selector [sarcasm turned on] Awwwww.... You're making this sound too complicated. Personally, I like the clapper approach. You know, clap your hands and the train you're thinking about moves off and accelerates to the speed you intend for it? I had to read the manual to learn that three claps brings your engine to a halt. [sarcasm turned off]
[sarcasm turned on]
Awwwww.... You're making this sound too complicated. Personally, I like the clapper approach. You know, clap your hands and the train you're thinking about moves off and accelerates to the speed you intend for it? I had to read the manual to learn that three claps brings your engine to a halt.
[sarcasm turned off]
I see you got the fangs out
---actually, this has me kind of wondering. Eric, the disabled child that I'm helping build the layout at his families house down the way from us, has a NCE Powercab. Same one I'm using--giving me more space to run my lokes(natch)--and HE isn't having issues with the manuals. He's 12 now. I have had only one issue with the manual and that was a learning curve issue---so---
--having said all this, can I suggest that we need to exercise that muscle called a brain---otherwise we will lose it? Maybe we just gone a little soft around the edges----I know now that mine certainly has---
My own opinion---others may differ---
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Lets see. I hook two wires from the transformer to my DB150 because I'm sure that the electricity needs to go some where inside of it. The power In terminals seem like a logical spot to connect them. Then I hook two wire from the DB150 to the track because I'm sure the trains won't go anywhere without wires. Rail A and Rail B look good for this because none of the others sound better than those two.
Now I have to turn it all on. I turn the transformer on and the power on light on the DB150 lights. That sounds right.
Next I need the DB150 to turn on. I set the scale switch to N because I'm Nscale and HO and O are the other two choices. I set the other switch to Run because Sleep and OP don't make any sense for RUNning trains. I still can't get trains to go but that throttle that came with the Empire Builder must be important. Since the plug on the end of its wire fits the socket on the DB150, I plug it in there. The screen lights up and settles on SEL twice on the screen. Don't have a clue what that mens so I will finally have to look at the manual.
So I look in the inedex and find a section titles "How to select and run a DCC locomotive" What the heck, no sense reading the rest of the manual if it's right there so I read that page.
Follow the page and press the loco button and SEL starts flashing. I press the 3 button and the 3 replaces the SEL and it's flashing. I press the LOCO button and the 3 stops flashing,.That makes sense. Next I turn one of the knobs and nothing moves. I turn the other knob and nothing moves. Now What? Need to look at the *** manual again. This is beginning to be no fun.
The index has another section titled "Turn track Power On". Maybe that's what is wrong?
I try what that section says and voila the track status light comes on and the train moves. Think I'll press the 0 button and see if the headlight comes on. It does have a drawing of a light on it. Light works and the other one comes on when I switch direcion using the button with the arrows on it. I press the other number buttons but nothing else happens except there are nw little numbers on the throttle. I press them again and the numbers dissappear. The numbers must be on the display when they are on. It's probably in the manual somewhere, I'll read that some day.
Well the instructions and interface on the DCC systems are EASY compared to the computer programs designed to RUN the DCC system, Talk about made by engineers for engineers! If you aren¨t a computer wiz don´t bother . I know, I´ve been there.
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
My Railroad
My Youtube:
Graff´s channel
Harley,
Keep in mind that these manuals are written for ALL users - i.e. beginner AND advanced. So, of course, you're going to find examples that don't make sense to you right now...but they're there when you (or anyone else) is ready to grasp it and/or for reference purposes.
Like a shop manual for your car, you - yourself - may only use the manual to figure out how to replace a cracked radiator hose. However, the guy who needs to:
...is going to be awfully glad those sections are included in the manual.
So, just like in life: You gotta start with a crawl...so you can stand...so you can walk...before you can even think about running. Learn the basics firsts and the more advanced things will come (and make sense) in time.
Unless it's titled "....for Dummies", manuals are generally written to a wide audience and have to cover a vast number of scenarios or examples.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Rarely, nobody named the QSI Manual 4.4.0, with 257 pages !!!!. At random, I´ve choiced just a page:
"5.7.4.2 CV 55.73.1 Automatic Reverse Light Configuration
Use this CV to configure the Automatic Reverse Light behavior.
