Just starting out and cannot program loco number. On program track get message "no decoder" when entering new loco number.
Engine and decoder (DH123AT) runs okay on default number 3 . Digitrax had no answer. Any good ideas?
Paxton,
What locomotive (i.e. make/model) are you trying to program?
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
try cleaning your track and wheels, and also try 'twisting' the loco between the rails to get good electrical contact to the wheels. and lastly, try using all the programming modes, physical, direct and paged, some decoders don't like certain types of programming.
edit: sorry i didn't read the post correctly, i assumed digitrax command station and another decoder, not digitrax chip and another command station. but try any of the above anyway and see if it helps, maybe take to loco to your club or a friends with DCC and see if their system can program it??
"No decoder" means that the command station isn't getting any response back from the decoder. Since it runs okay on address 3, we can assume (although no guarantee) that the decoder is good, and that the pickup and motor circuits are wired correctly.
That leaves any connection between the decoder and the command station as the most likely cause of the problem - Dirty wheels or programming track not making a good connection, wiring between the programming track and the command station, etc.
I'd start by thoroughly inspecting/cleaning/tightening those first, as locoworks suggested. Then I'd check the loco wiring on the outside chance that something is amiss in such a way that would allow it to run, but not program. Finally, I'd try the "substitution/swap" to see if I could find the problem. That is, swap out the decoder with a known good one (easy to do with the DH123's 9-pin jst plug), try it on a different programming track, etc.
Thinking about this as I type, and went back to italicize a sentence in the previous paragraph. The DH123AT is a good idea, since Athearn blue-box locos are so common. Unfortunately, those blue-box power pickup and distribution systems are not the greatest, so I'd probably check the loco wiring first and be absolutely sure the lower brush clip is insulated from the frame. I generally use a strip of black electrical tape.
HTH, Steve
Cleaned wheels and program track, wiggled everything that would move and succeeded in program the loco numbers into the three engines that I have installed decoders. Two of these are F7 Athearns that will run back to back once I get that figured out. Now onward and upward. Thanks for the help.
how about a slightly different senario? I have a GE U30C N scale with a digitrax DN163 decoder that won't accept an address. It runs on DC but not DCC. I can read the CV8 value and send a new address to the loco, but it won't remember it or respond to it after I've completed the programming. Other DCC engines run fine and reprogram correcly on the system, but not this one. Does anyone have any suggestions for this senario? thanks, Jason
NScaleJasonhow about a slightly different senario? I have a GE U30C N scale with a digitrax DN163 decoder that won't accept an address. It runs on DC but not DCC. I can read the CV8 value and send a new address to the loco, but it won't remember it or respond to it after I've completed the programming. Other DCC engines run fine and reprogram correcly on the system, but not this one. Does anyone have any suggestions for this senario? thanks, Jason
The first thing I would suspect is that you're going from a 2-digit address to a 4-digit, and you didn't program CV29 to use the 4-digit address. Tell us what value you have in CV29.
Steve
StevertNScaleJasonhow about a slightly different senario? I have a GE U30C N scale with a digitrax DN163 decoder that won't accept an address. It runs on DC but not DCC. I can read the CV8 value and send a new address to the loco, but it won't remember it or respond to it after I've completed the programming. Other DCC engines run fine and reprogram correcly on the system, but not this one. Does anyone have any suggestions for this senario? thanks, Jason Got in the middleI don't know if this is relevant or not but I was having a time with one of my locos. it would jump when programing but I could not get it to respond to a new ID number. I finally found out I was not using the correct method to take it out of a consist . everything is cool now. Good luckLee The first thing I would suspect is that you're going from a 2-digit address to a 4-digit, and you didn't program CV29 to use the 4-digit address. Tell us what value you have in CV29.Steve
NScaleJasonhow about a slightly different senario? I have a GE U30C N scale with a digitrax DN163 decoder that won't accept an address. It runs on DC but not DCC. I can read the CV8 value and send a new address to the loco, but it won't remember it or respond to it after I've completed the programming. Other DCC engines run fine and reprogram correcly on the system, but not this one. Does anyone have any suggestions for this senario? thanks, Jason Got in the middleI don't know if this is relevant or not but I was having a time with one of my locos. it would jump when programing but I could not get it to respond to a new ID number. I finally found out I was not using the correct method to take it out of a consist . everything is cool now. Good luckLee
Got in the middle
I don't know if this is relevant or not but I was having a time with one of my locos. it would jump when programing but I could not get it to respond to a new ID number. I finally found out I was not using the correct method to take it out of a consist . everything is cool now.
Good luck
Lee
Thanks Lee and Steve. I will have to read the CV29 value when I get home. It was a ebay purchase so it could have been in a consist. Thanks, Jason
Well its taken me awhile but I figured it out. I have the MRC express, good to start, bad for problems. I couldn't read any CV Values, so I just used the cab to clear any consist. That's what it was, it returned to it's default address, 0003, and now it runs on DCC. Thanks for the help.