I have an NCE system. I'm primarially running BLI locomotives. Each time I select the locos they are reverted back to 28 And I need to select 128 on the controller.
Is there a way to set a loco so that it is always set to 128 speed steps?
Gary
It's not the loco, it's the system. The decoder config for 28 and 128 speed steps is exactly the same, the difference is what the command station sends. Check the NCE manual for making 128 the default.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks Randy
Randy,
So the setting in CV29 doesn't take precedence over that???
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I guess not, I have that set. I think it allows it but apparently doesn't set it. I have to check the NCE manual.
So the NCE manual says;
SPEED STEPS - 28 OR 14 If the decoder in this locomotive is an early 14 step decoder then press 1. (all decoders
made since 1997 support 28 speeds). NOTE: If you are wondering how to set the decoder for 128 speed operation, you do not have to program anything. 128 speed mode is always enabled in decoders that support 128 speed step operation.
The only way I get to 128 is to select a loco and then select it on the controller.
CV 28 selects between 14 steps and 28/128. The difference between 28 and 128 is in the command station. If you are already setting locos to 28 steps in CV29, you just have to push the 28/128 button on the NCE throttle to switch to 128 steps, no reprogramming of the decoder. Surely there is a configuration setting to make 128 the default. Digitrax defaults to 128 but you can chanbge the default to 28 or 14 if you really wanted to (why anyone would use 14 these days, unless running an ancient decoder, is beyond me).
After a quick read through of the latest PowerPro manual fromt he NCE site - amazingly it seems there is no option to set 128 steps as the default - you have to hit the 28/128 button every time. That's a huge oversight - hope they fix it in the next firmware. As seen in pretty much every review of a DCC loco, using 128 steps results in much slower minimum speed without any other changes to the decoder.
Thanks, Gary. I always set me decoders to 128 speed steps when I intially program it. And, IIRC, I only have to press the 28/128 button on the Power Cab once and it remembers it from then on.
As mentioned above, Randy, once I program CV29 for 128 speed steps, I only have to press the 28/128 button once and not each time I operate the locomotive after I turn the Power Cab on.
I've got an NCE Power Pro.
It always goes to 128 steps all by itself. I don't have to push any buttons ever.
If I did anything to make that happen, it happened when I first set it up--years ago.
Ed
tstage Thanks, Gary. I always set me decoders to 128 speed steps when I intially program it. And, IIRC, I only have to press the 28/128 button on the Power Cab once and it remembers it from then on. Tom
Mike
I plan on calling them today.
I have the ProCab 5 amp NCE system. I just did a little experiment. I put 2 locos on the track and set them both to run at 128. Then I shut the system down and restarted. Both were still at 128.
Then I set them both at 28 steps and shut down the system and restarted. Both the locos were still at 28.
Then I set one loco at 28 and one at 128, shut down and restarted. The loco at 28 remained at 28, and the other remained at 128.
So far as I can tell either the command station remembers how it last set a particular loco, or the decoder remembers how it was last set.
It's the command station or cab. The decoder has no clue on 28 vs 128. It takes whatever packets get sent, either 28 or 128. It DOES have to be programmed to take 14 step packets.
well it seems that everyone went to the train show. I called NCE TS about 6 times between 9a and 11a and they keep saying call back M-F btw 9a and 4p.
Mine doesn't hold the 128. I shut the power supply when I'm done. Before that I (exp-1) the controller so it is shut off. I guess I'll wait to see what they say.
There is a battery in the command station to retain settings when the power is off - perhaps yours is dead.
What happens if you say select loco 1, switch to 128 steps. Then park it, select loco 2, run it, then go back to loco 1 - is it still in 128 or do you have to switch to 128 again? Basically, do they go back to 28 steps only when you shut off the system, or every time you select a different loco?
gdelmoro Before that I (exp-1) the controller so it is shut off.
So this is a radio ProCab?
Yes
This is the digitrax decoder manual. Scroll down to page 34 and you will find a chart that list all the settings for CV29. These settings should work on any decoder.
CV29 does select what speed steps to use.