CV 55.73.1: Automatic Reverse Light Configuration
NFR REV NFF FWD
Bit 7 Bit 6 Bit 5 Bit 4 Bit 3 Bit 2 Bit 1 Bit 0
Intensity Intensity Intensity Intensity Intensity Intensity Intensity Intensity
•
and bits 6,7 the intensity in NFR.
Bit 1
Bit 3
Bit 5
Bit 7
Bit 0
Bit 2
Bit 4
Bit 6
Intensity
0 0 Off
0 1 Dim*
1 0 Bright
1 1 Reserved
FWD NFF REV NFR
Dim* Dim* Bright Dim*
* If the reverse light cannot be dimmed, then Dim = Off."
And this is just one......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the other 256 !!!!!
Hi!
I made the HUGE step into DCC earlier this year. I have been playing with trains since the '50s, and while I can "wire" with the best of them, I am not electronically inclined.
When I started out, the manuals (mostly Digitrax, but also some of the DCC books) reminded me of the early PC manuals from the '80s. They spent literally chapters on opening the boxes, placement of the components, and attaching the wires - all written as if the reader was 5 years old. Then, when it came to actually using the PC, it shifted to an audience of computer "geeks". As an information services supervisor at this time, I heard the above from many educated folks in the office.
I agree with your assessment, and expressed the same feelings on this forum last year. As I confirmed with this audience and folks on the Digitrax Yahoo site, there is nothing out there that will - by itself - that will take us by the hand thru the process of installing and using and modifying our DCC set-up.
The thing is, DCC is a HUGE subject! And one cannot expect to gather all the knowledge needed from one source or over a short period of time. I have found that in addition to the manuals, the Kalmbach DCC books, the Yahoo DCC "manufacturer specific" forum, and especially this forum are the best bets available to get educated.
Oh, one more thing..... You may have read in places that DCC is as simple as hooking up to wires, and in other places you read about all the complexities and variables and all of it smothered in jargon. My opinion is, for most of us average MRs, the truth is somewhere in between.
Again, I compare DCC to our ventures into the use of PCs. That "mystery box" of years ago is now (to most of us) second nature in regards to use, installation, and understanding. So, I suggest you take it slow, one step at a time, read all you can and ask a whole lot of questions. The folks on this Forum especially have been a major help to this writer.
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Ken - that's why there's that nice big PICTURE in the Digitrax manual - so when it says connect a wire from here to there, and plug this into that, you can see what they are talking about. As a matter of fact that's how I learned a decent amount about cars - reading books that illustrated what they were talkign about. If above that text there was a picture showing the distributor and the numbering, and showed the mark on the balancer I was lookign for, I could probably find those things even if I didn't knwo what they were.
Actually, isn't this how we learn anything? Perhaps it's just a fear of learning. I am not afraid of trying somethign and have it not work, but I am afraid of standing up in front of a room of peopel and talking. Case in point with technology, my Mom and her brother could not eb more different. My Mom has never expressed any interest in knowing what it is I do, other than a vague "works with computers". She has no desire to get a computer or be on the internet. My uncle on the other hand, was highly motivated to get a computer and learn how to use the internet and email people. And went out and did so - my cousin who is also a 'computer guy' and I taught my aunt and uncle how to use their computer and off they went, connecting with peopel they met years ago on trips to Europe, and planning new trips to take now that they were retired. For whatever the reason, fear or somethign else, not everyone is interested in learnign soemthign new, and that hampers the ability to learn and adapt. I could probably sit down with my Mom and show her how to email someone, but it would be a long journey because she just doesn't have the desire.
