I'm back. Having a problem programming a new loco address. I'm using a Digitrax Super Chief Xtra Duplex, so please, no responses from users of other DCC systems. I'm confused enough as it is.
The loco in question is Athearn Genesis with a Soundtraxx Tsunami decoder.
This is what I've done:
loco default address = 3
Turn track power on. Loco is on mainline (no other locos present)
Loco lights & powers up.
On the throttle (plugged into UR92) I select loco address 3, press loco again to enter.
Press PROG, several times, to get to Po (operations mode). On the throttle, Ad2 =??? is displayed. I enter 10, so now Ad2 = 010 is displayed. Press Enter. Throttle display shows Ad2 = Good.
At this point I would assume that the loco is now programmed to address 10. But it is not. It sort of still responds to address 3, but very slowly, as if some other CV was changed, such as momentum or top speed. If I change the address back to 3 (using same procedure as above) everything is back to normal.
I've tried this on the programming track as well, using all four programming modes, and tried the other modes on the mainline as well. The programming track seems to do absolutely nothing. On the mainline only operations mode does anything (as described above). I've also tried powering off and on after programing with no difference in the results.
So, what am I doing wrong or not doing at all?
FYI: I programmed a new BLI loco last night the same way & it worked.
3 is a short address and 10 is also a short address, on the main line you can only go from a short to a long or from a long to a short. Also to program a Tsunami decoder on the program track you need a booster.
Jack W.
jalajoie 3 is a short address and 10 is also a short address, on the main line you can only go from a short to a long or from a long to a short. Also to program a Tsunami decoder on the program track you need a booster.
I've been able to program default address 03 locos to other two-digit addresses on the mainline, although all of those have been BLI locos.
However, as a new DCC user, I'm under the impression that since NMRA has developed all these "standards" and "specifications", that I would (SHOULD) be able to program ALL decoders the same way under the same conditions and with the same procedures and get the same results. That's what "standards" & "specifications" are for!!!! But apparently that's not the case here. IMHO, this is archaic. 20 to 30+ years ago I might have expected this sort of nonsense from hardware & software. And if it were something I used professionally, to make money, I might be willing to put up with it and dig into the learning curve. But this is a hobby. And it's supposed to be fun. This is not fun. I'm spending much more time learning the idiosyncrasies of DCC in general, and of various manufacturer's products, than I am running trains. Maybe some find tinkering around with all the programming fun. I don't. And I don't think all this should be necessary by the end user in this day & age. It's 2016 for God's sake!!
In the meantime I was able to get in touch with the DCC expert at my local dealer. Apparently Soundtraxx has enabled some kind of "protection" so that their decoders can't be programmed on the mainline without disabling this feature first. It's one of those things where they think they are protecting the end user "from themselves". LOL. Seems more like they just want you to buy another accessory, in this case a PTB-100 programming track booster. Which brings up another "complaint" (pet peev) of mine. Why aren't the manufacturers making boosters/command stations, at least the ones in their "better" products, capable of providing adequate power to the programming track to program sound-enabled decoders? Oh, never mind. I get it. It's so they can sell more stuff after the fact.
jalajoie...on the main line you can only go from a short to a long or from a long to a short...
Arto I've been able to program default address 03 locos to other two-digit addresses on the mainline, although all of those have been BLI locos...
I've been able to program default address 03 locos to other two-digit addresses on the mainline, although all of those have been BLI locos...
This is a limitation of Tsunamis decoders and possibly some others, but definitely not all decoders.
Arto However, as a new DCC user, I'm under the impression that since NMRA has developed all these "standards" and "specifications", that I would (SHOULD) be able to program ALL decoders the same way under the same conditions and with the same procedures and get the same results. That's what "standards" & "specifications" are for!!!!
However, as a new DCC user, I'm under the impression that since NMRA has developed all these "standards" and "specifications", that I would (SHOULD) be able to program ALL decoders the same way under the same conditions and with the same procedures and get the same results. That's what "standards" & "specifications" are for!!!!
The purpose of the standards is to allow for ANY deocder to work with ANY DCC system, which they have accomplished.
Arto In the meantime I was able to get in touch with the DCC expert at my local dealer. Apparently Soundtraxx has enabled some kind of "protection" so that their decoders can't be programmed on the mainline without disabling this feature first...
In the meantime I was able to get in touch with the DCC expert at my local dealer. Apparently Soundtraxx has enabled some kind of "protection" so that their decoders can't be programmed on the mainline without disabling this feature first...
He is mistaken. Nothing has to be disabled to program a Tsunamis in ops mode ("on the main"). You simply cannot program the currently active address, i.e. if the primary ("short" or "2-digit") address is active, you can only program the extended ("long" or "4-digit") address and if the extended address is active you can only program the primary address. It's not a big deal - if you want to change the primary address, just program and activate an extended address, then using the extended address program and activate the primary address.
Arto ...Which brings up another "complaint" (pet peev) of mine. Why aren't the manufacturers making boosters/command stations, at least the ones in their "better" products, capable of providing adequate power to the programming track to program sound-enabled decoders? Oh, never mind. I get it. It's so they can sell more stuff after the fact.
...Which brings up another "complaint" (pet peev) of mine. Why aren't the manufacturers making boosters/command stations, at least the ones in their "better" products, capable of providing adequate power to the programming track to program sound-enabled decoders? Oh, never mind. I get it. It's so they can sell more stuff after the fact.
Your logic (so they can sell more stuff) makes no sense because none of the command station manufacturers sell a program track booster. Actually, both Digitrax and NCE have systems that can program sound decoders (Zephyr and Power Cab). The reason most systems can't, however, is because of a poor design in some sound decoders. The NMRA set a limit on how much power the command station is supposed output on the programming track to protect the decoder from shorts when testing hardwired installations. Unfortunately, some sound decoders(but not all) require more than this amount.
CSX Robert's post covers what I had to say about the programming track. It's specification was designed conservatively to prevent the model railroader from damaging sometimes expensive decoders.
My club has three systems. A Zephyr, an SEB w/ DB150 and a Super Chief w/ DSC 200. Sound locos and some without sound won't accept address changes on a programing track with the Zephyr or the Chief. So we have to interupt running on our N gauge layout to program on the main with the SEB in Pg, Ph, or Pd modes. Most times we do not use the Zephyr or Chief at all and go directly to the SEB.
retsignalmtr My club has three systems. A Zephyr, an SEB w/ DB150 and a Super Chief w/ DSC 200. Sound locos and some without sound won't accept address changes on a programing track with the Zephyr or the Chief. So we have to interupt running on our N gauge layout to program on the main with the SEB in Pg, Ph, or Pd modes. Most times we do not use the Zephyr or Chief at all and go directly to the SEB.
The Zephyr will program sound locos on the program track using "Blast mode". This is not documented in the original Zephyr's manual, but it is in the Zephyr Xtra, and it does apply to the original Zephyr as well.
AFAIK, Digitrax advises using Paged Mode, the first mode that shows up on your throttle when you enter programming, when assigning addresses. Perhaps that has changed since I purchased my DB150 ten years ago..? However, I use a dedicated programming track for that, but only because I want to keep other locomotives on the layout. I isolate that section of track, often a diner car set-out near the depot, which powers down all the other tracks when I throw the DPST, enter programming in Paged, and walk through the process. When I hit enter, I get the beep, the locomotive does its twin or triplet jerks forward, and the power gets cut to that rail by the DB150.