Advanced Consisting Lighting

[jalajoie]

wholeman

Someone please help.  I just received my first DCC system the other.  It is an NCE Power Cab system.  The decoders are TCS T4X.  They are installed in Athearn RTR engines.  I was wondering if their is a certain CV that allows only the first loco in the consist to have the foward headlight on in the forward direction and have the last loco have its light on when traveling in reverse.

Thanks in advance.

There are two ways to achieve your goals.

First use the double ended consist feature of NCE, here is how to do it:

With the Power Cab make an advance consist with both locos operating back to back. Make sure the stack contains two consists bearing the cab # of each loco. If what you want is only the leading loco with headlight On and the trailing completely dark program a value of CV22=0.

With the Power Cab to change end of the consist : First shut the light on the former leading loco, next recall the now new leading loco, put the lights On and go. (3 keystrokes)
This is done on the fly, very easy.

A second method is programming the TCS T4X for completely independent lights control.

F0 will control front light On/Off

F1 will control rear light On/Off 

Set CV34 to 4 default value is 2

Set CV35 to 16 default value is 4

Set CV49 to 40 default value is 0

Put the front light On and the rear light Off on both engines before making the consist. Make the consist in the usual manner with the Power Cab. No matter what direction the consist is traveling only the front light of the leader will be On and the trailing will always be dark.   

[jalajoie]

locoi1sa

 Will

 CV22 is consist light control. Entering a 1 will only let the headlight work. Entering a 2 will only let the rear light work. CV22 = 3 no head or tail light.

 CV21 controls the other lights if any.

    Pete

Here are the NMRA standards for CV21 and CV22.

Configuration Variable 21                Consist Address Active for F1-F8 

Defines for functions F1-F8 whether the function is controlled by the consist address. For each Bit a value of "1" indicates that the function will respond to instructions addressed to the consist address.  A value of "0" indicates that the function will only respond to instructions addressed to the locomotive address.  F1 is indicated by bit 0.  F8 by bit 7. 

 

Configuration Variable 22                Consist Address Active for FL and F9-F12

Defines for function FL whether the function is controlled by the consist address.  For each Bit a value of "1" indicates that the function will respond to instructions addressed to the consist address.  A value of "0" indicates that the function will only respond to instructions addressed to the locomotive address.  FL in the forward direction is indicated by bit 0, FL in the reverse direction is controlled by bit 1.  Bit 2 corresponds to F9, while Bit 5 corresponds to F12.

However for some obscure reasons this don't seem to work for me.

[locoi1sa]

 Will

 CV22 is consist light control. Entering a 1 will only let the headlight work. Entering a 2 will only let the rear light work. CV22 = 3 no head or tail light.

 CV21 controls the other lights if any.

  Here is a good decoder read.

 http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Technical_Info/Tech_Manuals/Plain%20English%20Guide%20r3.pdf

 

    Pete

[wholeman]

Someone please help.  I just received my first DCC system the other.  It is an NCE Power Cab system.  The decoders are TCS T4X.  They are installed in Athearn RTR engines.  I was wondering if their is a certain CV that allows only the first loco in the consist to have the foward headlight on in the forward direction and have the last loco have its light on when traveling in reverse.

Thanks in advance.