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How do you tell the engine decoder number on used DCC equipped engines?

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 3:15 PM

Overmod

I am tempted to note that in this context, 7301 would read as 0001110010000101... Whistling 

000Super AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper AngrySuper Angry

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, December 31, 2021 2:46 PM

I am tempted to note that in this context, 7301 would read as 0001110010000101... Whistling

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Posted by CSX Robert on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:13 AM

loggingfirefighter388

I have a NCE Power Cab system...starter set. I am also trying to figure out what my Soundtraxx econami's address has been set too by the previous owner. Any suggestions? 

 

I wouldn't bother, just put it on the program track and program the address you want it to have.

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:11 AM

tstage

I believe you're right, Rich.  Did you do that in your head? Wink

Tom 

Yessir, I did. I relied on no written sources. Blindfold

Rich

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Posted by tstage on Friday, December 31, 2021 9:06 AM

I believe you're right, Rich.  Did you do that in your head? Wink

Tom

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Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:59 AM

tstage
  

Samuel,

Using your Power Cab, enter programming track mode and read the value for CV 1...

  1. Press PROG/ESC 4x then press ENTER
  2. Press "2" for CV
  3. Enter "1" in PROG CV NUM and press ENTER

That will show you your short address, which should be "003"

For figuring out your long address and using the same method above, enter the values for CVs 17 & 18 in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields at the following link and press the "<- Calc address" button for the results:

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

As a confirmation, my RS12 is addressed to "7301".  Reading CV17 gives me a value of "220" and CV 18, "133".  Entering those values in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields and pressing "<- Calc address" yields me an address of "7301".

HTH,

Tom 

Tom, am I correct that the binary equivalent would be 1110010000101?

Smile, Wink & Grin

Rich

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Posted by tstage on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:45 AM

loggingfirefighter388
I have a NCE Power Cab system...starter set. I am also trying to figure out what my Soundtraxx econami's address has been set too by the previous owner. Any suggestions?

Samuel,

Using your Power Cab, enter programming track mode and read the value for CV 1...

  1. Press PROG/ESC 4x then press ENTER
  2. Press "2" for CV
  3. Enter "1" in PROG CV NUM and press ENTER

That will show you your short address, which should be "003"

For figuring out your long address and using the same method above, enter the values for CVs 17 & 18 in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields at the following link and press the "<- Calc address" button for the results:

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm

As a confirmation, my RS12 is addressed to "7301".  Reading CV17 gives me a value of "220" and CV 18, "133".  Entering those values in the Long Address calculator/readback text fields and pressing "<- Calc address" yields me an address of "7301".

HTH,

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:17 AM

loggingfirefighter388

I have a NCE Power Cab starter system and am also trying to get what my Econami's address is set too.  The previous owner had no clue what locomotive it came out of. 

You would be better off starting a new thread with a more relevant title. This thread is 6 years old.

Rich

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Posted by loggingfirefighter388 on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:00 AM

[quote user="hon30critter"]

Hi Productionmanager:

In case nobody has said it so far, Welcome to the forum! Welcome

We can answer your question better if we know which NCE system you have. Then we can walk you through the steps needed to identify the locomotive's address if the above explanations haven't answered your question.

Dave

 

I have a NCE Power Cab starter system and am also trying to get what my Econami's address is set too.  The previous owner had no clue what locomotive it came out of.

Samuel Robinson

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Posted by loggingfirefighter388 on Friday, December 31, 2021 7:56 AM

I have a NCE Power Cab system...starter set. I am also trying to figure out what my Soundtraxx econami's address has been set too by the previous owner. Any suggestions? 

