Hello everyone
I have been perusing the posts on this site for years, lots of great info, but just joined as I'm starting to work on my 'retirement' layout and am sure I'll need your expertise.
I recently restored an old Mikado, installed a Digitrax SDH166D decoder, and am either completely missing something regarding control of lights vs sound, or just need to rethink my approach. I'm fairly savvy with decoder programming, remapping, etc.
I installed front lights on F0 (white), a 'cab' light on F1 (green), and a 'work' light on the rear of the tender on F2 (violet). I'd like to control the cab light and work light independently of what the loco is doing (sometimes on/off, depending on circumstances). But F2 and F3 control bells/horns/whistles, so I can't turn on/off a light without turning on/off bells/whistles. I can't find any way to remap the sounds to different function keys (I gather that is a progamming thing well beyond most mortals).
I realize I can remap the function wires to different function keys. But white/yellow/green wires at least are restricted to F0-F3, which will always be associated with 'useful' sounds. And violet is restricted to F4-F8 (maybe F4-F6, not clear in the manual), which also tend to be used for other important sound functions that, as far as I can see, I can't move.
Is there a way to control the wires (lights) independently of sound? I'm guessing the answer is no.
That would seem to greatly restrict the number of lighting functions available that are able to operate independtly of sound. All of the function keys that control the wires/lights on a 6 function decoder (F0-F4) also control sound effects that a user might think are important to keep, and you can't remap any of the function wires (on a 6 function decoder) to function keys above F8, at best, and F1-F8 have sound effects that most users would rather not get rid of.
Or am I completely missing something?
I've searched high and low and can't find any comments on this issue.
Help!
with thanks
Doug
to the forum, because of moderation, your post is way down the list, so I am giving it a bump.
ABTrains But white/yellow/green wires at least are restricted to F0-F3, which will always be associated with 'useful' sounds. And violet is restricted to F4-F8 (maybe F4-F6, not clear in the manual), which also tend to be used for other important sound functions that, as far as I can see, I can't move. Is there a way to control the wires (lights) independently of sound?
Function remapping is a giant weak spot in my knowledge and people often suggest "remap the functions" without really saying how one goes about that. I'm also a loksound guy, but there is a lot of freedom to remap functions and would seem logical the Digitrax has some way to separate light from sound functions.
Are you using decoder pro and what DCC system are you using?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Welcome!
I use Digitrax, but still a novice, and I'm sure Randy, one of resident experts will chime in.
I might suggest looking through Digitax's Decoder Manual. It covers many things that are not in the individual decoder instructions.
https://www.digitrax.com/static/apps/cms/media/documents/documentation/Decoder_Manual_V2-01_2014.pdf
I did take a look at the support page for the SDH166D, and didn't find any issues with lighting affects vs sound.
Mike.
My You Tube
You pretty much covered it. Function remapping in most Digitrax decoders is restricted as to a certain selection of F keys are the only ones that can be assigned to a given wire. Not much you can do about that.
Other decoders are similarly limited, but give a wider range of keys per group of wires. Only one I know about that is 100% unlimited in Loksound.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
There should be a 10 pin harness on the decoder as well as the 8 pin. Use the 10 pin for your cab and tender lights.F3 is brown, F4 is yellow. Do you have a PR3 or PR4 to change the sound files? Also down load the manual for this decoder. CV113 is for F3, CV114 is for F4. A value of 0 should work for what you want. Joe
Thank you everyone for the welcome and the insights.
I'm using a Digitrax Evolution set, DCS 210.
I have read (over and over) the Digitrax decoder manual, and while it covers most of the details about options for programming, remapping etc, it doesn't say anything about how to control a function wire independently of sound. But I gather from everyone's input that controlling them separately is not in the cards for this sytem, short of remapping the function wires to the highest function key that I can, and then replacing the sound clip for that function with a silent track.
I am surprised that any decoder doesn't have the ability to control a light without turning on a horn at the same time. But I guess the technology is what it is.
Randy, I might have to look into the Loksound decoders if I find it too annoying to deal with sound every time I want to turn a light on/off. Thanks for the info. Although I guess everyone else finds a way to deal with it.
Thank you all for your feedback.
Thank you Joe. I think rewiring the cab/tender lights to higher function keys will help, as at least those higher F keys are not associated with the most common sounds, and I can likely get away without those sounds.
I do have a PR4 and have fiddled with sound projects a bit. So I think I can eliminate the sound files associated with those function keys and then control the lights without affecting sound.
Appreciate the advice.