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Digatrax, DH165K1A and consisting

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  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
  • 252 posts
Posted by CNR378 on Saturday, May 7, 2011 8:04 PM

For the Tsunami, switch the box labeled 'Speed Table Selection' to 'User Defined Speed Table'. Read the sheet then follow the procedure I outlined in my previous post.

Tsunamis don't support CV5 and 6 so this is the best way I my opinion.

Peter

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, May 7, 2011 7:59 PM

 You usually can;t speed up a faster one. And the Tsunami doesn;t have CV6 for MID anyway (BOOOO! - and I don;t want to hear about how is has speed tables, JMRI or no JMRI, speed tables are more complicated and should not be required to do this sort of thing). What you can do is adjust CV6 on the DIgitrax decoder to slow down the mid speed of that loco to more closely match the Tsunami.

 I was able to match a pair of Athearn locos, one was a new/old Blue Box type with a DH123 decoder (no BEMF) and the other was a Genesis that had a QSI Revolution sound decoder - the best match was with the QSI using RTC and adjusting the DH123 to match. So BEMF on the Digitrax decoder is probably not hurting things.

My pair of FTs, one has a TCS T1 and the other has a Tsunami, they ran fairly well right out of the box - so I just connected the drawbar and called it a day.

                          --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Posted by yankee flyer on Saturday, May 7, 2011 6:03 PM

Hi guys
Randy
Peter

If you are curious.
Loco #3000 is a Bachmann split frame with DH165K1A Diditrax motor only decoder.
Loco #3015 is an Athearn with Tsunami TSU AT1000 with sound.

They run the same speed at step 1 and at step 28. The #3000 is faster in mid range. I'm trying to raise the speed of the #3015 Tsunami in mid range. Log curve #1 in speed chart is too much increase too fast. Thats why I was thinking about going back to basic motor control.
I'm using JMRI 2.6.1 with my Mac lap top.

Its spring and the Honey DO jobs are cutting into fun time. I have to steal a little train time.  Whistling
Thanks  

Lee

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, May 7, 2011 10:30 AM

 In JMRI the setting I talked about appears on the Digitrax tab, it's the first item int he version I have loaded on this computer, and carries the title "Advanced consist droop compensation for speed stabilization". On the motor tab you will find "solo operation droop compensation for speed stabilization". On a freshly reset decoder, the first one will be 0 and the second one 6.

 If things are WAY off - Digitrax decoders support a switchign speed option that defaults to being controlled by F6. It cuts top speed in half and reduces momentum effects by half when turned on. So if one loco is WAY slower than another despite what seem to be crazy numbers in CV2, 5, and 6 - make sure it's not in 'switching mode'.

 In general with speed matching - they don;t have to be exactly perfect in lock step for every speed step. Close is good enough - it worked for ages in DC control, and works fine for DCC. Sometimes the difference in speed switches back and forth, ie, you have the locos start together, at mid throttle one pulls away, but at higher speeds the slower one catches back up.

                      --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
  • 252 posts
Posted by CNR378 on Friday, May 6, 2011 5:59 PM

Lee,

Using JMRI to adjust the speed tables, look at the little check boxes under each step.

Since you are speed matched at the top and bottom, check those 2 boxes (steps 1 and 28). Now what I would do is check the box under step 14. Now move that slider and see how the non checked steps move with it. Adjust step 14 until your closely matched (you don't have to be pefect).

You could also do it using more steps then just 14.

If your version of JMRI doesn't have these boxes you need to upgrade.

Peter

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Posted by yankee flyer on Friday, May 6, 2011 4:13 PM

Randy

Your suggestion worked. I'm using decoder pro and they are both on a straight line speed curve. Both run at step one quite well and at top speed also, but I still have the middle to match up.  I have always had trouble speed matching two different manufactured decoders. I might go to basic speed control on one loco.

Anyway thanks for the help.   Bow

Lee

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, May 6, 2011 6:29 AM

 NCE consists use CV19. Default settings in DIgitrax decoders turn off BEMF when in consist. CV 57 constrols the overall function of BEMF, the default is 6, which is a medium levelw hen runnign alone and no BEMF in CV19 consist. Change it to 102 if it currently is 6.

 It's a split CV, half controls the consist BEMF and half controls the standalone BEMF, so you can set differing amounts of BEMF (sometimes decoders can 'fight' in consist so you might want to use less BEMF in consist). This is another one of those cases where hex makes more sense. 102 seems like an arbitrary number, but it is 66 hex - 6 for the elvel of BEMF in consist (first digit) and 6 for the level of BEMF standalone (second digit). So to chose other than the default value, just select the two levels and write it down as a single number (selection is basically a trial and error process. Higher is stronger BEMF, lower is less BEMF, Too much and the loco jerks between speed steps, not enough and it might just sit there til the throttle is cranked up). Take resulting number and convert to decimal, this is the value for CV57. SO using the default of 6 for both conist and standalone: 66 hex = 102 decimal. Use the Windows calculator in programmer mode, it can convert for you.

                       --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Digatrax, DH165K1A and consisting
Posted by yankee flyer on Thursday, May 5, 2011 5:33 PM

hi guys I have my two new locos up and running great, I now have a problem when putting the DH165 equipped loco in the consist. IT WON"T RUN! Everything is cool until until the consist. I've loaded and reloaded numerous times still no movement. Anyone have any ideas.
I run a NCE power Cab and never had this problem before.     Bang Head

Any help will be appreciated.

Lee

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