Samuel Robinson

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, February 15, 2015 6:13 PM

 Yes, The Zephyr and Zephyr Xtra will do it right onthe console, the DCS100 does it if you have a DT300, DT400, or DT402 throttle (the ancient DT100 throttles used a pseudo-hex for numbers over 100, which is probably where the "OMG you need to be a computer programmer to use Digitrax" thing got started - the DT100 was superceded by the DT300 more than 15 years ago). On the Dt400/402, you enter a program track programming mode with the program key, and if you turn the left knob the first thing it shows is AD2=?? and if you turn another click it displays AD4=????. While displaying those prompts, you can key in a new address and press CV-WR to write it, or you cna press CV-RD to read the current value. What gets displayed is the actual address that the current values of CV17 and CV18 translate into. You can also slecect CV17 and hit CV-RD and get the raw value from CV17, and select CV18 and hot CV-RD, and get the raw value for CV18 to convert it yourself, but since it has the conversion built in, there's little point. Same thing when programming, on the AD4=???? prompt, you can key in the address you want (NOT CV17 and 18 values) and hit CV-WR. Say you want to set the loco to address 1234 - you just key in or use the right knob to scroll throught he numbers until the display says AD4=1234 and then hit CV-WR. it will then prompt you to confirm enabling the 4 digit address (sets CV29 automatically) by saying AD4=on?. Just press the Yes key and CV29 is programmed to enable long addresses and your loco is now set as 1234.

                       --Randy

 


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Posted by Mark R. on Sunday, February 15, 2015 4:41 PM

rrinker

 With Digitrax systems you just select address and hit the Read button (or the Write button if you want to set a new one) and it reads either CV1 for a 2 digit address or 17 and 18 for a 4 digit and displays the actual address, not the contents of 17 and 18. Assuming you have anything but the DB150 which does not support any CV readback. Works with the DC100, and both the original DCS50 Zephyr and the DCS51 Zephyr Xtra.

 If you select CV17 and hit Read, it displays the actual value in CV17, or 18, or whatever CV you want.

 Kind of amazing that NCE can't do that.

              --Randy

 

So, there are systems that will read CVs 17 and 18 automatically and give you a read-out of the actual 4-digit address if you don't know what the 4-digit address is ?

Mark. 

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Posted by jalajoie on Sunday, February 15, 2015 2:29 PM

We don't have Internet access at the club. So I made my own Excel work sheet to convert back CV17 and CV18 to the loco long address.

Granted it is not very usefull but it was a good refresher to my binary math.

Jack W.

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, February 15, 2015 1:01 PM

 With Digitrax systems you just select address and hit the Read button (or the Write button if you want to set a new one) and it reads either CV1 for a 2 digit address or 17 and 18 for a 4 digit and displays the actual address, not the contents of 17 and 18. Assuming you have anything but the DB150 which does not support any CV readback. Works with the DC100, and both the original DCS50 Zephyr and the DCS51 Zephyr Xtra.

 If you select CV17 and hit Read, it displays the actual value in CV17, or 18, or whatever CV you want.

 Kind of amazing that NCE can't do that.

              --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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Posted by maxman on Sunday, February 15, 2015 8:47 AM

rrinker
Most DCC systems, at least Digitrax and I'm sure NCE, when you read back the address, it does the conversion for you and shows the actual address. If you just read CV17 and CV18, you get the unconverted 'raw' values.

Randy:  I'm not sure how one "reads back" the long address directly, since it is not a CV value.  I know that the ProCab system will tell you the long address if you go through the initial programming steps for addressing a loco on the program track (at least for non-sound decoders), but I don't think you can read back the address directly in the normal sense that read back is used.

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Posted by Mark R. on Saturday, February 14, 2015 10:01 PM

Thanks for that link Randy, I've been looking for a reverse calculator ! My early Lenz and EcoS system won't read back a 4-digit directly.

 

Mark.

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Posted by rrinker on Saturday, February 14, 2015 8:50 PM

 Most DCC systems, at least Digitrax and I'm sure NCE, when you read back the address, it does the conversion for you and shows the actual address. If you just read CV17 and CV18, you get the unconverted 'raw' values.

