SPSOT fanI have a loop of N scale track at the moment, though it’s not permanently attached to anything. It’s connected to a DC power pack on which I run an Arnold (Hornby) NP U28C.
Cool, at least you have something you can run a train with. I'll have to check out the Hornby. I'm NOT familiar with them at all.
SPSOT fanMy experience with DCC comes from running my grandpa’s layouts when I visit him, which is a lot! I work a lot with his stuff, all DCC, when I’m there and have had to return engines to factory settings many times!
Yea, well that happens I confess, although I've mentioned on here many times, I still a few locos that are still on address 03, and a couple of them run great together for a consist, like the days of DC.
But I digress,
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi SPSOT fan Iv’e never had a decoder short-circuit, and am glad of it. Just out of being curious, do you have a lay out up and running? Use a clubs lay out? and what do use/have for locomotives that you run? Mike.
SPSOT fan Iv’e never had a decoder short-circuit, and am glad of it.
Just out of being curious, do you have a lay out up and running? Use a clubs lay out? and what do use/have for locomotives that you run?
I have a loop of N scale track at the moment, though it’s not permanently attached to anything. It’s connected to a DC power pack on which I run an Arnold (Hornby) NP U28C. I also have some HO stuff in storage in the US, but I currently live overseas so it’s not with me right now. I hope to get it out when I go to the States this summer.
My experience with DCC comes from running my grandpa’s layouts when I visit him, which is a lot! I work a lot with his stuff, all DCC, when I’m there and have had to return engines to factory settings many times!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
The DB150 is the only Digitrax command station that turns ooff track power when programming. Because, as Tom said, it only has one set of outputs, and they double as both the main track and program track. All the other Digitrax command stations have 2 sets of outputs, one foor the main track and one for the program track. They all let you program AND keep running trains at the same time, too. NCE, even with dedicated program track outputs, insists on shutting off the main track power when programming. On the face of it, the microprocessor used in the NCE command station is theoretically more powerful than the one in the old Digitrax command stations like the DCS100, so it can't be that. I've not seen train response suffer on my Zephyr if programming while running trains.
--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 Stevert, I have a small lay out, and when I'm programming a loco, it's usually the only one on the lay out. If there are any more, I can turn that section of track off.
The only programming track I have, is up in my office, along with the lap top that has the JMRI on it, and the PR4.
I know on some systems, you need to rock one side of the loco to get the wheels off the track to complete the power cycle, and my DB150 shuts down the track power, and when you restart the power, it completes the cycle.
The first time I did this, and the track power went off, I though I did something wrong. Then I figured it out.
Just wondering how the DCS210 works.
Thanks again!
mbinsewi So tell me, did the DCS210 shut down track power after the reset, and you had to turn track power back on to complete the process? That's the way my old DB150 does it, just wondering if the newer DCS210 works the same. Mike.
So tell me, did the DCS210 shut down track power after the reset, and you had to turn track power back on to complete the process?
That's the way my old DB150 does it, just wondering if the newer DCS210 works the same.
I can answer that for you:
Your DB150 is unique among current and recently-produced Digitrax command stations in that it is the only one that doesn't have separate programming outputs.
On the other hand, the DCS210, like all other current and recently-produced Digitrax command stations, has programming outputs that are separate from the track power outputs.
Randy alluded to this in his earlier reply whan he suggested that the OP temporarily move his track leads from Rail A and Rail B to PGM A and PGM B.
Because they have separate outputs, track power is unaffected by programming. You can continue to run trains while doing service-mode programming on a separate programming track.
Having said all that, for the decoders that require a power cycle, you still have to do that even when using the separate programming outputs.
SPSOT fanIv’e never had a decoder short-circuit, and am glad of it.
And insulate those speaker wires before the next installation...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
NickelPlateGrant Until the speaker touched the board and it short-circuited the decoder. Somebody queue a failure trombone sequence, lol.
Until the speaker touched the board and it short-circuited the decoder. Somebody queue a failure trombone sequence, lol.
Noooo! After all this work!
So your going to have to get a new decoder after all! All this work for nothing!
Iv’e never had a decoder short-circuit, and am glad of it. Hope you get the engine working eventually
I honestly didn't mean it to be a "punch in the gut" just wondering what it's going to take to get you to realize you don't need the "old address" for a reset.
Sorry, I didn't mean to hit so hard!
And I'm glad Ed's video did it for you!
And, Hurray, you got it!!
NickelPlateGrant Somebody queue a failure trombone sequence, lol.
Yup, been there....
Phew, geez, Mike, That's a much-expected punch in the gut. Welp, despite how much that kinda hurt, I was able to reset it, thanks to the Digitrax video that was posted by gmpullman...
I still use an older DB150, and after a reset, it shuts down track power, and you have to turn track power back on, which recycles the power and completes the reset.
I not sure how the DCS210 works for the power recycle.
I'll give it one last shot - the basic hookup in the instruction manual is NOT that complicated to follow, but hey...
Take all your other locos off your loop of track
Take the wires hooked to the Rail A and Rail B terminals on the DCS and hook them to PGM A and PGM B. Now you have a program track.
Instructions and/or the video above show you how to set an address. Just do that. it does not matter what the current address is. Setting the address makes it what you set it, regardless of what it might have been before.
Switch the wires back to Rail A and Rail B. Now run your loco on the address you set it to.
Do not overthink. Just because it SEEMS complex does not mean it actually is. Inside those black boxes it may be complex, but you don't need to know that to actually use it. Everyone on here uses a computer or some sort of smart device to post on these forums, how many actually know how a computer or smartphone actually work? DCC is no different.
