Hello. I just installed a nice Amber beacon on an N scale Atlas switcher. I was testing the beacon and it was flashing as I wanted, but only in one direction of travel. So I tried to program the direction response of the beacon. Well, I got so mixed up, I just did a factory reset to start with a clean slate. Now the beacon works in both directions (steady on) but I cannot get it to flash, pulse, strobe (etc.). Can anyone help me program the correct CVs to make this thing act like a rotary beacon that works in both directions?
It is a Digitrax DN163A4 FX3 N scale decoder. I have the strobe connected to function 1.
I have read the charts and tables, but I'm still learning how to program functions. Any help here is appreciated. Thank you.
CV51 is the one for F1. From the tables, second digit of the value will be 6 for a roatary beacon effect, and first digit will be a 2 for function on, non-directional. Since the chart shows the digits in a byte, it's in hex, so 26 hex which is 38 decimal. So set CV51 to 38. Then you should get a beacon flashing when F1 is on.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
That is how I read it also. I tried again, and no matter what value I enter, the beacon is always just a steady on when i press function 1. I cant get it to pulse, strobe, flash or anything.... it was working before... but now it's always just steady on or off. Still looks good, but it would be nice to have an effect.
I did notice that when I programmed CV 51, it changed the acceleration ratio.... did something happen to the decoder? Should I try to hook up the light to a different function output?
CV51 should have no bearing on motor control or speed.
Your wire to that tiny pad for F1 isn't touching anything else, like the frame oof the loco, is it?
If you are using an LED for the beacon, make sure CV61 is 0, unless you are actually using Transponding.
After resetting, do the headlights work normally, directional and on only if F0 is on?
Hello. Follow up on this post... after I got home from work (I needed to walk away and come back to this project with a fresh set of eyes) I took out my trusty kapton tape and completely isolated the top edges and sides of the frame. I then taped down all the wires nice and tight. Played with my CVs and PRESTO! Everything works as it should. I can change the light effect to whatever I want, the directional headlight work properly and there is no change in the speed table rates. So there must have been a wire touching the frame somewhere. Thanks for the help.
One more question.... how did you convert the chart number into a hex number? This is where I get lost. I Understand that the 1st digit Of the CV value controls how the light operates in respect to direction, and I understand the 2nd number of the CV controls the effect created by the light, But I don't understand how the CV value was 38, and not 36, when 6 is the number that creates this Beacon effect.
It is a 6. The value from the table is 26 in hexidecilmal, which is base 16. to convert to decimal, multiple the first digit by 16 and add the second. 32 + 6 + 38, the value you program in since the throttles now all use decimal numbers.
It's more convenient to represet half of a byte this way. Otherwise they would need small type or a lot of pages to list every value from 0-255 and what it did, because in decimal you can't easily break it down to say that if the first digit is 2, then it is non-directional. The version I'm looking at lists 12 effects, 0-B. Just to list in decimal all the non-directional ones, that would mean values from 32-43. Not so bad, you may think. Ok, all the ones with the first digit as 4 are for 'on when forward, and F0 is on, and the finction is on' which means the function goes on when you press the function button IF the headlight is also on and the loco is moving forwards. So now in hex you have 40-4B, in decimal that's 64-75. There seems to be no relation when using decimal numbers - because there isn't. Take for example the rotary beacon function. In hex, it ALWAYS ends in 6, regardless of the direction or movement qualifier. In decimal, for non-directional, it's 38. For the directional with headlight example, it would be 70. The same effect, with different qualifiers. Whereas in hex, it's 26 or 46. Notice ONLY the qualifier changes, rotary beacon ends in 6, always.
Actually they never used hex - Digitrax has an odd hybrid form of numbering to represent numbers over 99 on the original DT100 throttle which only had 2 digits for a value. However, the DT300 and newer (DT400, 402, 500) CAN directly enter hex, it's an easily missed sentence in the manual. When you are entering the CV value, click the right knob. The number will show with a small x, like x26, so you can enter the hex values right off the charts. That's probably another reason they don;t list out all 255 values in decimal - when using a Digitrax system, you can key in the hex number right off the chart, no calculation or conversion needed.
Wow.... ok. Thank you. I like your last paragraph. I will use hex from now on an all my Digitrax decoders... for someone just scratching the surface of DCC, I will go down the easy road. Maybe I will get more detailed and granular in the future. Thanks again for all the info and education. Much appreciated.
If you are just getting into DCC, have you thought about DecoderPro? It's a freeware computer program (From JMRI - Java Model Railroad Interface, uses JAVA programming code) that you can use to program (if you have a programmer) the correct values into most decoders without doing the "hard math", it's all check boxes and drop-down menu's for what effect you want, and it calculates the correct value for you.
If you don't have a programmer, you can still use DecoderPro, but in "EDIT" mode only. You enter what the decoder model is, then go to the funtions, and select which one you want it todo, then click on the CV tab, and whatever CV's are changed to orange in color you need to program that CV to that value listed. (You can even save the entry into a "Roster" that will keep the values you enter/program. This makes it easy to go back and see what is programmed to what later.)
I use it for almost all my DCC Decoders. (ESU Has their own program, which is also very simple to use, but it works only with ESU decoders, and only with their LokProgrammer. But it can program any of their sound and non-sound decoders of a certain series or newer, including providing updating abilities.)
If you can use a computer for the programming, even if only doing the "EDIT" mode in DecoderPro, you will like it. A lot. It makes it extremely easy to get the decoders to respond the way you wish, without sifting through a bunch of numbers.
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.
If I may. you are using the older decoder manual from Digitrax. Download the newer version V2 from 2014. They have done away with the HEX and left only the decimal notation.
That or start using JMRI.
JMRI is great but it does not replace reading the manual to understand what you are doing to set what you want. JMRI does not hold your hand, it just sits there wating your choices. if you have no idea, how will you chose the proper settings ?
Marc