MRC DCC Decoder

[Anonymous]

I'm hoping someone out there can help me out with this...I'm so po'd and frustrated right now I can't even see straight.

I just got 6 MRC AD-310 decoders. I wired one up to a proto1000 unit and plugged another into a proto2k unit. Put each on the program tack and programmed the address. Put them on the mainline and not a single thing happens.

I have a Prodigy Advance system, by the way....

Here's what I have figured out :

if I program a 4 digit address, the decoder craps itself... WHich makes sense looking back because they say only 1-250 addresses.

If I program a single digit address, the decoder sets itself to 2 ....

Is the ad310 just not compatible with the prodigy advance????

[rrinker]

What do you mean, it sets itself to 2? Address 2, or 2 digits?

The DCC spec only allows for two options - 2 digit or 4 digit addressing. I'm not familiar with the Prodigy Advance but most systems end up requiring 2 digits when selecting an address, so if the address is 5, you have to put in 05 to select it.

Did you change the light bulbs and/or add resistors? Definitely on the P2K unit. I have heard P1K already have 12v bulbs - although the DL109's I have the instructiosn say the bulbs must be replace - but it could be generic text. This wouldn;t stopt he motor from running, though - unless blowing the function output blew the motor drive, not likely.

Try a fresh one - do NOT program it, try to operate on the default address of 03. If it works - then all that has happened is the programming has gotten messed up on the first two. Other decoders have an option to reset all programming to factory defaults - if these do, then try that. Then attempt to run, again it should run on address 3. Once you have it running on address 3, try again to program but be careful not to use a 4 digit address or, if the controller prompts, make sure you always indicate 2 digit addressing. The difference is in the value programmed to CV29. Since those MRC decoders do not support 4 digit addressing, the results of having CV29 programmed for 4-digit operation are unpredictable. Could be exactly what you are seeing.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Whatever it was, it doesn't even matter any more. The prodigy advance is going up for sale. If my "hobby" becomes this frustrating, it's not worth it any more. Back to plain old DC for me.

[cacole]

The problem is not with the Prodigy Advanced, it's the MRC decoders. I think they will accept only 2-digit addresses -- 1 to 99. Try programming them with short addresses and see if that doesn't solve your problem.

My experience has been that if you try to program a long address into one of these decoders, such as 5922, the decoder only picks up the last digit for some reason.

[Anonymous]

I agree that the problem was with the decoders... Those ad310's are garbage...

As it is, I already sold the prodigy advance system, and I'm already a lot happier. Maybe I'll try DCC again sometime in the future...