Oh boy. he's just not gettin'it at all. He just don't and won't understand that the lost address of the decoder doesn't make any difference for a factory reset.
Tom you have done everything but take the loco from his hands and do it yourself!
I only hope that after he buys a new one, that he never has to reset it.
He needs to get up close with the manuals and figure out how to use his Evolution Starter Set. From the way it sounds, he still doesn't understand what that "reset" button on the DCS210 does, and insist that it should reset his decoder.
Good luck Mr. Grant!
NickelPlateGrant Eh, I guess "plainer" ain't good enough. I'll just say it's broken and buy a new one. At least it'll have a pre-set address that I'll actually know, LOL. Decoder probably got internally sandwiched by a bunch of parts anyway. Aye, thanks for the suggestions.
Eh, I guess "plainer" ain't good enough. I'll just say it's broken and buy a new one. At least it'll have a pre-set address that I'll actually know, LOL. Decoder probably got internally sandwiched by a bunch of parts anyway. Aye, thanks for the suggestions.
Okie-doke. Hope you don't have to reset that one at some point.
So, when you said the TCS Wow was "tucked away in a spare parts bin", was it still inside its protective anti-static bag? Or, rolling around freely?
Just curious...
Good Luck, Ed
Grant,
I don't know how to make it any plainer to you: You DO NOT need the original decoder address in order for you to reset your decoder to factory settings.
What little I picked up glancing at the DT500 manual is that you access programming mode by pressing the PROG button. Then you choose which mode you want program in. Change CV8 to "2", press EXIT, then cycle power. That will reset your decoder back to address 3.
[Edit: Pgs 58-59 of the DT500 manual show you how to call up and enter values into individual CVs]
If you needed to know the original decoder address to reset your decoder...you wouldn't need to reset it...
Okay, this was said before, but I need to say it again alone so it can (hopefully) get across better.I don't have the address for the engine/decoder, that's why I started this in the first place. Due to the fact that I don't have the address and the address is lost in the other 9,982 addresses, I have no control over anything on the engine, just the outside stuff. So ANY of the TCS CV programming ain't gonna work in this type of scenario that I'm obviously failing at explaining, lol. I can only control the DCS210, DT500, an unfinished program track, and that's it....Is that better or do I have to start over?
What's not possible? If you don't have the manuals, here's links, from the Digitrax web site.
DCS210 manual:
http://www.digitrax.com/media/apps/products/command-stations-boosters/dcs210/documents/Evolution_manual_rev.1.pdf
DT500 manual:
http://www.digitrax.com/media/apps/products/throttles/dt500/documents/DT500_manual_rev.1.pdf
A lot of the same information is in both manuals.
The place to find all this information is in the manual for you DCC system. You will first need to look for the section on setting up a programming track. I think there is a different place on the command station to plug it in, but it really don’t know without looking at the manual. The find the manual for you decoder and find which CV you need to program and what value you need to set it at to reset the decoder. Then figure out how to program CVs on you system, found in you manual. The do everything.
Expect this to take a lot of reading. I took me quite a while to figure it out and a lot of try’s in which it didn’t work. Just persevere! You can do it!
Probably not possible, but can someone provide a step-by-step walkthrough? Nothing's happening. Talk to me as if you're talking to someone who's just started in the hobby, because that's pretty close to who you're talkin' to, lol.
It's happened to me before, too, Mike.
Look in the manual for the DT500, it's chapter 11, starts on page 55.
As Tom says, just use your loop of track. Once when you get a lay out built, then you'll want to include a programming track.
EDIT: Sorry Tom, you beat me to it. I just seen your edit when I posted.
Your loop of track will work just fine as your programming track, Grant - even a single piece of track - as long as your Digitrax system is attached to it.
I use NCE so I don't know how to program with a Digitrax throttle. Should be in your DT500 throttle or Digitrax manual though.
[Edit: Looks like it's found on pg 56-57 of your DT500 throttle manual.]
Oh, right, that reminds me. Call me unprofessional, but I don't have this "programming track". Nor do I have a layout. Just a loop of track because I'm moving in a few weeks. Also, Tom, how does one enter programming mode?
NickelPlateGrantIt's not new
Yes, I realize it is not "new". It is "new" to the loco. Anyway, I'm not sure why you are adverse to putting the darn thing on a programming track and starting fresh.
And, FYI, just went through a similar issue with a loco at the club last night. An individual had a loco that made sound but didn't move. Since it was a steamer, it took us a couple minutes to realize that he had consisted it with another loco and had forgotten that fact. And of course he didn't remember what that consist address was, so the loco just sat there waiting for him to try the other 9,998 addresses.
As far as that reset key goes, I'm not a Digitrax person, but I've been here awhile and I've never heard of that being used to reset a decoder. Maybe it's something new.
The reset button on the DCS210 clears the command station, it does not reset any decoders.
If you don't know the address, simply put the loco on the program track and set whatever address you want. You do not need to know the old address to program a new one on the program track.
Using your Digitrax throttle: Enter programming track mode, pick CV 8, enter a value of 2, press ENTER, and cycle power. You should then be able to operate your loco on address 3. You don't need to know the previous address to do that...
NickelPlateGrantUsing Audio Assist would be pointless if I have no decoder address to edit.
It's been a while since I used audio assist, but I'm not sure you need the addy.
https://tcsdcc.com/sites/default/files/2018-05/WOWSteam%20Sound%20Manual%20v4.pdf
8888 then 4 then 3 then 2.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley