Decoder Problem

[Anonymous]

I am new to the World of DCC and i have purchased the Atlas system. I tried installing a decoder in one of my RS-1s and it has accepted the new code i gave it but now the engine doesn't work at all. I get no movement or lighting. I replaced the wires exactly as the diagram showed. Anyone have any suggestions to what might be wrong? Thank you

[ClinchValleySD40]

Long address or short address?

[Anonymous]

short address

[cacole]

You can't assume that the decoder address actually did change, even if the command station reported that it was successfully programmed. Set your controller on address 3 and see if the locomotive will run on the decoder's default value. If this still doesn't solve your problem, open the locomotive back up and insure that no part of the decoder is touching metal, none of the wires are touching metal, and that no wire got pinched when you replaced the shell. Try to run it with the shell off and see what happens, and make sure no decoder wires are tangled up in the drive mechanism. You may have blown out hte decoder if the wiring was not correct or got shorted out.

[Anonymous]

Don't take this as an insult since I really don't know how new you are to dcc, but this is something I still miss just about everytime I fire up my system. After getting that duhhhhh moment , I turn on the track power. The locos always run nicer with power. :)

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help cacole. I will check to make sure nothing is shorting out and see what happens. Dskill, haha, thanks i'm not THAT new.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dskill

Don't take this as an insult since I really don't know how new you are to dcc, but this is something I still miss just about everytime I fire up my system. After getting that duhhhhh moment , I turn on the track power. The locos always run nicer with power. :)

DON'T TAKE OFFENSE!!!!!

One of the guys in our round robin group was three days into DCC and couldn't get his layout to come up. After talking to Digitrax for over 5 min they found out that the layout had not been turned on. Many a refridgarater (SP) repairman has fixed a broken ice box by plugging in the cord.

Bob

[johncolley]

I have a different problem. My tail BLI E-7 of a pair went dead. Now I did the reset jumper and tried several approaches to re-program it. It fires up on analog, and on DCC address 03, but will not take a different address. Previously it was #512, consisted to #500, the lead unit. On 03 it does everything it should do, so should I just consist it to the lead using 03?

[cacole]

If it's running okay on address 3, leave it there and just consist from that. Don't forget that in order to set a long address such as 512, you have to program a value of 32 into CV29 so the decoder will recognize it. Program CV29 with a value of 34 if you are running 28/128 speed steps, and add one more (35) if you want the second unit to run backwards to the first unit.

[rrinker]

You might want to try programming onthe main, some systems seem to have problems programming BLI (and other QSI equipped) locos on the current-limited programming track, although I've had no problems programming a BLI GG1 or an Atlas Trainmaster with my Zephyr both using the program track and using Ops mode programming on the main.

--Randy

[bogp40]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrinker

You might want to try programming onthe main, some systems seem to have problems programming BLI (and other QSI equipped) locos on the current-limited programming track, although I've had no problems programming a BLI GG1 or an Atlas Trainmaster with my Zephyr both using the program track and using Ops mode programming on the main.

--Randy

Remember that if you decide to program on the main- remove all decoder equiped engines from the layout. There is a good possibility of reprograming most or all to the new address. Someone did this shortly before one of our shows and all but the Atlas equiped locos had the addresses changed to the new number- to this day we could not find the culprit.

Bob K.

[rrinker]

Well, part of the issue is that there are really two kinds of "programming on the main". Some system do not offer a seperate programming track output and thus you are always "programming ont he main" and if you don't isolate most of the layout with a toggle switch, you WILL program everything on the layout. Other systems with seperate programming tracks offer "Ops Mode" programming on the main, the program instructions are SUPPOSED to be directed to a specific decoder address, not broadcast to every decoder on the rails. There have been reports of Ops Mode programming actually programming every loco on the track, but a little investigation usually reveals some other cause other than electronic magic - sometimes a loco is left bridging the gaps of s seperate programming track and when programmed it sends the signal to the entire layout, or else with some systems you can Ops Mode program Address 00 which is a broadcast address.
Still safest to se a programming track that is completely isolated from the regular layout. I haven't had any problem doing Ops Mode programming yet, but I'm only running on a small test track for now.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 02F350PSD

I am new to the World of DCC and i have purchased the Atlas system. I tried installing a decoder in one of my RS-1s and it has accepted the new code i gave it but now the engine doesn't work at all. I get no movement or lighting. I replaced the wires exactly as the diagram showed. Anyone have any suggestions to what might be wrong? Thank you

IF at 1st you don't succeed, check the basics. I once was driven crazy by a poor connection caused by dirty track on the programming track! Got all kinds of bizarre stuff when I read back the CV's. Recently I tried programming an engine and setting its address. Typically, the engine number is the address on my pike, and my NCE system is always used in 4 digit address mode. Most of my engines have 3 digit road numbers and thats usually all I punch in. That being said, I programmed a new engine, road number 100, and was shocked to see it would not run! I took it over to my DC test track and it ran fine, but no joy on DCC. I figured I had just purchased a bum decoder and set it aside for later removal. 3 hours later it occured to me while watching TV. There are no 3 digit addreses below 127 on NCE. I assume this has something to do with CV numbers, or have heard something to that effect in the past. I quickly reprogrammed it to 9100 and it ran great!
Why the 9? Its just an exponent. See, I model 2 roads, the Western Maryland and the Maryland Midland. Since the 2 roads have engine numbers that overlap, all the other Midland units have an "invisible" 9 in the 4 digit address. This also stops trains errant train movements when engines from both roads are on the rails at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Karlb:

"There are no 3 digit addreses below 127 on NCE. I assume this has something to do with CV numbers, or have heard something to that effect in the past. I quickly reprogrammed it to 9100 and it ran great!"

Hi:
Their is no 3 digit address below 128, not due to the fact you are using NCE, but due to the fact that we are using the binary system for counting. One of the guyd in our round robin group had the same problem with 107 and 109. We were at a GATS show and he came to me, after three tries I couldn't get it either. So I went looking around the show for advise, eight people couldn't get it to program and finally the ninth person said it was a 2 digit number and then I remebered the Digitrax manual telling me that.

Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob