hi
so i have athearn rtr sd40 and it came with HO DCC ADAPTER BOARD. now i also have few of thouse HO DCC ADAPTER BOARD, GENESIS that came with non sound es44ac and sd70ace that i upgraded to soundtraxx decoders. for the sd40 i replace the HO DCC ADAPTER BOARD with HO DCC ADAPTER BOARD, GENESIS since the sd40 came with nose lights. so i hook up the front lights and the back lights and for the nose light i hook it up to F1 ditch light taps. then i use digitrax dh163d decoder. it comes with 6 Functions yet the nose lights dosen't come on, but others lights do. how i hook up the genesis dcc adapter bored i follow the http://www.soundtraxx.com/documents/appnotes/athearn_sd40-2.pdf install and it works just the nose light dosen't light up when i press f5. but the nose light will light up if i wire it to the front lights. those athearn ready to run dcc genesis boreds do support ditchlights right?
okay okay stop
What do you mean by nose lights?
There's board numbers, headlights, mars lights, marker lights, and ditch lights just to name a few. So proper naming of the lights might help us understand your problem.
For true ditch lights you need two outputs. You then program the decoder to say ditch lights (varies by model) and it understands that you are using two outputs.
Also are you working with LEDs or regular bulbs? If LEDs did you try reverseing the connection?
And your post isn't clear. Are you working with digitrax or soundtraxx TSU-1000?
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I think, and I could be very incorrect here, but it sounds like the OP is refering to ditchlights, if so, hook up one side light to F5, the other side light to F6. They then, after proper programming, should come on when F5 function button is pressed, and, if desired, flash alternately when F2 is pressed.
This is, only if I have understood the OP correctly.
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.
so this is the engine that has nose light that i using.
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH95174. and i using Miniatronics 1.5V 1.2MM Diameter, 15mA bulbs.
for the decoder i useing digitrax dh163d. also this is bored i useing for decoder harness http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATHG63868
It's board, not bored. If you're using a Soundtraxx decoder, it should be pretty easy to program to make the ditch light effect.
Possibly the section on FX3 CV programming will assist you.
http://www.digitrax.com/products/retired/mobile-decoders/dh163d/
You said you hooked 1 wire up to F1, what tab is the other wire in the Short hood headlight pair hooked up to?
If I understand the OP's initial post (which is not at all easy to understand), I believe that Soundtraxx components are not part of this install.
What I believe that the OP is saying is that he has an Athearn RTR SD40-2 which is DCC Ready, equipped with an Athearn Genesis Adapter Board. He has installed a Digitrax DH163D decoder into the plug on the adapter board.
So, now the question is, how to wire and program the nose lights (i.e., ditch lights) independent of the headlights. At least, I think that is what he is asking.
Rich
Alton Junction
I am not sure if the Athearn Genesis Adapter Board supports the alternating ditch lights function. But whether it does or not, the better solution may be to remove the adapter board and wire in a Digitrax DH165AO decoder.
Here is a link to a video in which the conversion was made on an Athearn RTR SD40-2 with a DH165AO decoder.
http://www.railfanreading.com/Layout/Prototype/DRGW5401/DRGW5401.htm
gatrhumpy It's board, not bored.
It's board, not bored.
Heh heh, I was wondering what was boring about Athearn RTR Genesis.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I was wondering how much extra HP he got out of it.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
riogrande5761 gatrhumpy It's board, not bored. Heh heh, I was wondering what was boring about Athearn RTR Genesis.
I'd also double check which functions you have set to controlling which lights. It may be the lights you want to work aren't connected to F5. If you use F0, do the regular headlights work?
You might want to check the CVs for the lights regarding the amount of power going out. If it's set very low, and then the light board has resistors too, it may be not enough power is getting to the lights.
The DH163D is a 6-function decoder, but does the Athearn Genesis Adapter Board support 6 functions? I don't have the adapter board, nor can I find any instructions for it, but as I look at the photo of the board, I don't see an F5 or F6 tab.
i think for the digitrax dh163d decoder you have to progrm the ditchlights with cvs from what i researching. the genesis board came with f1p f1n and f2p and f2n taps for ditchlights, cause the athearn es44ac non sound came with ditchlights.
ok ok i got the ditchlights to work. thing is the ditchights on my dynamis controller is f1 for digitrax decoder. i was so use to f5 key since all my engines have sound in it and not the this sd40. anyway thanks for help.
raptorengineer i think for the digitrax dh163d decoder you have to progrm the ditchlights with cvs from what i researching. the genesis board came with f1p f1n and f2p and f2n taps for ditchlights, cause the athearn es44ac non sound came with ditchlights.
The instructions say to remove the wires of one of the ditch light bulbs from F1N and F1P and solder them to F2N and F2P.
Then set the value of CV51 to 106 and CV52 to 107 to alternate the ditch lights, and set the value of CV63 to 40 to control the hold over time.
Edit Note: You must have edited your most recent reply while I was typing mine.
Could you post a photo of your board showing the connection points of the lights to the board. Also are you adding ditchlights to the locomotive or are you using the lights in the low short hood as ditch lights? Not saying its right or wrong, just want clarification on what is trying to be accomplished here.
I see you edited your post, is the problem solved to your satisfaction?
BMMECNYC Could you post a photo of your board showing the connection points of the lights to the board. Also are you adding ditchlights to the locomotive or are you using the lights in the low short hood as ditch lights? Not saying its right or wrong, just want clarification on what is trying to be accomplished here. I see you edited your post, is the problem solved to your satisfaction?
so this is how i hook up nose lights. i use tap to keep things clean.
raptorengineer so this is how i hook up nose lights. i use tap to keep things clean.
Once you get everything working to your satisfaction, go back and solder all of the wires to the boards. Those compression clips will fail and cause problems for you.
actully that what i did and manage to fit a speaker in it so i upgrading the decoder to digitrx sdh164d and solder all the wires to the taps. but once i was testing everything out again i found out the nose lights are on same buttion as the bell. so when i turn on the bell the nose light turn on too. i did try using decoder pro and jmri to see if i can septerate light to another controller function buttion but so far no luck. i think for digitrax they made things differnt. and since the sdh164d came with gp38 as diesel sound i change it to sd40sound with soundloader program.
Sounds like you have the lights hooked to the wrong pins on the Genesis board. Out of the package, the headlights will be controlled by F0 and the bell is on F1. The default example in the instructions for setting up ditchlights put the ditchlights on F1, but it's a simple matter to change that to F2 so the ditch lights flash when you sound the horn.