SouthPennCV29 does select what speed steps to use.
Not really. The choices are 14 or 28/128. There is nothing about 28 or 128.
I keep trying to say that... There is no CV that controls 29 vs 128, it's all dependent on what the command station sends. All the oother NCE people are saying once they set a given loco address to 128 mode, it stays that way forever. For some reason, this setting is not sticking for Gary's. Now I'm wondering if it is stored in the command station or in the cab with NCE. If it's int he command station, gary may have a dead backup battery so the settings are loost every time he powers off. If it's in the cab - no idea, since a non-radio cab wouldn't have batteries and would turn off when the power is shut down, which should be no different than using the power off option on the radio cabs. That's why I also suggested the test of setting a loco to 128, verifying it was using 128 steps, then selecting a different locoo, leaving it at 28 steps, then going back to the first loco. If nothing was powered off, that first loco should still be using 128 steps. If it's not - there's something definitely goofed up somewhere. If that test works as expected, but then the 128 step setting is lost after the system is shut down - I suspect the battery.
The command station has a back-up battery that needs replacement periodically. NCE suggests an average life span of 5 years, but that can vary depending on usage. Here's a link to their page describing replacement. Would be worth the couple bucks to try it.
https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/204516659-Replacing-the-backup-battery-in-PH-Pro-CS02
How about a reset of the cab and command station?
https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201251979-Reset-Power-Cab-to-factory-defaults
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
rrinker I keep trying to say that... There is no CV that controls 29 vs 128, it's all dependent on what the command station sends. All the oother NCE people are saying once they set a given loco address to 128 mode, it stays that way forever. For some reason, this setting is not sticking for Gary's. Now I'm wondering if it is stored in the command station or in the cab with NCE. If it's int he command station, gary may have a dead backup battery so the settings are loost every time he powers off. If it's in the cab - no idea, since a non-radio cab wouldn't have batteries and would turn off when the power is shut down, which should be no different than using the power off option on the radio cabs. That's why I also suggested the test of setting a loco to 128, verifying it was using 128 steps, then selecting a different locoo, leaving it at 28 steps, then going back to the first loco. If nothing was powered off, that first loco should still be using 128 steps. If it's not - there's something definitely goofed up somewhere. If that test works as expected, but then the 128 step setting is lost after the system is shut down - I suspect the battery. --Randy
My system is NEW (November 2016). Could the battery be bad?
According to the NCE manual there is no setting you have to select 128 on the control. I just talked to Nick at NCE he first said what Randy said the battery or the memory in the command station. Then he said it may be that the loco decoder is too old and doesn't accept 128. When I told him that it was a new 2017 BLI loco he said "Well that doesn't suprise me, BLI is notorious for loosing memory settings." He suggested i try to reset the Control station and if that didn't work it could be a mamory problem in the control station or it's the BLI. When I askede if there was anything could do with the BLI locos (I have 6) he said "Yea, don't buy any more BLI".
I'll try it with my Bachmann that I just installed an NCE decoder in and see what happens.
Geez, I certainly wouldn't think the battery if it's only 6 months old. I've had issues with my 4 BLI locomotives not retaining momentum settings. I'm sure others have examples too. Let us know what happens with the NCE decoder.
gdelmoroCould the battery be bad?
It's not a high probability scenario, but it is not a zero probability event either.
I have never used a battery in my system (Digitrax), but could it be the case that one forgets to power off something, even for a few days, and drains the battery?
rrinker Now I'm wondering if it is stored in the command station or in the cab with NCE.
I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure the info is not stored in the cab. When we have our club open houses we have to pass trains along from one operator to another. When I get a train I routinely change the loco's 128 setting to 28 as I pass it along to the next guy.
selector I have never used a battery in my system (Digitrax), but could it be the case that one forgets to power off something, even for a few days, and drains the battery?
With NCE the purpose of the battery is to retain info stored in the cab (i.e. consist addresses) when the power is off, so I would suspect that battery drain is minimal when the power is on.
I never leave it on. When I'm done I shut the system power off.