There is also a strong fear that you will break something. Granted maybe replying to Ken isn't a good example ehre, but also keep in mind Ken built his railroad using DC and then converted to DCC before having problems. But if you are starting fresh, and build a new layout and use DCC for the first time, if you follow the instructions and advice, it's pretty bulletproof. About the only thing there is to break are decoders if not properly installed - and if you don't feel up to the task of installing decoders you can buy locos with decoders already in them, or have one of many peopel out there who do that sort of thing do it for you. Again a benefit of the more 'complex' system - if your DCC system uses a dedicated program track, there is little danger that pressing the wrong button is going to wreck one of your locos on the main track, ie accidently resetting all the programming. The train you think you are selecting may not run if you key somethign in wrong, or you might accidently crash two trains into each other, but pressing the wrong buttons generally will do no harm. It takes specific options to change settings and it's not easy to hit them accidently. So don;t be afraid to try examples in the manuals and then strike out on your own.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Harley, when I got my Digitrax manual and read it, it made my eyes bleed! Yea, it told me how to install the DB 150, hook up the DT 400 and run a train rather DC engine or DCC engine and was not that hard. After the first part I made my self read it just to say I read it. Really had no clue to what it said.
What most of us would like is a book that breaks it down to stupid level and build from there. When I got into cars Dad would not help me under stand cars, in fact went out of his way to stop me from being a gear head. Dad has a steel plate in his head from racing. He bought me a 1963 VW bug, that should slow him down was his thinking. He was shocked when he saw what a VW can do later, I was beating up on TRI Power Goats with the Bug. All so the reason I got my parents 68 Road Runner, so I would not kill my self in the death trap Bug. Still have the Runner as well.
Then I found a book called "How to keep your VW alive" "Complete step by step procedures for a complete idiot". It was the key for me to start to understand how my bug and engines work. Fun book to read if you can find a copy.
Randy, think of it this way. If you knew nothing about cars and you wanted to time one. If I told you to hook the timing light spark plug lead to number one plug wire, loosen the bolt that hold the Distributor base, mark TDC with chalk on the harmonic balancer, hook timing light power leads to battery + and - side, start car, hold the trigger down, turn distributor till you are 10 degrees BTDC, bring RPM's up to 2000 RPM and make sure you now have 38 degrees BTDC what would you think? Remember, you never had your hood open before, much less know where number one plug is.
Far as the Digitrax PR 3, not as good as the VW book, but close.
Setting the VCR, that why I have a wife. She has to know so she can tape Dancing With The Stars!
Now I got to find a gun so I can shoot my self!
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Like all pursuits worthwhile in life there is a learning curve involved. Our hobby requires us to use multiple intelligences; abilities from problem solving and analysis to dexterity and spatial abilities. The more we use these abilities the better we become in a given area. While I do not always want to delve into the 'hard' mathematics of programming when setting up a decoder and locomotive, I have found that with practice comes familiarity.
Previous advice counsels taking things in small chuncks and 'fiddling.' For some people its all about the destination, for others its about how you get there. While there are always challenges in a 'tech' hobby, there are usually solutions relative in complexity to the problem.
Since I made the decision 1.5 years ago to purchase a NCE system I've gone from a neophyte to relatively tech savy. Along the way I've done +/- 40 sound installs and really enjoy making a steam locomotive operate and sound great. Now I go back to my earlier work and make improvements that I've learned through 'play' and talking/listening to others.
Regardless, have fun
Erik Fiske
I couldn't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder
Stevert So let's see. Taken from the home page of each group as I type this, it's 4206 in the NCE Yahoo! group and 8741 in the Digitrax group. Assuming that's a rough indicator of overall market share it would seem that Digitrax users outnumber NCE users by two to one. If that is indeed the case, or if it's even close, is it any wonder Digitrax questions outnumber NCE questions?
So let's see. Taken from the home page of each group as I type this, it's 4206 in the NCE Yahoo! group and 8741 in the Digitrax group.
Assuming that's a rough indicator of overall market share it would seem that Digitrax users outnumber NCE users by two to one. If that is indeed the case, or if it's even close, is it any wonder Digitrax questions outnumber NCE questions?
This kind of makes me wonder:
How much market share does MRC have and what their group would consist of---- with a lot of
Oh, they're not 'undocumented', they're listed in the manual. One of them even offers a couple of suggestions for various motor types, like 3 or 4 options, but it never tells you what that CV actually does, nor do any of the others tell you anything other than which variable in the BEMF equation it is. Oh and it gives the range of valid values. Thank god for ops mode programming. Start loco, start changing values until it's running the way you want.
rrinker Because there's more peopel with Digitrax? Beats me, the loco selection process on a DT400 throttle is EXACTLY the same as it is on anyone else's system... <snip another couple of Randy's observations/experiences> --Randy
Because there's more peopel with Digitrax? Beats me, the loco selection process on a DT400 throttle is EXACTLY the same as it is on anyone else's system...
