Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

DCC program

1442 views
17 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 4:10 PM

 Yes, you can set anything with your handheld that you could with the computer. In fact, using the computer and JMRI, it basically just acts as another controller, dut driven by the computer instead of you pressing buttons. What that gains you is a way to present the settings in more understandable terms, and also it saves the settings used for each loco. It makes things easier, but it doesn't get you access to any sort of settings that you can't access using your handheld.

                                    --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
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Posted by yankee flyer on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 3:06 PM

Hey

I think I'll go through  all my junk and see what I can come up with.

My take away from all this is that I should be able to change settings without a laptop.

You Guys are great, Thanks

Lee

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 9:21 AM

 Pretty much every DCC manufacturer has all the manuals and isntruction sheets on their web site. Some are just better organized than others.

 If you've lost the PowerCab manual, you can get it on the NCE web site, along with manuals for any of their decoders, or any other system components you may have besides the basic PowerCab system. 

                                --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
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 8:14 AM

I think if you just start out with the manual for your Power Cab, you'll see how you can change programing.  Maybe you still have the manual that came with your system?

As far as the instructions for individual decoders, doesn't NCE have that info on their web site?  I'm not famililar with NCE, I use Digitrax, and you can look at the instructions for any of their decoders, even those out of production, on their web site.

Mike.

sol
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • 34 posts
Posted by sol on Monday, February 24, 2020 5:15 PM

Normally when you buy a loco with a decoder or the decoder separately, they come with a one/two page sheet explaining what CVs can be changed using the basic controller.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, February 24, 2020 5:06 PM

Depends what you want to do.  There are NMRA standards for starting voltage, loco number, DC operation, rule 17.  If you need a Louis Armstrong 5 horn, or fiddle with BEMF then it's specific to the decoder manufacturer.

All the manuals are online.  If you can't find what you need, ask here.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Posted by yankee flyer on Monday, February 24, 2020 4:25 PM

Hey Guys

Are we saying that I need the manuel for each decoder in order to reprogram them?

That's going to take some doing. Sigh

Lee

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, February 24, 2020 12:00 PM

Thanks Henry, I just went and edited my post... Confused

Mike.

PS. Same page I tried from.  Now it wants to open in Word. 

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, February 24, 2020 11:44 AM

Mike that's a link to the file on your computer.  Surely you don't want the rest of the internet nosing around your computer.

Of course you can program your decoders with the Power cab.  Some people in the forum say they do very little with their decoders other than change engine numbers.  With the power cab, you will need your decoder manual to figure out what you want to change and what CV's you need to change....horns, lights bells consisting or speed matching.

Power cab manuals are here, the 1.65 is the latest, the addendum is concerned with replacing the chip in the hammerhead

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern CA Bay Area
  • 4,387 posts
Posted by cuyama on Monday, February 24, 2020 11:38 AM

yankee flyer
I guess I would need a Laptop to set  up or change locos?

The Power Cab can make any changes to your locos that JMRI can. Many (most?) DCC users don't use JMRI.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, February 24, 2020 11:22 AM

OK, well I know nothing about the NCE Power cab, but there are many in here that do, and I would think you could do some basic programing with it.

According to Power cab instructions, you can.

Mike.

PS.  Never mind, Henry has a source in his post below.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Posted by yankee flyer on Monday, February 24, 2020 11:07 AM

Hey Mike

My system is an NCE Power cab.

I guess I would need a Laptop to set  up or change locos?

It's been 5 years or more since I set up the system and I would have to relearn how to program.

I sold off some of my stuff because I had more important things on my mind but now I'm thinking I might get back into it. Of course at 81 years you don't do too much long range planning. Whistling Grumpy

I don't want to reinvest too much since selling will only get me pennys on the dollar.

Thanks for the feed back.

Lee

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, February 24, 2020 8:40 AM

What DCC system do you use?  I think you can make CV changes to your needs or addressing problems through your system.

I have an old Digitrax DB150, and I usually makes changes right on the layout, as the laptop with JMRI is up in my office along with the PR4 and test track.

Good to hear your in remission Lee. Yes

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
Posted by yankee flyer on Monday, February 24, 2020 7:50 AM

Thanks Guys

Yes, I think it was JMRI that I used to set up and run my trains.

A few yours  back I got Cancer and let the layout just sit. I can still run trains and everything but I will not be able to change or program.

Again thanks for your responses.

I am in remission.

Lee

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • 1,047 posts
Posted by betamax on Monday, February 24, 2020 2:03 AM

If you are thinking about JMRI, no, it won't work on an iPad.  It requires Java, and the iPad does not support Java.

Then there is the issue of how do you interface the iPad to your DCC system.

Any way you look at it, you will need a computer.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
  • 252 posts
Posted by CNR378 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 12:03 PM

You need to be able to install Java to run JMRI (Java Model Railroad Interface).

I don't believe you are able to.

Peter

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, February 23, 2020 11:34 AM

Are you thinking about JMRI Lee ?

Their web site, maybe check it out.  I bet you can.

https://www.jmri.org/

They also have a group in Groups.io

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Gateway City
  • 1,593 posts
DCC program
Posted by yankee flyer on Sunday, February 23, 2020 10:26 AM

Will the program ( forgot the name) that programs the DCC engines work on an Ipad?

I donated my lap top to one of my Grandkids and don't want to buy another one.

Thanks

Lee

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!