Sixty-four dollar question today folks! Just received my set of Walther's Alco PA-PB-PA and am in the process of programming the lead unit using JMRI. I ran the "read all" feature hoping that it would identify the decoder for me and I got a boatload of choices from ESU economy, 1.0 through 4.0. Does anyone out there know exactly what decoder model is in these beasties? Many thanks in advance and everyone be safe out there.
OP,
Checking the Walther's website the new ones are ESU:
https://www.walthers.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=alco+pa
Most likely it's the "Essential" sound decoder with Alco PA sound files installed on it. (Walthers installed the same decoder in their new SW7 switchers.) The newest version of Decoder Pro (V4.2.4) should give you an option for "Essential Sound Unit". You can also double-check with Walthers to make sure that that is correct.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
With the lastest version of DecoderPro installed, use New Loco/Read Type to identify an ESU decoder. They are all unique and this should identify it.
Use Read Full Sheet on the CV pane, repeat as needed to load all the CVs, and save any changes using Write Changes.
*** If using an NCE power pro it may lock up during reads. Turn it off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on, JMRI should pick up where it left off.
Using the latest version of JMRI/DecoderPro is very important, as new defintions for ESU decoders are being added all the time.