trainnut1250Sounds like CVP already covered this. There are actually two ways to switch this around. There are 99 throttle IDs and 8 channels (depending on the system and the settings) I presume switching these settings has already been tried. Guy
That is correct. The first thing they had me do was reassign all the throtte frequencies, including the old RF1300 to make sure each was on a unique frequency. For systems with more than 8 throttles, they have what is called a burst mode which I am guessing does a rapid scan for each throttle assigned to a particular frequency. That mode is not recommended for smaller systems.
Just to let you know, I moved the receiver to the ceiling. The performance was about the same as when I had it in the aisle which is better than it was when it was on a shelf under the benchwork. Still not as good as the RF1300. The problem area is still around the corner from the stairway. With it on full power and the RF1300 turned on as well, the response time was about 1-2 seconds, occasionally 3-4. Sometimes I had to hold the throttle over my head when I was in the far corner.
The disadvantage of going full power is that it shortens the battery life. That won't be an issue if I can get the same performance from the rechargeable batteries as I do the high end Energizers. If it won't work with the rechargeables and I have to run on full power, it could get expensive.
Edit: I felt I should add this. The performance I got which I would rate as acceptable was with the RF1300 turned on. When I try to use the T5000 throttles by themselves without the apparent boost I get from the RF1300, the performance is pathetic to the point where it wouldn't even be useable. With the RF1300 turned off, I tried to stop a loco I was running a test run with. I turned the throttle down to the 000 position and the loco continued to run. It ran halfway around the layout and was about to enter the staging yard when I was forced to stop it by hand to keep it from rear ending a train in the staging yard. While holding the loco in place with one hand, I was able to turn the RF1300 on with the other. Almost immediately, the loco stopped. I repeated this experiment several times. Even with the T5000 throttle cranked up to the maximum power setting of 10, I would get little to no response when trying to start or stop the loco or use the sound functions unless I turned the RF1300 on. As soon as I did, I got response from the T5000. I don't pretend to understand why the RF1300 enables the T5000s to work properly, but it seems very obvious to me that is the case. If my RF1300 ever dies, I think it will render the T5000s useless and probably force me to switch to another system.
I have a Digitrax Simplex radio system with the receiver antenna at the far end of the layout behind the fascia. And never had any receiving problems unless the batteries were to low. Some where close to 7.0 volts. Just for a comparison test with what others here are saying, I went out and turned on the system, put a 9volt battery (8.3 volts) in the DT400R. I then walked outside of the train building and could still see a part of it where I had placed a set of engines. At up to 46 feet from the receiver there was no problem with operation no matter if the throttle was held low or high. Now for the really cool part. This was with part of the layout, metal shelf's with metal cans and other metal objects on them. And our Ford Taurus in the drive way between the throttle and receiver antenna.
Ken G Price
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
jecorbett...That is correct. The first thing they had me do was reassign all the throtte frequencies, including the old RF1300 to make sure each was on a unique frequency...
So did they also have you change the ID? Each throttle has a frequency setting and an ID, which are two different things, and changing the frequency would not have the same effect as changing the ID.
CSX Robert jecorbett ...That is correct. The first thing they had me do was reassign all the throtte frequencies, including the old RF1300 to make sure each was on a unique frequency... So did they also have you change the ID?
jecorbett ...That is correct. The first thing they had me do was reassign all the throtte frequencies, including the old RF1300 to make sure each was on a unique frequency...
So did they also have you change the ID?
Yes.
Jeff; Not to hijack your post on the problem you have. But after doing the same test as I described above, with my system and this time using a battery that had 7.5 volts and the transmission worked as well as last night.
With the items that are in the way of your throttle transmission and the receiver, it should make absolutely no problem with reception.
There is some thing else going on. As I can have stuff and an auto at 43 feet away between my radio throttle,the receiver antenna, and the signal is not blocked. It just should work way better then it is. It is working as a IR system would. Does yours have the ability to work on IR and radio both? If so has something been reset to the IR? If not, all I can come up with is, I feel that you may need to send your complete system back to have all the components checked out.
Lake Jeff; Not to hijack your post on the problem you have. But after doing the same test as I described above, with my system and this time using a battery that had 7.5 volts and the transmission worked as well as last night. With the items that are in the way of your throttle transmission and the receiver, it should make absolutely no problem with reception. There is some thing else going on. As I can have stuff and an auto at 43 feet away between my radio throttle,the receiver antenna, and the signal is not blocked. It just should work way better then it is. It is working as a IR system would. Does yours have the ability to work on IR and radio both? If so has something been reset to the IR? If not, all I can come up with is, I feel that you may need to send your complete system back to have all the components checked out. Ken G Price
The problem seems to be quite simple. The throttles are underpowered. The CVP system itself is not the problem. It works fine with the RF1300 throttle I've been using for about 7-8 years. That one usesfour AAA batteries. The new T5000 only use two, and don't have the transmission power the older throttles did. If only one of them had a problem, I would think it might be defective. Both throttles are about a month old and both give spotty performance. The RF1300 has no such issues. It still works fine from all corners of the layout. The issue with that is the #8 key has failed preventing me from addressing locos with an 8 in the address. I would still be using it otherwise.
CSX RobertDid they happen to have you swap the throttle IDs so that the T5000 has the throttle ID that the RF1300 originally had?
The new throttles are IDs 01 and 02. The old one is 03.
The suggestion to swap throttle IDs being to rule out any command station/radio base issues with the particular throttle ID. Worth a try. Set the new throttle as ID 01 and keept he old ones turned off, see what happens as far as response speed. Range differential can probably be explained by the lower power.
Been a while since I read CVP docs, but I don;t recall there being any special throttle IDs or anything, just that they need to be unique. NCE has certain cab address ranges which can only be used for certain things.
If both RD1300's have failed 8 keys, unsolder the 8 key from one, and unsolder a working key switch from the other one and repalce the 8 key, and make 1 working unit out of the 2 broken ones.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker The suggestion to swap throttle IDs being to rule out any command station/radio base issues with the particular throttle ID. Worth a try. Set the new throttle as ID 01 and keept he old ones turned off, see what happens as far as response speed. Range differential can probably be explained by the lower power. Been a while since I read CVP docs, but I don;t recall there being any special throttle IDs or anything, just that they need to be unique. NCE has certain cab address ranges which can only be used for certain things. If both RD1300's have failed 8 keys, unsolder the 8 key from one, and unsolder a working key switch from the other one and repalce the 8 key, and make 1 working unit out of the 2 broken ones. --Randy
I have only one RF1300. Servicing it is not an option because it has some unique rivets which make removing the circuit board from the case next to impossible. It apparently takes a special tool to remove it. Otherwise, I would have taken a crack at it.
jecorbett: Thank you for the explanation.
Good luck!
Jecorbett,
You're way ahead of me, I don't even have a grasp on basic electronics. I had several "dead spots" on my layout with my CVP system wireless T5000 throttle and receiver. Just last night I made a few small moves of the receiver along the shelf it rests on under the benchwork, seemed to help some, but still had dead spots.
This morning with help from the CVP folks I found that I had not set up the receiver properly with the dip switches. I have only one T5000 and now that the receiver and thottle are set properly in scan mode the "dead spots" are gone. I can now operate the trains from anywhere inside my 2 car garage even from the opposite side of double sided backdrops without a hitch.
Don't know that this will be of any help with your situation, but thought I'd thow it out there anyhow.
regards, Peter
HO-Velo Jecorbett, You're way ahead of me, I don't even have a grasp on basic electronics. I had several "dead spots" on my layout with my CVP system wireless T5000 throttle and receiver. Just last night I made a few small moves of the receiver along the shelf it rests on under the benchwork, seemed to help some, but still had dead spots. This morning with help from the CVP folks I found that I had not set up the receiver properly with the dip switches. I have only one T5000 and now that the receiver and thottle are set properly in scan mode the "dead spots" are gone. I can now operate the trains from anywhere inside my 2 car garage even from the opposite side of double sided backdrops without a hitch. Don't know that this will be of any help with your situation, but thought I'd thow it out there anyhow. regards, Peter
I remember asking them about the dip switches but was told I just needed to make sure each throttle had a unique ID and frequency setting. I haven't touched the dip switches since I first set up the receiver for my lone RF1300. I will go back an recheck my documentation on the receiver and the dip switch setting since I don't remember why my receiver is set the way it is. Since the documentation of course predates the T5000 throttles, I wonder how relevant it might be. What did they tell you about how those dip switches are set. If I remember right, I think I only had #5 turn on, but I'd have to double check that.
jecorbett CSX Robert Did they happen to have you swap the throttle IDs so that the T5000 has the throttle ID that the RF1300 originally had? The new throttles are IDs 01 and 02. The old one is 03.
CSX Robert Did they happen to have you swap the throttle IDs so that the T5000 has the throttle ID that the RF1300 originally had?
Your still not answering the question: "Have you tried swapping the ID's?".
CSX Robert jecorbett CSX Robert Did they happen to have you swap the throttle IDs so that the T5000 has the throttle ID that the RF1300 originally had? The new throttles are IDs 01 and 02. The old one is 03. Your still not answering the question: "Have you tried swapping the ID's?".
No. I set them the way the CVP told me to set them.
Since your RF1300 works well by itself with throttle ID 3, I would try a T5000 with throttle ID 3.
My preference was to use Scan 1 mode with my single T5000 throttle and the single receiver connected directly to the command station via the supplied modular cable. This set-up requires receiver dip switch #6 to be in the up/on position all others down/off. My command station is the CVP command station.
HO-Velo My preference was to use Scan 1 mode with my single T5000 throttle and the single receiver connected directly to the command station via the supplied modular cable. This set-up requires receiver dip switch #6 to be in the up/on position all others down/off. My command station is the CVP command station. regards, Peter
Thanks, I'll try that.
Well, I gave it a try, switching the dip switch settings to #5 off and #6 on and really saw no difference in performance. The throttles worked well when I was close to the receiver with a clear line of sight, but the farther I moved from the receiver, the worse the response. Beyond about 20 ft, there was a noticeable delay in response and when I moved around the corner near to where the staging yards are, I would get no response at all. The test loco continued to run after entering the staging yard even after I turned the throttle down to 000. I was forced to us the hand brake, i.e. grabbing the loco by hand to stop it. This is unacceptable performance. My guess is the size of my layout is the primary reason these throttles fail to work satisfactorily. My layout room is roughly the same width as your two car gargage but it is also about twice the length and it is the length which apparently is causing the problems. While the old RF1300 with four AAA batteries had sufficient transmission power to operate from anywhere in the layout room, the same is not true of the T5000s, even when the transmission power is turned all the way up to the maximum value of 10. It seems clear to me that the only way to get acceptable perfomance from the T5000s is to have the old RF1300 turned on at the same time. Why this works, I don't know. I just know that it does. I have to hope the RF1300 doesn't die on my because without it, my system is unusable.
My area of operation is much smaller than yours and I have but three throttles, the T5000 wireless and the two command station built-ins. Still the symptoms you are experiencing sound very similar to what I was experiencing until I reset the receiver dip switches. Thinking back I did re-set the T5000 to default before contacting the CVP folks about the dip switch settings.
Though much of DCC remains over my head, I really do enjoy it, especially the sound, but can't say there aren't moments that I long for my simpler days of DC.
Wish you the best, regards, Peter