I have to agree. Neither Digitrax nor NCE release their sales figures, at least not to me, so let's use the number of folks in each of the Yahoo! groups as a rough guide. Now before anyone gets their shorts in a knot, I know that's not necessarily accurate but unless anyone has better data I think it will give us a starting point.
Steve
rrinker Want an example of 'bad'? Try one of the high-end Lenz decoder manuals. They have a bunch of CVs that allow all sorts of control over the motor drive and BEMF. But do they tell you much about these settings? Nope. And it's not a translation problem - I understand enough German that I looked in the German section of the manual and there's no more verbiage about how to use those various CVs than there is in the English section. There's probably an extra 'full details' manual somewhere on their site but a quick scan didn;t turn it up. I haven't gone back and really looked to see what's there, I just started experimenting with the decoder settings and got it to run as the owner wanted so there was no need to keep looking for a manual. --Randy
Want an example of 'bad'? Try one of the high-end Lenz decoder manuals. They have a bunch of CVs that allow all sorts of control over the motor drive and BEMF. But do they tell you much about these settings? Nope. And it's not a translation problem - I understand enough German that I looked in the German section of the manual and there's no more verbiage about how to use those various CVs than there is in the English section. There's probably an extra 'full details' manual somewhere on their site but a quick scan didn;t turn it up. I haven't gone back and really looked to see what's there, I just started experimenting with the decoder settings and got it to run as the owner wanted so there was no need to keep looking for a manual.
And don't try finding them. I think it is an example of an "undocumented feature" that Lenz has a few of.
BTW, my father, who passed away a few years ago, had a LENZ DCC system about a year befor he died. It was interesting finding all these features out---
As for this puppy--my NCE Powercab beginners thing is doing fine with all manner of them---and the manual is readable. And understandable, so------
Because there's more peopel with Digitrax? Beats me, the loco selection process on a DT400 throttle is EXACTLY the same as it is on anyone else's system - press a 'loco' or 'select' button, type in the address using the numbers (or scroll the wheel ont he throttle for those that have that option), press the 'enter' key. I honestly do not understand why one would find this more difficult from oen system to the next. The hardest thing going from one to another is that the buttons aren't in the same place on the different brands.
And that otherwise nice TCS manual falls flat on its face for the new BEMF settings. That oen block where it has the CVs for settign the BEMF on or off, and assignign it to a function button, is every bit as hard to figure out as anything in any Digitrax manual. It's not like the rest of the TCS manual. And liek Digitrax decoder manuals, they don;t tell you everything, just the basics. TCS, liek Digitrax, has a seperate manual you can download that has ALL the details of ALL the settings in their decoders. Don't overlook those 'full' manuals - particularly if you have any QSI sound decoders. Of various locos with QSI decoder I've had, the Atlas ones tell you the most in the manual that comes with the loco, but even it pales compared to the HUGE 'full' QSI manual.
Stevert Silver Pilot Sounds like you've been reading a 'D' manual and suffering the consequences. . Read through some of the other manufacturers' manuals. Some are easier to read than others. With decoders for example a TCS decoder manual will walk you through exactly what value to use for CVs for lighting effects or for directional lights. Not all manuals require an advanced degree in engineering to comprehend. Okay, looks like we have the obligatory NCE troll here. How can I tell? Two ways: First, he has two posts, and one of them is bashing a DCC system he's probably never used by complaining about it's manuals which he's probably never read. The second is that only NCE users refer to Digitrax as "D". You should read Randy's post, if you haven't already. It gives some good insight into this whole manual thing, and why the simpler ones may not necessarily be "better". For the record, the manuals for my Digitrax system are buried in a file cabinet. Not because they cause me to "suffer the consequences", but simply because I rarely need to refer to them. And I don't have an advanced (or any other) engineering degree, either. Steve
Silver Pilot Sounds like you've been reading a 'D' manual and suffering the consequences. . Read through some of the other manufacturers' manuals. Some are easier to read than others. With decoders for example a TCS decoder manual will walk you through exactly what value to use for CVs for lighting effects or for directional lights. Not all manuals require an advanced degree in engineering to comprehend.
