I have a new Bachmann Sound Value RS-3. Everything works as specified with the loco at short address 3. However, when I try to reprogram the loco to long address 108 (the cab number) on the program track using my NCE Power Cab, all that happens is that I get the engine sound in idle, but I can't select the loco as either address 108 long or address 3 short. The only thing I can do is, as the SoundTraxx user guide suggests, reset the CVs to factory values, CV 8 to 8. Then I can get the loco to work as short address 3, but I still can't reset the address. Any ideas?
Posts: 9,714
Threads: 233
Joined: Dec 2008
JWB, I am pretty sure that 108 is a short address too. I think the long address is 128 and above. Some decoders have to have a long address programed first then back to the short address. You might have to manually set cv 29 .
Try these settings after a reset: CV17=192 CV18 =108 and CV 29=34 that should get it to run on address 108 doing it the long way around. Do it on the main if possible
Charlie
Posts: 1,992
Threads: 81
Joined: Dec 2008
How are you programming the unit exactly?
Did you check for any special instructions with the locomotive? Some sound-equipped engines require different programming procedures to change the address. Broadway Limited Imports, and a few others come to mind.
While CV17, 18, and 29 still do their function, some sound decoders require changing other CVs before hand, but this is usually listed out step by step in the instruction manual.
Are you prgramming on the main, or a programming track? Are you programming the locomotive manually or through NCE's "STD" option that walks you through all the base settings?
Some sound decoders won't program on the "programming track" without a booster, because the decoder requires more power to run (programming tracks usually run at a lower power to avoid damage if something is wrong).
Programming on the main should solve that problem, but then I've seen people with similar locomotives have trouble there to, and so far I haven't seen a good answer.
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.
![[Image: logosmall.png]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202013/logosmall.png)
I've been using the programming track. I tried the main once or twice with no change. The documentation with the Bachmann loco is a basic SoundTraxx "quick start" brochure, with a reference to their web site, but there's little specific info in either place.
I'm seeing that DCC is enormously useful, though I'm going slow with it. I haven't followed the monthly columns in MR or elsewhere very closely, but I'm seeing that the "oral history" from people like you and Charlie B is extremely important!
Will get back later with the results. Thanks for the tip about programming on the main.
I tried the procedure Charlie recommended, on both the main and the programming track. Programming on the main doesn't seem to work at all -- I need to do a "select loco", and I don't seem to be able to pick up the loco even at short address 3. If I do it on the programming track, I can program the CVs on the loco that's on the track, irrespective of address. The loco makes a little shake when I program each CV, but when I'm done, I have the same old result, I can't select the loco at either long address 108 or short address 3. When I reset the CV 8 to 8, it picks up the loco again and works as specified. I'm not completely sure if the loco is responding to an actual short address 3 or if it's just the default loco on the track at that point, though.
OK, slap forehead, go DUH! I tried using the programming track and programmed the long address as "0108", not "108", and it worked fine. I had another loco with a 3-digit cab number that I seem to have decided to try 0nnn with from the start, wondering if it would work, and of course it worked. So there we are, a long address of less than four digits apparently needs to be filled out with zeroes. Can anyone confirm this or provide other info?
Clearly DCC has a learning curve. I think I can see the theme of my get off my duff challenge this year!
Posts: 9,714
Threads: 233
Joined: Dec 2008
jwb Wrote:OK, slap forehead, go DUH! I tried using the programming track and programmed the long address as "0108", not "108", and it worked fine. I had another loco with a 3-digit cab number that I seem to have decided to try 0nnn with from the start, wondering if it would work, and of course it worked. So there we are, a long address of less than four digits apparently needs to be filled out with zeroes. Can anyone confirm this or provide other info?
Clearly DCC has a learning curve. I think I can see the theme of my get off my duff challenge this year! JWb, some manufacturers decoders require the 0, and some systems require the 0. I knew that but haven't ran into it because all of my units have a 4 digit long address so that of course didn't hit me. I'm glad it worked for you.
Do you have to use the "0" when you aquire it or does the throttle recognise the 108?
As far as learning DCC just use it and when you need to do something different and you find the answer, the information will stick with you.
Charlie
I have to acquire it with the zero as well.
Posts: 1,682
Threads: 101
Joined: Dec 2011
jwb Wrote:I have to acquire it with the zero as well.
We have a GE 44-ton that is numbered 1. The long address is effectively 0001.
Matt
Posts: 9,714
Threads: 233
Joined: Dec 2008
I think I read somewhere that they all require the zero, but some systems put it in automatically
Charlie
|
