Crandell,
Thank you! I was having the same issue with a Soundtraxx non-sound decoder and your info worked perfect. I must have spent 2 hours before finding your post and who would have thought?
Thom
Yup you don't have to hook your computer up to your layout to use Decoder Pro. I just use a Digitrax PR3 connected to a Kato power section and another straight section on my PC desk, which is on a different floor from the layout.
To follow up on jacktal's advice about CV29, the two most typical values you SHOULD see in that decoder is a value of either 38 or 34. All modern decoders are 'dual mode', meaning they should sense and switch to working on the type of power to the track, whether DCC or straight DC. However, they will only do their own adaptation automatically if you have the correct value, and that is 38. If you know you'll only ever use your locomotive on a DCC system, and want to prevent the surprising and inadvertent runaway locomotive that jumps off the layout (yes, it has been reported here several times), you must preclude the decoder from switching on its own. In that case, use a value of 34 in your decoder. With a value of 34 in CV29, your decoder will only obey signals and track power on strictly DCC-powered rails.
Crandell
I agree. Althjough I use a Digitrax PR3 and Decoder Pro. Makes every thing EASY!!!! Joe
Except if you read the first post, the OP has an MRC system. No DecoderPro for him. At least not without some additional hardware. A standalone SPROG would be a good choice, read and write any decoder, and interfaces to JMRI. Pretty much would never have to touch programmign on the MRC ever again.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Getting a program booster like the PTB and using Decoder Pro will make your life easier in programming these chipsets.
Richard
I agree with Jacktal about an address problem. Maybe you have a three- or four-digit address, but when changing CV 29 set it to only allow 2-digit addressing for example. Also, it's very easy to change the address when changing a lot of CVs (one reason Decoder Pro is SO nice with a Tsunami). If your system allows you to read back CVs, see what the engine ID no. is. I suspect it isn't what you think it is.
Brandon - glad it worked out with Selector's advice. Goes to show you that if you put enough blind guys in a room with an elephant, they will eventually be able to describe it
Ray
After reading all of your posts extensivly, I learned very much about DCC I previously had not. Selector's suggestion did it for me. I want to thank EVERYONE who replied, I really really appreciate your input.
Thanks again!
Happy rails.
Brandon.
Wow! That did it! Thank you so much. I seriously can't thank you enough. I would have never done that in a million years. Why was it that the loco need to be reset like that?
Also, I am having trouble programming some decoders adresses on the main. For instance, my 4-4-0 spectrum has Soundtraxx installed and I recently reset it and now I can't get the adress to change on the main or on the program track. Do you have any ideas?
Thanks again!!
Brandon
Balevre
Thanks for the update. I was reading the Soundtraxx installation manual and came across their procedure for unlocking the decoder. One of us mentioned earlier that lock up might be the problem. I am including a link to that section of the manual http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Users%20Guide%20Diesel.pdf
You may already have this, but I didn't see the manual mentioned earlier. Good luck.
Set CV29 to a value of 34 and see if that corrects the problem. A value of 6 is for operating only on the short address.
Even if a decoder has been locked, the reset command will still work.
There seems to be something more than the decoder or command station to blame here. First, what gauge of wire is used to connect the program track terminals on your DCC system to the track? How long is that wire? How is it fastened to the command station? How is it connected to the track? An improperly fastened wire or a wire of insufficient gauge will cause too weak a programming signal to reach the decoder.
Place only that one loco on your main track.
Dial in address "00" on your active throttle.
Enter 'programming on the main' mode, or what is called Ops Mode programming on that throttle.
Edit CV8 to have a value of '8', and hit enter...or complete the reset by entering that value.
SHUT OFF TRACK POWER!
Re-power the tracks, and acquire address '03'. Try blowing the horn.
Your loco will work on that address if you have not inadvertently locked the decoder. Most of these steps have been suggested, just not the adress '00'. I have placed them in a convenient list for you.
Ray,
The Prodigy works for me great as well and has been very consistent until I had this problem. I checks all the wires and they seem to be isolated and soldered good. A very weird thing about this problem is that when I place the loco on my main and run it with a standard DC throttle, the loco runs fine and the sound even works according to the amount of power. The diesel motor sounds higher with more throttle applied and the horn even sounds when the loco starts moving and when the loco stops. Im starting to wish I had not messed with CV 29. I can not program the train in OPS mode because I can not figure out the adress to the loco. Thanks for the help!
You seem to have an adressing problem.Sounds turn on with track power wich is normal but you have no control over them nor the traction.
First try to reset the decoder with CV8=8.It should return to adress 03 and operate normally.If it refuses to reset on either the main or with your booster,then there are a few possibilities.May be your system isn't capable of programming a Tsunami even on the main but your prog. track booster should.If it still won't work,check your booster installation carefully.Now,I don't know if all boosters work with Tsunamis but that would be a new fact to me.I use a Digitrax system and a Soundtraxx PTB 100 booster and have no problem at all.
If all this fails,though very remotely,you may have accidentally "locked" your Tsunami.If this is the case it won't accept any CV change,even resetting.You can have the infos on "locking/unlocking" your decoder on the Soundtraxx website...Google "Soundtraxx",click on "manuals" then "diesel sound user's guide",page 10.
When you did the reset, did you remove the power after that?. Tsunami's need to have the power removed to complete the reset.
woodone
Balevre-sounds like quite a problem. I use MRC Prodigy and it's great. Seems that the sound might be okay, but the motor control is not functioning correctly.
I would go to the basics first. Check all of the wiring to be absolutely certain that all of the connections are secure and insulated.
See if the locomotive will run on on DC without the decoder.
Program the decoder using the "ops" mode (on the main). Make sure no other decoder-equipped locos are receiving track power. There might be a problem with the programming track itself.
Look into CV 29 pretty closely. If the decoder is the "brain box" then this CV fires off all the neurons.
Does the decoder have voice announcement readout of the settings? I have QSI sound decoders in a couple of engines and sometimes they would only partially or not at all accept input. Then I learned that the voice announcements would interrupt the packets that contained the command changes, so only some of none of them would get to the decoder in complete form. Turning off the voice recognition solved that problem.
None of this may help, but I sympathize with you and hope something solves this problem
I am have an extremely irritating problem and need some advice from much experienced DCC programmers:
I have a Tsunami Soundtraxx decoder in an Athearn SD70MAC Alaska loco. I bought the loco in used-like new condition. It ran perfectly out of the box on with my MRC Prodigy Express DCC controller. However, I began to read in the manual about adjusting speed curves to speed match and ended up editing CV 29 to 18 then to 6 to allow for this adjustment and crashed my decoder ( So it feels.) The loco will NO LONGER respond to any command under any address I have given it whether 2 digit or 4 digit, BUT upon placing the loco on the powered MAIN line, the loco starts up and goes to idle. But I can not turn the lights on, move the loco, or sound the horn.
So, I figured I needed to reset the decoder. I then went to place the loco on the program track and attempted to reset the decoder, and the loco did nothing and did not respond to the programming... I then read about needing a Program track booster. I purchased one and hooked it up to the command station and attempted to program the loco and the loco STILL did not accept the program command and still is not working with the command station. I tried to use some computer software to edit/read my CVs and could not figure out how to make the software and my DCC controller work. So my question is, can ANYONE help me? What am I doing wrong? Does anyone have ANY suggestions? Any and I mean any advice is welcomed with open arms.
I am not quite a newcomer to DCC but I am not quite advanced. I am in desperate need of help.
Thanks to anyone who replies!
Brandon (Gov. William J. LePetomaine)