 There are calculators all over the place - http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29%20calculator.htm is one, and Digitrax has a Toolbox app for iOS (and maybe Android too) that includes CB17/18 and CV29 calculators.

                      --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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Posted by Mark R. on Saturday, February 14, 2015 8:29 PM

How do you "read back" a 4-digit address ? A 4-digit address is stored in CVs 17 and 18 and the read back numbers bear no semblance to the actual number. Do you have a reverse 4-digit calculator ? I've looked for one with no success.

Mark.

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Posted by mfm37 on Saturday, February 14, 2015 7:33 PM

I thought I commented on how easy this is to fix with any DCC system. Just program the engine to a new address.

Two weeks from now can't remember what address you programmed? Program it again.

Martin Myers

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Posted by NP2626 on Saturday, February 14, 2015 6:20 AM

Understood Maxman!  Only commenting on how easy this is with my Digitrax system.

NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"

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Posted by maxman on Thursday, February 12, 2015 11:07 AM

NP2626
Who would have thought clearing this up would take 23 posts. With my Digitrax system, it would be a matter of placing the loco on the program track and reading back the address.

Yes, for the rest of us.  However, it seems that the OP didn't have a clue as to how to do this.  Also, he said he had an NCE system but didn't specify if it was the PowerCab or the larger 5 amp PowerPro system.  With the 5 amp system it is difficult/impossible to read back sound decoder information.  And with the PowerCab there is not really a stand alone programming track without thinking about what one is doing.

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Posted by NP2626 on Thursday, February 12, 2015 10:50 AM

Who would have thought clearing this up would take 23 posts.  With my Digitrax system, it would be a matter of placing the loco on the program track and reading back the address.  Pretty simple process.

NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"

Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association:  http://www.nprha.org/

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Posted by Bob Schuknecht on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 11:54 AM

Productionmanager

 

I was at a local club open house and at their flea market they had a used Proto 2000 GP7 II factory equipped with DCC and sound. The price is fair and it is a road name that I want. They got it from a member estate.

 

Did you ask any of the club members if they knew what the engine was programed to?

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Posted by maxman on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 10:26 AM

hobo9941
Ummm, I have more than 50 locos with 2 digit addresses. Just keeping it simple.

To each, their own.   But I don't know that this is exactly simple.  Unless the locos only have a one or two digit cab number, how does one remember what the address is?  Is it the last two numbers of a four digit address?  The first two numbers?  First and last number?  Is there a list one has to consult?

Just asking.

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Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:50 AM

hobo9941
 
Some very early decoders could only do two-digit ID numbers, so it might just be the last two digits...but that's not all that likely.

 

Ummm, I have more than 50 locos with 2 digit addresses. Just keeping it simple.

Nothing wrong with keeping it simple!! I was just pointing out many very early decoder could only do 'short' number IDs (1-127). By the time I started in DCC about 10 years ago, all new decoders could go from 1 to 9999.
Stix
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Posted by hobo9941 on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 7:10 PM

Some very early decoders could only do two-digit ID numbers, so it might just be the last two digits...but that's not all that likely.

Ummm, I have more than 50 locos with 2 digit addresses. Just keeping it simple.

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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 4:40 PM

 Definitely not an issue with a P2K with factory sound. If it's still Life Like packaging, it's a QSI decdoer, if Walters, it could be a Tsunami.

                   --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 12:23 PM

As noted, you can just program the ID no. to the cab no. or whatever you want. Odds are if the previous owner was using the engine, the engine no. is the ID no.

Some very early decoders could only do two-digit ID numbers, so it might just be the last two digits...but that's not all that likely.

Stix
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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 7:26 AM

mfm37

Simplest thing to do if you don't know the address is just program it to the address you wish. No real mreason to know what the wrong address is. Just give it one you like and play trains.

Martin Myers

 

 This is the best answer so far. Too many seem to be concerned with what settings a decoder already has. Just set it how YOU want it, and you'll be off and running.

               --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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