robert sylvesterNow the two F units I just received from Tony's don't run on DC for some reason, engine sound yes but the engines won't move eventhough they both have dual decoders, but on the DCC system they work great, so I am not sure why that happened, but just so they operate on DCC I am satisfied.
Robert,
CV29 has probably been programmed with the Analog turned off - i.e. DCC only vs DC anabled. If you are going to be operating primarily with DCC, it's better to turn the analog off.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Good to hear! Hopefully over time you decide to use your new DCC system to it's fullest capacity!
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
I'm sorry, the engine did move with DC and it had engine sounds. With the Tsunami 2 decoder I wanted to get the other sounds as well. Once I found the right address and put in the Prodogy System it works fine now and I get all of the other sounds, even cab chatter, which I admit is cool. The engine is now running good.
Now the two F units I just received from Tony's don't run on DC for some reason, engine sound yes but the engines won't move eventhough they both have dual decoders, but on the DCC system they work great, so I am not sure why that happened, but just so they operate on DCC I am satisfied.
I have to say all of my new Bachman's work great, run smooth and sound good. The Proto 2000's from Walthers work really well, very realistic, they are QSI sound decoders. I do have a Broadway Limited Steam engine, and on DCC it is wonderful. Multiple sounds and very smooth. All in all very satisfied with DCC.
Robert Sylvester
Newberry-Colimbia Line, SC
Yes, CV29 is why it woudl nto run on DC, CV29 was set to disable DC. Some do this as a matter of course if all they run is DCC, since it can thoeretically prevent runaways where the decoder doesn;t see the DCC signal initially and so thinks it is on DC track and then sees full power and takes off. If you run both, or need to use the loco on a DC layout as well as DCC, you need to keep CV29 set so DC is enabled.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
But why didn't it move with DC? CV 29?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Years ago Tom Hanks traveled to SC to make a movie, "Forest Gump", it was quite successful. In fact he, (Hanks), didn't take a pay check. He decided to take a percentage of the box office instead; that netted him 62 million dollars, and I am sure he is still counting.
In the film there was a famous line, "Stupid is as Stupid does"; and after all of these suggestions about my engine that wouldn't run, I went through my records yesterday and found the original bill of sale for the installment of the DCC unit and found that the address was different than I thought. So, I went to my new Prodogy DCC system and changed the address in the engine that would not run and guess what ....it ran, low and behold, it ran. It was like a miracle. Here I was for the last month trying to get that engine to run on the wrong address. Just changing the address and now the engine runs like Rolex watch, go figure.
So, if something ain't working go back to the instructions, you might find the answer. Thanks for all of your help.
Newberry-Columbia, SC
Robert - Just make sure that, when you are switching between DC power and DCC power, that the two never cross paths with each other.
When this does happen, even inadvertently, it never ends well.
If you must toggle back and forth between the two, turn one off before switching, then after switching turn the now used power on.
And if you have a programming track connected to the layout, make sure it is entirely isolated from regular track power. (My old layout had a interchange track that doubled as a programming track. I had a double gap insulated section beyond where locomotives normally travelled, with a "dead" section of 8”, before another double gapped insulated joint on the programming track section, and included a on/off switch, normally off unless in use, for the programming section. This ensured nothing could accidentally bridge the gap to join the programming track to regular track power.)
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Hey Michael:
Thank you so much for the advice.
Stixs-thanks. I just bought what I need to make a nice station for both my DC and DCC. I also bought the switches to switch back and forth fro DC to DCC, that will help a lot.
robert sylvester I decided to order the Prodogy DCC. When I recieved it it will tell me how too change the CV 29 to turn off DC corect. Robert Sylvester
I decided to order the Prodogy DCC. When I recieved it it will tell me how too change the CV 29 to turn off DC corect.
robert sylvesterI decided to order the Prodogy DCC. When I recieved it it will tell me how too change the CV 29 to turn off DC corect.
Good move, Robert!
You're about to embark on a whole new phase of model railroading! It's more fun when you can individually control your locos rather than controlling your power system. And sound adds a whole new dimension, as well.
I've been dealing with Tony's Train Exchange now for over 20 years, very satisfactorily. They offer great customer support, and will be happy to resolve any questions or concerns that might arise.
Go on Soundtraxx' web site and download a copy of their Tsunami Tech Manual. It's a very valuable reference, especially when you're just getting started. There are like 248 control variables; some work identically across the range of manufacturers, others not so much. But the Tsunami Tech Manual gives the best guidance to most of the CVs.
As someone else explained, CV 29 is one of the important ones. The Tsunami Tech Manual goes into great detail how to set this CV to control a variety of aspects of the decoder and loco performance. Don't be intimidated by the seemingly endless possibilities. It's pretty easy to reset things and start anew.
Go to JMRI on the internet. < JMRI.sourceforge.net > Read the JMRI wiki, and download and install JMRI -- Decoder Pro and Panel Pro. JMRI is freeware, and extremely useful and powerful. Get yourself a SPROG, Loco Buffer or similar interface device, so you can connect your computer to your DCC system and thereby program your loco decoders. You can use Decoder Pro to read all of the existing settings on each individual loco's decoder, and store them into a roster. This makes it so much easier to keep track of your settings. Decoder Pro also makes it easy to replicate identical settings on a number of differnt locomotives, if you want to operate them as a consist, for example.
There's also a related program suite -- XTrackCAD, a pretty versitle CAD model railroad layout design program, that interfaces with JMRI.
