I have 2 Kato SD80's that I just bought and I installed the Digitrax DN163K2 in both of them. I am using an NCE Powercab hooked up to the Powerhouse pro 5 amp command system. When I run the engines by themselves, each one will start moving at speed selection 1 and they will be going at an approximate speed of 50 mph at a speed selection of 15. When I set up a consist, I set up an advanced consist according to NCE terms. When I make a consist of the 2 engines, they don't start moving until I get to a speed setting of 18 and it takes moving the speed setting up to about 40 for an approximate 50 mph speed. I am new to digitrax decoders. Is this something normal for Digitrax decoders? I don't have this happen for any of the Lenz or NCE decoders that I have? Craig
With Digitrax decoders you can have a different Bemf Compensation setting for when in an advanced consist as opposed to when not in one. The default setting has bemf compensation turned on when not in an advanced consist, but turned off when in one, the reason being if the locos are not well speed matched they can sometimes fight each other in a consist if bemf is enabled. A quick solution is to program CV57 to a value of 102, which will give the same bemf compensation when in an advanced consist and when not, or to a value of 0, which will disable bemf compensation for both situations. For more information, read through the section labeled "Scaleable Speed Stabilization"(section 6.15, page 58) in the Digitrax Decoder Manual.
You can do some fine tuning of the CV's to get a better performance in our out of the consist. CV65 is the KickStart CV and that will give an extra boost to the slower starting locomotive, if you have one. CV66 is the Forward Trim CV, this allows for fine tuning of the speed of the locomotive in the forward direction. CV95 is the Reverse Trim CV, this allows fine tuning of the locomotive speed in the reverse direction. The caveat - WIth Digitrax decoders, none of these CV's are used unless the decoder is setup to use the 28 step speed table. This means that the CV2, CV5 and CV6 speed settings are ignored. The differences - Lenz decoders do not support Trim at this time, some versions of the NCE decoders do support CV95 as trim, but in these cases, the value is used for both forward and reverse trim. With the Digitrax decoders, the best way to consist is to give the locomotives the same speed table and then adjust the Trim CV's (CV66 and CV95) as needed. And follow the above advice of setting CV57 to 102 or 0.
Thank you, Dave, for your precise answer to this question. I, too, have been searching for a solution for those rare occasions when I run a consist. I intend to copy and paste your answer into my ever expanding library of truly useful decoder information. I will also search for all of your other posts for additional data. This is one of the great features of this forum for me. At age 80 I learn something every time I log on. Thank you again.
Please fix my typos when you do that.....:tb-biggrin: PM me with your e-mail address and I can send you a draft of an article I am preparing on this subject. The best advice I can give you is to invest in a computer connection to your DCC system, and then download a copy of JMRI DecoderPro and PanelPro. DecoderPro amkes all of the programming a lot easier to do. It also helps that it is a free download and free updates. And you can always post you questions in this forum, I look at DCC and Electronics a lot. Have fun! That is what this is all about!
