I know this is most likely here somewhere but, I admit I am old and lazy. I am at a point after several years I just want to clear all of my locomotives off my system and start all over again and be more organized (right). I have a Digitrax DCS100 using a DT402R Radio Control. What is the easy way to do this - if there is one. Thanks in advance-
You will need to clear close Op Switches 36, 37, 38 and 39 (36 clears all mobile decoder info & consists; 37 clears all routes, 38 clears the loco roster and 39 clears all memory states) [I am not certain, but clearing 39 may clear 36-38, too). Here are the step by step instructions from the DCS100 manual 9.1 Changing DCS100/200 Option Switches 1. See the Option Switch Table below to decide which option switches you want to change. 2. Move the MODE toggle switch on the front of the DCS100 into the “OP” position. The LocoNet Railsync will go inactive and all other boosters plugged in to LocoNet, including the one that is built into the DCS100, will shut down. 3. Disconnect LocoNet from the DCS100 you are configuring. 4. Connect your DT402 throttle directly to either DCS100 LocoNet Jack A or Jack B. 5. Press the SWCH key on the DT402 to enter Sw (Switch) mode. Since the DCS100’s MODE toggle switch is set to "OP", switch commands from your throttle will now control DCS100 internal option switch settings instead of the accessory decoders (usually turnouts) on the layout! 6. Key in the number of the OpSw. In the example above, we have keyed in 5 for the switch. As you browse through the OpSws, the right side of the text area will show the current setting for each OpSw , either “c” or “t”. 7. Use the CLOC / c key to set the OpSw to c (closed) or the OPTN / t key to set the OpSw to t (thrown). In the example above we have changed OpSw 5 from its factory setting of t to c (recommended setting). 8. Exit DCS100 Option Switch Mode by moving the MODE toggle switch on the DCS100 to “RUN.” Remember to reconnect LocoNet to the DCS100. Track power will be off so you will need to use your DT402 to turn it on again before you can run trains. Note: Do not adjust any Op Switches marked “Do Not Change” These option switches are reserved and changing them may give unpredictable operations. Do not change any option switches not listed in the table below. Special Instructions for DCS100 Op Switches 36, 37, 38, and 39 For Op Switch #36-#39 to work properly, 1. Set the OpSw to “c” by pressing the CLOC / c key. 2. Set the DCS100’s MODE Switch to “SLEEP” mode. 3. Set the DCS100’s MODE Switch back to “RUN” mode. 4. The operation will occur (data will be cleared) and the option switch will reset to “t”. 5. Your DT402 display will still show “c” even though the reset has occurred. 6. The display will update the next time you access the OpSw.
Rick- OK - I ran through your instructions and I am pretty sure everything has been cleared off - the problem now is when I go back for normal operation I can't get anything to work. I took a locomotive and put it on the programming track - went good but, when I put it on the main line - nothing happens. I am sure I am missing a step - I have read my Digitrax manual front to back - do you have any suggestions? Larry
Have you turned track power back on? Assuming you are using a DT400 or 402 version throttle, look for the little black power dot in the display. Is it there? Is is on solid or blinking? It needs to be on solid to run trains. press Power and then + to get it on solid. Martin Myers
OK- I have the mode switch on "Run" and when I select Pwr it displays: +On - Off- then I select Y+ and very small . appears in the right hand corner and the track status light comes on - if I select Y+ again the dot starts blinking - if I select Y+ again it stops blinking and so on. If I select PWR the screen changes to 00 SP What do you think?
Yes - I progamed a loco on the program track but nothing happens when I put it on the main line. I put a meter on the track and there is no power present.
First thing to check is that you still have a connection between the DCS100 and your operational tracks, from the Rail A and Rail B lines. What meter setting are you using - remember, DCC is not DC, it is an AC voltage on top of a DC voltage. There are specialty DCC meters (such as the RRampMeter) which provide DCC readings. You should see something in the 12-14 volt range. Then, with Power ON, make sure the loco you want to run is selected (i.e., in run mode, press LOCO and enter the address of the loco's decoder).
Maybe I am not reading my volt meter right. I have had this DCS100 system going on 4 years without any major problems except what I have created myself. I don't run any boosters - it's just a single track main line about a total of 120'. I have it divided into 4 sections with meters on each section to isolate any shortages or problems. It has worked well. I have accumulated a lot of locos and just want to organize again. I am stumped as to why I can't get any power to a locomotive after doing the Switch procedure. I am pretty familiar with how to select and run a locomotive and do consists, etc.
OK - cool. Sometimes difficult to know where to begin. First thing I would do, when you have power on, can you measure a voltage at the DCS100 rail outputs? At the two screw posts where your power bus lines connect to the unit. This will at least let us know whether something else got cleared that shouldn't have, or if there is a connectivity problem with the rails. Also, you can check that the "track status" indicator is on when you set Power On with the throttle. With a digital volt meter set to AC, while not a perfectly accurate track voltage reading, you should see the 12-14V. If you are good there, make sure you didn't accidentally knock one of the rail lines out of the plug. I have had a wire pulled out, while looking as if still connected, particularly right after fooling around with the unit. You can download the DCS100 manual from the Digitrax site. It will give you all the different OpSw settings, and how to reset the entire unit, in case something got messed up the last few days.
Rick- Sorry for being such a pest and I greatly appreciate your patience and help. Over the weekend I am going to take some time with my Digitrax manual and go through everything from the start - you are right - there is some little thing I am overlooking. I will report back later
The dot must be on solid. Blinking means track power is in "suspend" mode. Track power is on so lights will light but no command packets are sent so no trains move. Martin Myers
Any luck getting your locos running again after resetting your DCS100? You probably have tried most of these steps already, but just in case you haven't... 1. Totally shut down the layout and remove all locos from the layout, then power up your DCS100. Were there any diagnostic clicks/beeps? Are the track status lights on your DCS100 and your UP5s off or on? (Track power should be off at powering up unless you have changed OpSw 33 or 34.) 2. Plug in your DT402R to the Loconet (to circumvent any wireless issues) and turn on Track Power. Any diagnostic clicks/beeps from DCS100? Is the DT402R's black dot for power steady or blinking? 3. Turn off Track Power. If black dot was steady, you should get the appropriate shutting down click from your DCS100...and if it was blinking and you heard 4 diagnostic beeps from your DCS100 when you turned track power off, then there was a short somewhere on the layout. (I'm guessing that blinking while in Martin's "suspend" mode will lead to an appropriate shut down click, but a Digitrax guru will have to confirm that.) Resolve any short, as needed. 4. If no short, turn on Track Power again. Pass the Quarter test (to ensure there is indeed power getting to the track). 5. Put one locomotive on the layout on the section of track that passed the Quarter test. Enter/select the proper loco address on a throttle that is plugged into the Loconet (again, to avoid any radio control issues). If all DCS100 and UP5 track status lights are on and there is a steady black dot on your throttle, but none of the loco lights or functions work and its motor doesn't respond to throttle input using its most recently programmed address, try using any previous addresses you had programmed into it (to determine if the decoder is still good and the recent attempted reprogramming is the problem). Repeat step 5 with a second and a third loco. 6a. If there is a reprogramming problem, return the loco to the programming track and reprogram its decoder to a totally different/new locomotive address. Setting or resetting locomotive addresses on certain brands of decoders has sometimes taken me several attempts in Pg programming mode before I get a "good" message ...and on a few occasions, I haven't been successful until I press the Prog button on my DT400 to change to a different programming mode (instead of Pg programming mode which comes up first). My Digitrax manuals are pre-Duplex, so check your newer manual(s) for current info on the proper use of your DT402R in these other programming modes. If there is still no lights or motor after attempting reprogramming with different programming modes, consider doing a decoder reset to factory defaults and address 03. 7. If reprogramming the loco's address in other programming modes doesn't work and the factory reset to 03 also fails, you may need to use a tester to confirm the decoder is still functional. Although they may only have tangential relevance to your circumstances, for what they're worth, here are some other thoughts that came to me when I read this thread: My DT400R has fewer tetherless options than your DT402R...it must be plugged in to the Loconet to perform any programming on the programming track. Is that also true of the DT402s? Because the programming track and the layout tracks are separate, it might be obsessive overkill, but I always punch the Exit button on my DT400R to get out of programming mode before taking my loco off the programming track and using my throttle to send messages to loco decoders on the layout tracks. And then I always dispatch the previously selected loco address on the throttle (even if I'm going to enter the same address again) so I'm starting from scratch to acquire any loco with a newly reprogrammed address.