And best of all, you need to find a model railroading buddy (or club) in your neighborhood, who is already involved in DCC. Some guy who knows how is often a much better source of info than any "how-to" book written.
Again, Good Luck with your DCC adventures, Robert.
Best regards, Michael
Well, sorta. The manual for your MRC Prodigy should tell you how to access the various programming modes using your throttlle. You'll need to access CV29 in order to enable or disable "analog (DC) operation".
FYI: CV29 is an accumulative CV. What that means is that you enter a value into CV29 that is a "sum total" of a set of features. Here are the features available/accessible in CV29:
These should be listed in your Tsunami manual and it will tell what the default value is for each feature, as well as what value should be included in the "sum total" value for CV29 to activate the features you want (or don't want). Confused yet?
Below I've listed the features again; this time showing the default value and the active value for each feature: [default],active
As an example, TCS decoders come with a value of "6" for CV29. From the TCS decoder manual it shows me that "6" is the sum total of the two "active" default features:
If I want to deactivate DC operation (so that my locomotive only operates on DCC), I would remove 4 from the sum total and end up with a value of "2" for CV29. If I had a NYC RS-3 road switcher that ran short nose forward and I wanted it to run long nose forward, I would add "1" to the sum total and end up with a value of "3" for CV29.
My NYC RS-3 also has a 4-digit address. In order to use it I need the "Make the decoder address 128 or higher" feature to be activated. I would then add "32" to the sum total and my value for CV29 now becomes "35". Is that starting to make sense?
Unless you want to change something specific that wasn't set up during your initial addressing of the decoder, you generally don't need to access CV29. However, it's still handy to know how it works in the event that the default settings for a given decoder are different than what you want for your locomotive.
[Edit: Henry's CV29 calcuator link above is a handy tool and should help to illustrate how each of the individual feature values affect the total sum value of CV29. However, it's not absolutely necessary IF your decoder manual lists out the individual default and active features values of the decoder for you. It's just simple math. And after doing it a few times, you can even tell which features are on or off from just the value of CV29.]
robert sylvesterWhen I recieved it it will tell me how too change the CV 29 to turn off DC corect.
I didn't know the Prodigy speaks. However I'm sure it's in the manual.
What you need to know about CV 29 is it controls several things. The Digitrax calculator makes it easy. Just go there and play with the choices to see how CV 29 changes.
BigDaddy robert sylvester Tony's Exchange did the work I am waiting for a response. That's the same as Tony's Trains. Didn't know Exchange was in their name. They are reputable folks. If you really like sound, you ought to just go DCC
robert sylvester Tony's Exchange did the work I am waiting for a response.
That's the same as Tony's Trains. Didn't know Exchange was in their name. They are reputable folks. If you really like sound, you ought to just go DCC
They actually originally went by Tony's Train Exchange, and used TTX. The Trailer Train prototype people complained so they had to change it. Yeah, people are gonna mix up a prototype full size rail car with a tiny model of one...
It absolutely is incorrect, thanks for pointing it out.
BigDaddyThere is a DCC CV that turns off DCC.
That is incorrect. It is CV 29, but it "turns off" DC.
robert sylvesterTony's Exchange did the work I am waiting for a response.
Thanks, I may just make the investment. That would make difference having CV 29 to correct the problem, plus you get more out of the decoder with DCC.
Newberry-Columbia Line, SC
BigDaddy --- There is a DCC CV that turns off DCC. ---
---
There is a DCC CV that turns off DCC.
Out of package SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 decoder default is to run only using DCC. It will not run on DC until CV 29 is changed to use either DCC or DC
DCC can never be turned off.
RR Baron
Thanks to both of you, I could try the LHS in Columbia, Tony's Exchange did the work I am waiting for a response. They do have the Bachman and MRC Prodigy DCC's on sale, I may just bite the bullet and get into DCC. I have 10 engines now with decoders. The first Tsunami was put in an E-Unit and it did fine. The power pack is an MRC-Master 20, it is a big unit not one of these little power packs.
The other engines came with dual decoders and can run on both DCC and DC without any problems. My layout is 12' by 10', not that big, but DCC certainly enhance the operation.
robert sylvesterI just received two more engines that I had new Stewart power units installed with the Tsunami 2 decoders.
Did you buy them, on Ebay for instance, with the decoders installed or did someone install them for you?
There is a DCC CV that turns off DCC. turns off DC
Surely there must be another model railroader here close to Columbia SC that runs DCC that can help you out.
My first thought was what kind of DC power pack, but you said others do run, so that’s not the likely issue. Tsunamis' really dislike PWM style DC packs, but you said you have other Tsunamis' that run, so this is unlikely the cause. (But, for others with the same issue....)
My next thought was, are they programmed to run DCC only? Without a DCC programmer, you have zero way of knowing.
Is there a shop or club nearby you can take it to and have them check if the DCC only option is programmed in?
Other than these two, I’m not sure what other issues there could be...
I have some Tsunami 2 decoders in my engines and they work well, good sound and the engines roll. My other engines with decoders are from Bachman, Broadway Limited, Walthers, they all work fine on my DC layout as well.
I just received two more engines that I had new Stewart power units installed with the Tsunami 2 decoders. Put them on my DC layout, sound came but at full throttle engines won't move, forwards or in reverse. I DO NOT have DCC. Do I need to send them back or unhook a wire under the shell, I can't re-program the units. I read where on guy had the same problem, he would have to turn the throttle up full then back down several times for something to kick in then the engines moved.
Any thoughts.