuhgeddaboudit.  Like Popeye, I yam what I yam, and DCC holds no temptation whatever for me.)

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, MZL system)

[Stevert]

...and why do you want to reverse it's normal direction?

Edit: nevermind, I am reminded why I bought the NCE system in the first place.

 

  NDOT itself actually has nothing to do with DCC whatsoever, let alone which DCC system any given person may be using.

  Many railroads ran first generation diesels such as GP7's or RS3's (and many others) long hood forward.  Some have continued the practice until recently, and may still be doing it.  The thinking was that it afforded the crew additional protection in the event of a collision.

  The NMRA was simply nice enough to include an easy way to accomplish this in the DCC world, when they set up CV29 for us in their standards.

Steve

[jalajoie]

[

Thanks very much. Now I understand. I've had the zephyr for over  a year and couldn't understand why I found it so difficult to do this when it seemed to be so simple. Maybe I take the manual to be more complicated than it really is.

Merci Beaucoup!

Tom

By the way NDOT means "Normal Direction of Travel".

By the way NDOT means "Normal Direction of Travel". LOL now you see how simple thing can be so complicated, I was at a total loss with the meaning of NDOT now I know and will remember.

If you need more info to change the value of a CV let me know. 

[Ballantrae Road]

You completely missed item #2 of the procedure.

I repeat:

You put the trailing loco facing backward or if you prefer tail to tail with the leading loco.

You select that loco put the Direction control lever of the Zephyr  into Reverse and see if it is traveling in the same direction as the leading loco, it should. In my example both loco should travel from left to right on the track.

If you can't succeed send me an email via the forum with your phone # and I will guide you step by step over the phone.

By the way I don't understand what is the meaning of NDOT can you explain?

jalajoie,

Thanks very much. Now I understand. I've had the zephyr for over  a year and couldn't understand why I found it so difficult to do this when it seemed to be so simple. Maybe I take the manual to be more complicated than it really is.

 

Merci Beaucoup!

 

Tom

 

By the way NDOT means "Normal Direction of Travel".

[Randall_Roberts]

Hi there! Maybe someone can enlighten me on this. Most of my DCC locos ( HO) are Digitax equipped. I am very satisfied with them. I have a Zephyr. I'm no DCC expert and just can't understand all the CV's and stuff in the manual....is it just me?  What really bugs me is the simple (supposedly) way to change the normal direction of travel of the locos. Is this rocket science? If I'm correct I believe it says to change CV 29 to 39 to get that to happen.At least that's what I understand from reading page 35 of the Digitrax Mobile decoder Manual. Now I could be reading the chart wrong, that's a possibility.

OK so I put the loco on the programming track.  First I check to see if it's reading the correct loco number. When it confirms the correct loco I then I go to Page mode. I press CV...a CV number comes up....I enter  29 for the CV...I press enter again. I believe the CV value comes up...well OK I enter 39  then CV WR ,and then EXIT. Fine...I put the loco on the main and nothing has changed....still normal direction of travel.

So what the heck am I doing wrong?

Thanks, 

Tom

Thank you Tom;

Don't feel alone in your frustrations. The Zephyr has a reputation among non-Digitrax owners as user-unfriendly. I don't have a problem with mine, but I've been in the computer field for nealry 30 years. In another thread I've asked people if they would participate in a poll on my blog about how they'd like to see the Zephyr improved.

Does Digitrax Need to Upgrade the Zephyr?

Several people have responded that it doesn't need to be improved. You have just supported the argument that it does, The Zephyr's chief competitor, the NCE PowerCab, which is eroding the Zephyr's market share, is a menu driven system. 

Best! 

[jalajoie]

You completely missed item #2 of the procedure.

I repeat:

You put the trailing loco facing backward or if you prefer tail to tail with the leading loco.

You select that loco put the Direction control lever of the Zephyr  into Reverse and see if it is traveling in the same direction as the leading loco, it should. In my example both loco should travel from left to right on the track.

If you can't succeed send me an email via the forum with your phone # and I will guide you step by step over the phone.

By the way I don't understand what is the meaning of NDOT can you explain?

[Ballantrae Road]

...and why do you want to reverse it's normal direction?

Edit: nevermind, I am reminded why I bought the NCE system in the first place.

I don't know the NCE system. But how do you run 2 locos tail to tail if you don't change the direction of travel on one of them?

May as well repeat my reply to the thread "MU question from NJT

Here is the procedure:

1-Put the leading loco on the track facing forward from left to right (left to right is use only for the explanation sake, it could be the other way around if you prefer). Select that loco and make sure it is going forward from left to right.

2- Put the trailing loco behind the first one facing backward and do not couple them. Select it and make sure it is traveling in reverse from left to right.

3- Now that both locos are traveling in the same direction, reselect the leading loco and MU the trailing one as per instructions in the Manuel. 

So from what you stated , if I'm understanding you correctly, you put one loco facing one way and the trailing loco the other way...tail to tail........am  I understanding you????? Ok then I MU them....hey ..the leading locomotive goes forward and the trailing locomotive  goes, the other way. I understand the principle of MU'ng as I do it all the time if the locos are FACING THE SAME DIRECTION. The question was how do you change the NDOT. Are you presuming the NDOT has already been changed. Then no problem. I think you may have misunderstood the question. But thanks anyways. I'll keep trying util I get it right.