Sounds like you've been reading a 'D' manual and suffering the consequences. . Read through some of the other manufacturers' manuals. Some are easier to read than others. With decoders for example a TCS decoder manual will walk you through exactly what value to use for CVs for lighting effects or for directional lights. Not all manuals require an advanced degree in engineering to comprehend.
Okay, looks like we have the obligatory NCE troll here. How can I tell? Two ways: First, he has two posts, and one of them is bashing a DCC system he's probably never used by complaining about it's manuals which he's probably never read. The second is that only NCE users refer to Digitrax as "D".
You should read Randy's post, if you haven't already. It gives some good insight into this whole manual thing, and why the simpler ones may not necessarily be "better".
For the record, the manuals for my Digitrax system are buried in a file cabinet. Not because they cause me to "suffer the consequences", but simply because I rarely need to refer to them. And I don't have an advanced (or any other) engineering degree, either.
No troll. I've used both systems. I've also used MRC and seen Lenz demonstrated. After reading and observing this forum for a long time I decide to participate in some of the discussions. One of my observations is the number of inquiries from people for help with their Digitrax equipment (systems, decoders throttles etc.). The members here are typically able to answer their questions but it still leaves one to ponder why all the questions? The OP seemed to be expressing his frustration with difficult to read and interpret manuals. My reply merely stated that not all manuals, system or decoder, are difficult to understand. TCS decoder manuals are an excellent example of a manual that is easy to read, comprehend and is helpful in programming CVs.
I'm very much in favor of the "Quick Start Guide" approach. Included with a lot of products is the big book with diagrams and charts, often in 2 or 4 languages, but also a card or small booklet that tells you how to connect it up, turn it on and run it. That's what most people want. Once you get used to it and want to get a bit more out of the features, then you can crack open the book and start studying it. I like this approach much better than burying the important stuff a dozen or more pages in.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I think most techie things have three or maybe four of functionality. There's one level that mot people can get to without even cracking the manual, they are just intuitive (Think of the cell phone example). Then there's a level you can get to by scanning the high points of the manual, as seeing functions that you didn't know were there, but are pretty easy once you know about them. Then there are the things you pick up by actually reading the manual in a general way. Lastly there are the really specialized things that you find when you think, "I wonder if I can do that?" and you search the details of the manual for it. I appeciate manuals that let me do that. Digitrax being a pretty good example. I haven't looked at an MRC manual for their newer products, but I would say that some things I've seen in the passed have sacrificed information that could be used in order to keep it simple. It ends up making things more difficult, in my opinion. First to find out if what you want to do is possible, and then how to do it. I'd rather have more info, and choose how to use it. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I am an engineer! :)
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
I agree about some manuals {for anything} are written as though an engineer will read it.
I call any manual for any thing with over 20 pages a "NASA sized instruction manual". Because everything but the proverbial kitchen sink is in there. {I know, I know, that way they can say "it's in the manual"}.
My cell phone manual has 175 pages to it {granted it is small in size so fewer words on the pages}. Why? Its a phone!!!! I want a phone for emergency purposes, I do not want to text, access the internet,take pics {It does not have a camera in it}, let it change the oil in my van or have it clean my house for me!! {WELL- MAYBE it could clean my house for me}. Should be simple for simple humans to operate.
The more complicated an item/manual gets the less interested I can be.
Take a vehicle. I do not want it to open doors for me, I do not want to be restricted to PAYING for satellite radio or the onboard cell phones in it. I want it to get me from point A to point B safely. And I have a GPS already {far cheaper than the onboard version}.
