I recently purchased the Digitrax Empire Builder DCC System from my local hobby shop. The system is somewhat old and was sold to me at a discount. It has the Digitrax DB150 Booster and DT100IR Throttle. The system runs fine for the most part. I have a KATO SD80MAC N Scale locomotive with Digitrax decoder that runs very well on the layout. Two of my friends locomotives with Digitrax decoders also run fine. The problem I have deals with analog locomotives. Two of my other friend's KATO SD70MACs without decoders run very erratic on my layout. The locomotives motor spins two directions at once and it moves without me turning the throttle up. The lights also flicker uncontrollably. I have the throttle set at address 00, and I am still unable to control the analog locomotive. I have looked in my manual and on this forum and the Digitrax website for an answer to this problem and have not encountered any solutions. I realize that running analog locomotives on DCC is not wise, but the system should be able to run analog locomotives once in a while without having all these problems. Also, I tried changing the booster's setting on disabling the 00 address feature, and the locomotive then just sat there and hummed. When I re-enabled it the locomotive acted goofy again. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
The only reason the NMRA DCC Working Committee ever provided for the operation of one non-decoder equipped engine to run on address 00 in the first place was because decoders cost nearly $75 each back then and they were afraid that if people had to add a decoder to everything DCC would never sell.
Several DCC manufacturers chose to avoid problems and not allow their systems to run an address 00 locomotive because of the exact problems that you are running into. Install a decoder and be done with it. You can get them today for $15 each; sometimes less.
Some locos really don't like to run on address 0, no matter what you do. First I would check to make sure you don't have more than one throttle controlling address 0, though. The motor turning both ways at once is how running a DC loco on DCC works, that's where the hum comes from. The other though I had was that if the lights have any constant on circuitry, all bets would be off.
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
I agree that running DC locomotives with no decoder on DCC is a bad idea and really shouldn't be done. I am not too worried about this problem on my system. As long as my DCC locomotives run good, which they do, everything will be alright with me. If others have any suggestions to my question please post them.
I contacted Digitrax, and they helped me fix the problem. I turned the switch on the front to OP mode, then pressed the Mode/Disp button on the throttle. I selected switch OPSW#36 using the top right dial on the throttle. I used the left-right arrow key to change it to c "closed". I then turned the switch to SLEEP then to RUN. The problem went away. I am now able to fully control Address 00. The problem has been fully resolved.
Sounds like Jeff was on to the reason. Closing OP Switch 36 clears the slot roster including any addresses acquired on two throttles. All DTxxx throttles are two throttles.