 

Tom

[jalajoie]

...and why do you want to reverse it's normal direction?

Edit: nevermind, I am reminded why I bought the NCE system in the first place.

I don't know the NCE system. But how do you run 2 locos tail to tail if you don't change the direction of travel on one of them?

May as well repeat my reply to the thread "MU question from NJT

Here is the procedure:

1-Put the leading loco on the track facing forward from left to right (left to right is use only for the explanation sake, it could be the other way around if you prefer). Select that loco and make sure it is going forward from left to right.

2- Put the trailing loco behind the first one facing backward and do not couple them. Select it and make sure it is traveling in reverse from left to right.

3- Now that both locos are traveling in the same direction, reselect the leading loco and MU the trailing one as per instructions in the Manuel. 

 

 

[Ballantrae Road]

...and why do you want to reverse it's normal direction?

Edit: nevermind, I am reminded why I bought the NCE system in the first place.

I don't know the NCE system. But how do you run 2 locos tail to tail if you don't change the direction of travel on one of them?

[Ballantrae Road]

CV29 controls 4 different abilities of a decoder:

1). 2 or 4 digit address
2). Speed Steps
3). Direction of Travel
4). DC analog conversion on or off

For a 2-digit loco (from #01 to #0127), normally CV29=06.  For a 4-digit loco (from #0128 to #9999), normally CV29=38.  Both values also indicate that the locos are in 128 speed step mode, along with running forwards and DC mode is on.

Personally, I prefer to turn off DC analog conversion mode, so I subtract 4 from CV29's value.  Therefore, 2-digit locos are CV29=02 and 4-digit locos are CV29=34.

If I have a loco that needs to run backwards as being "front", then I add 1 to the CV29 value.  Therefore, 2-digit locos are CV29=03 and 4-digit locos are CV29=35.

So the first question I have for you is, how many digits does your address have?

Paul A. Cutler III
************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
************

I have 4 that I'm trying to change. #458, 462 and 107 and 124. I know the 107 and 124 are 2 digit adresses. I'll try your method and see what happens.

Thanks,  Tom

[modelmaker51]

...and why do you want to reverse it's normal direction?

Edit: nevermind, I am reminded why I bought the NCE system in the first place.

[Paul3]

CV29 controls 4 different abilities of a decoder:

1). 2 or 4 digit address
2). Speed Steps
3). Direction of Travel
4). DC analog conversion on or off

For a 2-digit loco (from #01 to #0127), normally CV29=06.  For a 4-digit loco (from #0128 to #9999), normally CV29=38.  Both values also indicate that the locos are in 128 speed step mode, along with running forwards and DC mode is on.

Personally, I prefer to turn off DC analog conversion mode, so I subtract 4 from CV29's value.  Therefore, 2-digit locos are CV29=02 and 4-digit locos are CV29=34.

If I have a loco that needs to run backwards as being "front", then I add 1 to the CV29 value.  Therefore, 2-digit locos are CV29=03 and 4-digit locos are CV29=35.

So the first question I have for you is, how many digits does your address have?

Paul A. Cutler III
************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
************

[jalajoie]

OK so I put the loco on the programming track.  First I check to see if it's reading the correct loco number. When it confirms the correct loco I then I go to Page mode. I press CV...a CV number comes up....I enter  29 for the CV...I press enter again. I believe the CV value comes up...well OK I enter 39  then CV WR ,and then EXIT. Fine...I put the loco on the main and nothing has changed....still normal direction of travel.

So what the heck am I doing wrong?

Thanks, 

Tom

1- Put the loco on the programming track and go to page mode, no need to read the address.

2- Press the CV key and type in the CV number (I don't know how you can press Enter at this stage, the Z has no Enter key. I suspect whatever key you are pressing is giving you the problem).

3- Press the CV-RD key to read the value currently programme in the CV.

4- Enter the value you want, press CV-WR and then press Exit.

This will permanently reverse the direction of travel of the loco, is it what your are trying to achieve?

[Ballantrae Road]

Hi there! Maybe someone can enlighten me on this. Most of my DCC locos ( HO) are Digitax equipped. I am very satisfied with them. I have a Zephyr. I'm no DCC expert and just can't understand all the CV's and stuff in the manual....is it just me?  What really bugs me is the simple (supposedly) way to change the normal direction of travel of the locos. Is this rocket science? If I'm correct I believe it says to change CV 29 to 39 to get that to happen.At least that's what I understand from reading page 35 of the Digitrax Mobile decoder Manual. Now I could be reading the chart wrong, that's a possibility.

OK so I put the loco on the programming track.  First I check to see if it's reading the correct loco number. When it confirms the correct loco I then I go to Page mode. I press CV...a CV number comes up....I enter  29 for the CV...I press enter again. I believe the CV value comes up...well OK I enter 39  then CV WR ,and then EXIT. Fine...I put the loco on the main and nothing has changed....still normal direction of travel.

So what the heck am I doing wrong?

Thanks, 

Tom