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Need help with functions on new NCE decoder

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 5:22 PM

 By that definition, so does the old Digitrax Super Empire Builder (DB150). In fact, the NCE Auto-Switch can be used with it to make the switch automatic.

                                --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
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  • From: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 11:30 AM

Lest a newbie gets the wrong idea, the Power Cab does have programming track capability.  It requires a dedicated programming track and either a manual switch or add-on automatic switch, to protect locos on the mainline.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 10:09 AM

Whenever I have issues with motion or lack of motion on a locomotive, I immediately read out the values of CV19 and CV29.  There are other instances as well when I want to know relevant CV values. I cannot imagine a DCC system without CV readout capabilities.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 7:08 AM

 My lesser Zephyr and the higher level Super Chief both have deadicated program tracks with readback. Once beyond the systems from the early days where the DB150 was the command station, they really should have stopped selling a DB150 based system as a complete set, it's missing that vital function. All the current systems now have readback program tracks. The Zephyr even beats the PowerCab in that respect.

                                     --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
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 5:23 AM

rrinker

 Can;t read CVs on his system. 

That's the beauty of a higher level system like my NCE PH-Pro with its dedicated Programming Track. If it doubt, place the loco on the Programming Track and read back the values of the relevant CVs.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 5:16 PM

Excellent, you did good. Congrats, and thanks for the follow up.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by irishRR on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 10:05 AM

Ok, I figured it out. Here's what I did. Just to make sure I wasn't going crazy, I put in the original factory DC decoder. Loco works... good, motor is not fried. I then took that out and cleaned all contact points on the DCC decoder (both to the frame and the motor pick ups). After that I applied small amounts of solder to the frame and motor pick up contact points to assure electrical contact and conduction. Then I applied kapton tape to both sides of the frame to prevent and shorts from accidental contact to the motor pick ups. I re assembled the chassis and now everything is running. So somewhere in there I solved the problem... i just figured i would cover all my bases. I reassigned the CV values for the classification lights and now they work also.

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 7:00 AM

 Can;t read CVs on his system. If the lights work and actually respond, the issue is that there is no power to the motor, but the decooder is receiving track power just fine. I suspect a contact issue between the motor tabs and the decoder, or a short at the same place. Most N scale locos with the fold over motor tabs require a piece of kapton tape under the motor tabs to keep them from shorting on the track pickups, but I'm not familiar with this loco. 

                                  --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
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 4:58 AM

irishRR

I have directional lighting, but no movement in the loco... 

A couple of questions.

When you say that you have "directional" lighting, are you able to activate the rear light on the loco when you call for reverse direction of the loco?

Can you toggle the front headlight on and off with the throttle?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 4:46 AM

irishRR

I am operating on a Digitrax empire builder system. The loco is on an isolated programming track. I have added a small amount of solder to the contact points to assure a tight fit into the frame, but still experiencing the same problem.... I have directional lighting, but no movement in the loco... 

Are there any programming CV's to get this thing moving...? 

I have an NCE command station, so I am not that familiar with the Digitrax Empire Builder. But, as I read the manual, you can set up an isolated programming track which you have done.

Have you tried to run the loco on the short address?

Does the isolated programming track permit you to read back the long address?

It seems to me that the loco is not responding to an address, and if this is the case, you need to determine what address, short or long, is programmed into the decoder.

Following a reset to factory default, the default address is a short address of 3 in that specific decoder. Have you tried to run the loco as short address 3?

CV29 is a multi-function CV that includes a function for selecting or deselecting the long address. Can you read the value of CV29? The factory default value of CV29 is 6 which means that the decoder is set up for 28/128 speed steps, DC operation (in additon to DCC), and forward direction.

However, you would need to increase the value of CV29 by 32 to allow the use of a long address (i.e., CV29=38). A "typical" value for CV29 would be 34 (28/128 speed steps, no DC operation, forward direction, and the ability to reference a long address.

My sense is that you are not referencing the address currently resident in the decoder. It would help greatly if you could read the long address on the programming track as well as the value of CV29.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 182 posts
Posted by irishRR on Monday, August 13, 2018 9:54 PM

I am operating on a Digitrax empire builder system. The loco is on an isolated programming track. I have added a small amount of solder to the contact points to assure a tight fit into the frame, but still experiencing the same problem.... I have directional lighting, but no movement in the loco... 

Are there any programming CV's to get this thing moving...?

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Monday, August 13, 2018 8:01 PM

irishRR

I just installed a NCE drop in decoder #05240159 for my Atlas N scale H15-44. The directional lighting functions are working, however, I cannot get the locomotive to move or to get the marker lights to operate. The decoder responds to address programming, but still will not move. I have done a factory reset on the decoder, returning it to the original settings, but still no loco movement. 

Once you do a factory reset, the default address is the short address of 3. Try running the loco with its short address. Does that work?

How are you programming the decoder and what DCC system are you using? Are you using the Programming Track or Programming on the Main?

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, August 13, 2018 7:50 PM

I'm not an n-scale guy, but his thread seems similar, even though it's a digitrax decoder

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/271397.aspx

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 182 posts
Need help with functions on new NCE decoder
Posted by irishRR on Monday, August 13, 2018 7:21 PM

I just installed a NCE drop in decoder #05240159 for my Atlas N scale H15-44. The directional lighting functions are working, however, I cannot get the locomotive to move or to get the marker lights to operate. The decoder responds to address programming, but still will not move. I have done a factory reset on the decoder, returning it to the original settings, but still no loco movement. This is my first NCE decoder, and I was wondering what the problem may be... any advice here would be appreciated. Thank you.

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