Tried to change the address on a Spectrum 4-8-2 from 3 to 118. Using MRC system. Any help?
Above adress 99 you come into the extended adress relm.
You will have to change CV 29 to enable the extended adress and change the numbers in CV 17 and 18.
You can find extended adress calculators on the net.
Ton
Quote from: tcanson on October 06, 2015, 06:20:01 PM
Tried to change the address on a Spectrum 4-8-2 from 3 to 118. Using MRC system. Any help?
What MRC DCC system are you using?
To program address did you select
Prog Main Track or select
Prog Prog Track?
If you selected
Prog Main Track the decoder is designed not allow programming from 2-digit address to another one. With MRC and most DCC systems, any address 1 - 127 is a 2-digit address. Thus programming from 3 to 118 the decoder address would not change and remain 3.
Select
Prog Prog Track and follow the MRC instructions to program an address of 118. Do not have any other decoder equipped locomotives on the track when you do this. If this does not work, I will tell what you must do when using
Prog Main Track.
Didn't work what's next?
You have yet to identify the MRC DCC system you are using.
To program the decoder requires system's internal software Version 3 or later - press the "SYS" button twice to display the version.
Here is the workaround to the decoder's address type restriction when using Prog Main Track
If you can run the locomotive using address 3, then with the locomotive not moving and the MRC Cab is allowed to program on the Main Track select Prog Main Track and follow the MRC instructions to program address 3 to address 1000 (can be any valid 4-digit address).
Once programed, if you can run using address 1000, now select Prog Main Track procedure and program address 1000 to 118.
Check out JMRI on Google.
No need to know what CVs do what, JMRI knows all this for all DCC systems. With JMRI you just go through their menus and select what you want to do and it knows what CVs to change, you don't.
It's also best to make DCC CV changes on a programing track and not on the main. If you don't remove ALL other locos from the model railroad while programming on the main, the changes you think you are making on one locomotive will affect every other loco you have on your railroad.
Programming on the main is best used for making up and breaking down consists only.
Cheers
Roger T.
An Aside
Quote from: rogertra on October 15, 2015, 04:03:48 PM
. . . If you don't remove ALL other locos from the model railroad while programming on the main, the changes you think you are making on one locomotive will affect every other loco you have on your railroad. . . .
When the DCC system is connected to the mainline track and the DCC command station is placed in one of the
Service Programming Track modes, the mainline track becomes a programming track and as such all decoders in contact with the track will be changed.
However,
Operations (OPS) Mode programming also known as
Programming on the Main makes changes only to the decoder identified by its address not all decoders on the track.
More ----
Quote from: Hunt on October 15, 2015, 05:45:38 PM
When the DCC system is connected to the mainline track and the DCC command station is placed in one of the Service Programming Track modes, the mainline track becomes a programming track and as such all decoders in contact with the track will be changed.
---- Unless the DCC system has separate mainline track and programming track connections. Some do some do not.
Don't forget, to use JMRI you need a computer interface. MRC just recently joined the JMRI bandwagon and has a hardwired or wireless interface available. Joe
Quote from: Hunt on October 15, 2015, 05:45:38 PM
When the DCC system is connected to the mainline track and the DCC command station is placed in one of the Service Programming Track modes, the mainline track becomes a programming track and as such all decoders in contact with the track will be changed.
However,
Operations (OPS) Mode programming also known as Programming on the Main makes changes only to the decoder identified by its address not all decoders on the track.
Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that programming on the main was really only for setting up a breaking down consists.
Other than building or breaking down consists, I never program on the main and not even on the model railroad. I do all my programming at my workbench using a laptop and JMRI.
Cheers
Roger T.
Quote from: rogertra on October 15, 2015, 10:36:25 PM
. . .
Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that programming on the main was really only for setting up a breaking down consists.
. . .
Roger, you have a false impression. I have been using
Operations (OPS) Mode programming also known as
Programming on the Main for years to change most CVs. The advantage is you instantly see or hear the effect of most CV changes (depending on what the CV controls). It can be used while the locomotive is running.
Example - Want to hear what the different available horn/whistle sounds like on a Bachmann sound decoder equipped locomotive? Then programming CV 115 while the locomotive is running on the layout.
Quote from: Hunt on October 16, 2015, 12:20:37 PM
Quote from: rogertra on October 15, 2015, 10:36:25 PM
. . .
Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that programming on the main was really only for setting up a breaking down consists.
. . .
Roger, you have a false impression. I have been using Operations (OPS) Mode programming also known as Programming on the Main for years to change most CVs. The advantage is you instantly see or hear the effect of most CV changes (depending on what the CV controls). It can be used while the locomotive is running.
Example - Want to hear what the different available horn/whistle sounds like on a Bachmann sound decoder equipped locomotive? Then programming CV 115 while the locomotive is running on the layout.
Thanks for that info.
I use NCE so perhaps it's different?
As I do all programming on an independent programming track, except consisting of course, I've never really noticed the effect of programming on the main. I read somewhere about not doing it so I never have. :)
Thanks again.
Cheers
Roger T.
Roger,
Refer to PROGRAMMING ON THE MAIN, starting on page 37 of the NCE Power Cab System Reference Manual, Rev. 1.65.
