having had limited success and more frustration than I want in a hobby in trying to program my engines cv's (so far all older P2K with QSI Quantum) I have decided to to speak with my LHS guru about adding a PR3, programming booster and DecoderPro to my new Super Chief system. I'm interested in your thoughts/practices on how to configure these components. Mainly, plug the PR3 into the LocoNet or do it as a standalone directly to my computer and programming. I presently have a programming track installed and available. Thanks all.
My PR3 with a PS14 power supply has no trouble working with Tsunami and QSI decoders in the standalone mode, no program track booster needed. Others have had better success getting a different power supply, 16-18V instead of the PS14. Do not exceed 20V which is the max for the PR3. In any case, you shouldn;t need any sort of program track booster to use the PR3 as a standalone programmer.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I also use my PR3 as a stand alone next to my primary desktop PC in my office. I also have a Locobuffer 2 connected to my Digitrax system and a surplus panel PC in the train room for use as an OPS mode programmer or with the program track on the layout. The PR3 in stand alone does not have a booster and I have never had a decoder that it could not program.
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 have my PR3 set up as a stand alone as well. Load the PR3 software into the computer, get the PR3 set up, download Decoder Pro. Once you get the hang of Decoder Pro,it's easy to program decoders. You can save the CV setting so in case you have to do a factory reset, use Decoder Pro to re programm the cv's that were there before. Joe.