The GPS has multiple full sized pages {about 200 and something} that are exclusively on a computer disk, so I have to use the computer to try to find what I want. {How does that help me while out on the road somewhere strange?! I do not have a wireless laptop!?}
For my trains, I want to run them easily and want to be able to easily operate them. I want simple instructions. That is what I like about the Bachmann EZ Command system. I do not care to have 150 different bell rings to choose from or have 120 horn sounds to pick from. 10 should be enough?! I do not care to have 1,685 different CV functions that will change my oil or clean my house. {again, MAYBE clean the house?!}
These days they are sticking complex electronic items in everything from stoves to washing machines, and along with that comes thoroughly complex instruction manuals that make it a requirement to have a Doctorate in Electro Metaphysic Hyper Abidextrosity to operate when simple mechanical turn knobs worked for decades,AND anyone could aproach a stove and operate it effectively without additional instructions from the In Laws while at their house!!
I don't know, maybe I'm just getting older, crabier, and more complex myself. Now where is the instruction manual on how to effectively operate ME?!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
davidmbedard Perhaps the OP is an MRC rep in disguise trying to stir the DCC system pot? Sure sounds like it.David B
Perhaps the OP is an MRC rep in disguise trying to stir the DCC system pot? Sure sounds like it.
David B
Look at some of his previous posts:
"Re: Athearn Genesis Locomotives to now come with Tsunami's"
- "at last !!!!!!!!!!!"
"Re: which DCC starter system??"
- "For up 4 locomotives at once, NCE PowerCab is enough."
"Re: Excellent NCE tech support"
- "Two years ago NCE sent to me, here Argentina, the update chip with 28 functions for my PowerCab, totally free. Excellent support."
Doesn't sound to much like an MRC rep to me.
I will say, having written / edited rather large print and 'on-line' manuals for our state tax department, that one problem you can get into in writing a manual is you like to have everything in there, so in case a question comes up on a topic the user can find the answer. However, when you're starting out with the manual, it can be easy to get caught up in the tiny details of some issue that maybe comes up one time a year - if at all.
From a users perspective, it's better to get your feet wet and get an understanding of the subject, then you can go back to the big manual and have a better understanding of what parts you're going to refer to everyday, and what parts you can basically ignore except for having a knowledge that it's there if/when you really need to refer to it.
It's kinda like years back when I was trying to learn to play golf with a friend who was/is a very good golfer. I picked up an old golfing manual at a used book store and mentioned to him that I was learning the "names" of all the clubs, using the defunct old names like "mashie" and "niblick" etc from the old book. He suggested I spend less time worrying about things like that, and put more time into trying to keep the ball at least in the general area of the fairway/green.
Remember satirical songwriter Tom Lehrer? From his "New Math..."
"It's simple, so very simple, only a child can do it."
Us old guys have to keep up with this stuff. The doctors all tell us that keeping our minds active, and constantly learning, helps push off the mental sluggishness that comes with getting older. Model Railroading teaches us a lot of things, and this is just another one of them. Look on the Brave New World of DCC as an opportunity, not a stumbling block. It's all a matter of perspective.
Every single manual I've read is based on the same set of directions. Here is/are where the wires go, this is what you do to program the lokes --here are the CV values.
I think that the mythos of the older DCC manuals may be still plaguing the field as it were. The stories are legendary, obscure phrases used, odd directions with no connection to anything.I'm surprised no one started up rumours of how Linz manuals were in such an obscure language the poor reader was thinking that s/he had to take some sort of magician's Grimoire to figure out the incantations---
I am not the sharpest pencil in the case but come on--some people must've been buggified by scare stories they've read---or heard of---
And if that be so, take the time to read them, please---I'm doing well them---and I've read a few manuals for training that were far worse---and I've survived----
This keeps comign up, every time someone says DCC manuals are hard, they assume the person is lookign at Digitrax. I'd love to see these Digitrax manuals that are so difficult and filled with technical language. I have on my screen right now the current Super Chief manual, and after the table of contents and a one page "thanks for buying Digitrax' intro, there is a VERY CLEAR picture showing exactly the wires hookign up the system. Following that there is a series of step by step instructiosn saying simply "connect a wire from here to there" Hardly even any 'dcc jargon' other than to say that "this box is called the command station". It then proceeds to tell you to plug in the DT400 throttle, and says exactly what should appear on the screen if you've follwed the directions. Next it tells you exactly which buttons to push and in which order to turn the thing on, and make a non-decoder loco run. Next, step by step how to operate a loco with a decoder.
