So this is the third time it seems I've had problems with this loco. It's an Atlas MP15 (n scale) with a TCS drop in decoder. I first tried to install it myself with no luck and I gave up and sent it to DCCTrain to have it installed/repaired. When I got it back it worked great, I was really impressed by how slow it could run smoothly, how quiet it was, and how much pulling power it had (I had it pulling 15 cars!). I am using a Digitrax Zephyr connected to Kato Unitrack. I have a piece of EZ track hooked up as a program track. This engine in question is the only DCC loco I have currently. So...ready for the problem(s)? It was of course, programmed to the default address of 03. I was bored and wanted to change the address to the road #, which is 1146. I read the directions from TCS ( http://tcsdcc.com/pdf/MP15N v4.pdf ) and also from Digitrax. i THOUGHT I could do it I used OPS, or mainline programming, which is supported both by the controller and the decoder. Here are the steps I made: - I changed CV29 from 6 to 38 to support a 4 digit address. - To make the 4 digit address I did the following conversion: 1146/256 = 4.47.... so CV17 became 4 1146-(4 * 256) = 122 so CV18 became 122 At some point, and I'm sorry I don't remember exactly when, but the loco made a sudden jump, just a couple of ties and stopped. After I did those things the engine still responded to 03 and not 1146. So I repeated all those things again. Doing the same thing... -Pressed program button until "OPS." -Pressed the CV button, then typed the CV number, and then the CV button again -Pressed the CV value, and then CV WR (write). This time the engine jumped again, but afterwards it did not respond to 03 or 1146. I tried changing CV30 and CV8 (separately) to "2" to reset to factory conditions and got nothing. I tried using the values the TCS manual gave for the address 2147 and got nothing. Once again I'm completely lost...I don't get it. I'm good with computers...I'm good with tech...and I feel like I'm good with the principles of DCC and when I read things I understand them, it's just that the outcome of my experiments are never good! THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!
Dave, you will need to some how reset the decoder first. As for programming the M1's address, don't bother with all those CVs! The Zephyr does all the leg work for you in the background. Put the loco on the programming track, put Zephyr in PAGE mode, hit "Loco" until Ad4 shows up (meaning 4 digit address), enter your four digits, hit CV-WR to write it back in. That's it!
I agree put the loco on a programming track, set command station to paged mode dial up cv8 and set it to 2 as per TCS instructions. Check that the loco responds to address 03 - Then put it back on the programming track and follow what MK says above
Dave : Use the formula at this site to get CV 17 & CV 18 For loco# 1146 CV 17 is 196 and CV 18 is 122. I don't know where you got your value of CV 17 from. You can use this for any loco number. http://ruppweb.dyndns.org/xray/comp/decoder.htm Have fun.. Stay cool and run steam.....
Thanks guys, I'll try those things. Although I haven't had success with programming/page mode, even when the engine ran. It would give me a dnd message when I would try to read anything, but maybe I can still write, just not read. PSG, click on the link to TCS's website and I followed their example. They say to take the desired # and divide by 256 and take the whole number. Then take that value multiplied by 4 and subtract it from the original number, in my case, 1146. I have no other decoders or directions to go by, and I totally have faith that you know what you're talking about more than I do since you have a million locos, but that's what the TCS manual says. Let me know what you think after reading the directions in that PDF.
OK I realized what was wrong with my program track! I had a wire in the wrong spot on the Zephyr. So once I did that I put the engine back on, read the CV and it said 03, which completely doesn't make sense because 03 would not control it last night. Anyway, in page mode I hit loco until AD4, typed 1146, CVWR and put it back on the mainline and guess what? IT WORKED! Thanks guys!
Told you Dave. The Zephyr will take care of all that gobbly gook when programming/reading 4 digit addresses. Enjoy!
Now I need to learn how to install one myself since I failed the last one. I've got a pair of Kato SD70s and a pair of AC4400s just begging for decoders...
Dave, I've done two Kato SD70s and they are VERY easy to do. I'm sure you won't have a problem at all.