While using JMRI Decoder Pro software can be helpful and save some time it does have some major drawbacks if you don't have an understanding of DCC capabilities.
Quote from: Hunt on October 16, 2015, 02:24:38 PM
Roger,
Refer to PROGRAMMING ON THE MAIN, starting on page 37 of the NCE Power Cab System Reference Manual, Rev. 1.65.
While using JMRI Decoder Pro software can be helpful and save some time it does have some major drawbacks if you don't have an understanding of DCC capabilities.
Thanks for the above.
I've really not looked deeply into DCC.
I want my engines to run slowly and smoothly.
I don't want to hear the engine noises, steam or diesel from more than four or five feet away.
I do want to hear horns and whistles from that distance but not much further away.
I want automatic air pumps on steam.
Brake squeal is nice, if it's available and quiet.
I want a realistic bell but not too loud.
I want headlights to be all manual control and not automatically change when the engine changes direction as that's not realistic.
I want to be able to dim the headlight.
I want to be able to have both headlights dim all the time on switchers.
Finally, I need to know how to build a consist, to remove a loco from a consist and to address the consist by what loco will be the lead loco on the consist. I don't need to know a consist number as that's unimportant.
Don't care about all those other FXs. Fireman Fred, boarding announcements, cylinder cocks, etc., etc.. All the 'toylike' gimmicks.
So that's all I need to know about when it comes to DCC.
When it come to the manual, I just read what I need to know. So far, so good. :)
Cheers
Roger T.
Quote from: rogertra on October 16, 2015, 02:42:37 PM
. . .
So that's all I need to know about when it comes to DCC.
When it come to the manual, I just read what I need to know. So far, so good. :)
. . .
Roger, I believe you realize it is
so far, not so good when incorrect DCC information is provided. ;)
Minor point for folks using the EZ-Command system, the manual specifically says to remove ALL other locos from the track when using POM to set a loco to an address higher than 10. It also says "user installed decoders" should be programed on a seperate track using the low current programmng outputs.
Len
Quote from: Hunt on October 16, 2015, 03:33:43 PM
Quote from: rogertra on October 16, 2015, 02:42:37 PM
. . .
So that's all I need to know about when it comes to DCC.
When it come to the manual, I just read what I need to know. So far, so good. :)
. . .
Roger, I believe you realize it is so far, not so good when incorrect DCC information is provided. ;)
Yes but it also seems to depend on what manufacture's product you are using. As stated in Len's post regarding EZ-Command.
And because of that, I'd still rather be safe than sorry and will continue to program all my locos on a separate programming track at my workbench.
Cheers
Roger T.
Quote from: Len on October 16, 2015, 05:01:40 PM
Minor point for folks using the EZ-Command system, the manual specifically says to remove ALL other locos from the track when using POM to set a loco to an address higher than 10. It also says "user installed decoders" should be programed on a seperate track using the low current programmng outputs.
Len
The Bachmann E-Z Command Control Center does not allow the user to program a loco decoder to an address higher than 10 and address 10 can be used only in a specific configuration.
Also, the E-Z Command Control Center does not allow the user to select the programming mode to be used or to program by CV number. It uses a programming mode and procedure that changes certain CVs of all decoders on track when programming from an address higher than 10 to a valid address for the E-Z Command Control Center method is followed.
Hunt - You're right, I misread what it said. It's talking about changing the address on a loco that was already set to a value higher than 10 to one the EZ-Command recognizes. But the point remains, there are times when programming directly on the layout is not a good idea:
QuoteREPROGRAMMING DECODERS WITH PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED DIGITAL ADDRESSES
You can use the E-Z Command system to control locomotives that have a previously assigned digital address other than number 3.
If the previously assigned address is a number less than 10, follow the directions we've just described to assign a new address to a locomotive decoder. Just substitute the locomotive's original digital address number for the number 3 in the standard programming procedure.
However, if the locomotive's digital address is a number higher than 10, you can reprogram it by following this procedure:
First, remove all locomotives from the layout. Next, follow the standard E-Z Command programming procedures as described in the "Programming a Locomotive to a Specific Address" section (but without any locomotive on the track), including pushing and holding down the number 3 button and the "Stop" button. At this point, you're ready to assign a new digital address to the locomotive. Simply place the subject locomotive on the track and assign a new address by pressing a numbered E-Z Command button (1 to 9). The locomotive will move slightly to signal that you have successfully assigned a new, lower address. Finally, push the "Stop" button to exit the programming mode and begin operating your locomotive at its new digital address.
Len
Quote from: Len on October 17, 2015, 08:04:12 AM
Hunt - You're right, I misread what it said. It's talking about changing the address on a loco that was already set to a value higher than 10 to one the EZ-Command recognizes. But the point remains, there are times when programming directly on the layout is not a good idea:
. . .
Len
The times when programming directly on the layout is not a good idea is anytime one of the programming modes is being used that will change all decoders connected to the track (unless you remove all locomotives but the one to be programmed).
The key point - To program on the mainline tracks of the layout you have to be using a DCC system that supports Programming on the Main programming mode. Thus, you need to have a correct understanding of how the DCC system and decoder you are using operates, which includes it capabilities and limitations.