In other words, the beginnign part of the Digitrax manual is nearly exactly the same as all the others. Hook these wires up. Put a loco on the track. Press these buttons. Your loco should move. Press this, it should reverse direction.
Now, if you skip ahead to 3/4 of the way into the manual when it tells you how to customize the throttle settings and so forth, naturally it's more complex. But you don't have to do ANY of that to just run trains. It's there so that once you get past the basics, the information is available. Far better than the MRC manual I've downlaoded. It has the basic getting started stuff, adn then..nothing. I'm SURE that system is capable of more than basic loco operation, consisting, and programming. Or at least, I HOPE it is. But where do I find that out?
Gramted, OLD Digitrax systems with the DT100 throttle were more complex, because they used pseudo-hexidecimal to access all 256 values for a CV with only 2 digits to display it in. But that also gave it more features than any other system at the time. Notice how the other brands at the time only controlled locos from 00-99? "two digit' addressing in the NMRA spec is 2 HEX digits - one byte, 8 bits - which can represent a decimal number from 00-255, not 00-99. One bit is reserved for direction, so there are 7 bits available for an address value, which is 00-127. The old Digitrax systems coudl run locos addresses 00-127, compared to 00-99 for the others. And program CVs that allowed values greater than 99. But this is all in the past, the DT300 and DT400 throttles do not use hex (you can turn it on and use it if you really want), everything is decimal. On the DT400, everythign is direct entry - only the power button has a shifted function, otherwise there is one button/one function. No shift, no mode. Yes, it makes the controlelr have WAY more buttons than some others - but the others with fewer buttons, if yu want F9,, you have to press SHIFT and some button. To program, you haev to hit SHIFT and some button. To operate a stationary decoder, you have to press SHIFT and some button to switch modes. More buttons does not mean more complicated, unless each button also performs 2 or 3 functions. It's a heck of a lot easier pushing 8 to turn F8 on and off than remembering and hitting shift-4
I have had my Digitrax Chief for over 10 years. I never did learn to program all of the decoder CVs. I did the basic stuff such as decoder address and that was about it.
I use decoder pro now. It is very easy to use, and it is free. If you have a Digitrax system, spend the money for a PR3, MS100 or USB Locobuffer, then use decoder pro.
Jim, Modeling the Kansas City Southern Lines in HO scale.
The other thing is that there is a lot in the manual that you don't need to get most types of operation. You don't need to understand it all at once. As you want to make use of more capability, things will be clearer. You can also use tools like Decoder Pro to avoid the need to actually decipher the manual in some areas, as it has already been done.
Reading a DCC manual without having the device in front of you is an especially unproductive experience. I tend to learn better when I am doing things, so as long as I have the device, or software application in front of me then the manual is of value. To just simply read the manual with no real point of reference is a bit of a waste of time IMO.
Some manuals are clearly written as simple user guides that don't offer much meat, beyond the basics. Other manuals are more of a reference document that cover every aspect of the subject. Both have their place. The latter should most certainly be avoided as lite reading material.
IMO DCC is one of those things that is far better if you just get on and do it. There is an overwhelming amount of written material on the web, in books and in manuals that will quickly swamp you if you are not careful.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
I thought you had to be qualified as an engineer in order to drive the engines! At least, that's the case on the railroads up here in Canada.
(...blink, blink...)
Not laughing, eh....okay, I use the older Super Empire Builder from Digitrax, and I haven't gone into my manual in a couple of years. Top heavy up front....why shore! Every modern piece of elecronic whatstiz I buy these days requires a mug of tea and a "don't bug me" look on my other mug for about 30 minutes until I get the germ of a picture forming in my head. Back and forth between the throttle and manual, and then I plug it all in and try....something.
A week later you laugh at yourself for all the angst.
And, yes, I can progam my VCR. I do keep that manual handy, too.
-Crandell