Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Programming new DCC Loco Address

3010 views
5 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Chicago area
  • 335 posts
Programming new DCC Loco Address
Posted by Arto on Thursday, December 31, 2015 2:19 PM

OK. I've got the DCC thing running. Now I need to change the loco addresses on an A/B unit pair. Since these two locos will most likely alway be run together I figure it's easiest to program them with the same address for right now.

This is a Digitrax Super Chief Xtra (duplex). The locomotives are Broadway Limited E6 A&B units.

I've followed the instructions in the manual, first using Paged Mode, then Operations mode, on the mainline track. In Paged Mode it gives me a "bad" response, in Operations Mode the throttle display briefly shows "good". The beep that's supposed occur when pressing the Enter key is not heard with either mode and after pressing the Exit key and selecting the new address the loco does not respond, the locomotive still has the default address of 03 and still works with the default address.

What am I doing wrong?

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Chicago area
  • 335 posts
Posted by Arto on Thursday, December 31, 2015 3:03 PM

I seem to have it working, both trains running independently on two tracks from one dual control throttle. But quite honestly, I'm not sure exactly what I did, LMAO.

Confused

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • 1,206 posts
Posted by mfm37 on Thursday, December 31, 2015 5:04 PM

If you are programming a long address, you also need to press that Y/+ button to turn the long address on in CV29. that prompt comes right after it writes the address and only last a couple of seconds. Gotta be fast or simply press enter again and try to get the Y key on the next go round.

 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Westchester NY
  • 1,747 posts
Posted by retsignalmtr on Thursday, December 31, 2015 5:11 PM

Digitrax has four modes for programming, Paged Pg, Direct Pd,  Hexi decimal Ph and Operations mode Po. Pg, Pd and Ph are done on the programming track to change addresses. Operations mode is done on the main track usually to change CV values. Sometimes I have to use all three to program an address change on one loco.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, December 31, 2015 5:57 PM

 In Ops Mode there's no feedback, but you should be able to program both at the same time - Ops Mode programming only goes to the addressed loco, so you'd need to have the desired loco selected to program it. Also, changing the active address is usually prohibited - so if they are running on 3 and you want to make them 15 - not going to work in ops mode, at least in a simple manner. But if they are 3 and you want to make them 2355 - that will work.

Program track - it doesn't matter. You can set any address and the current address does not matter. But trying to program 2 locos at the same time on the program track is likely to cause confusion since they may not respond and ackowledge at the same time. Just set one, take it off, and set the other.

                            --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
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Thursday, December 31, 2015 10:39 PM

Remember to program them one at a time, don't try to do both at the same time.

Stix

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!