I’m fairly new to DCC. I have a Digitrax Zephyr system on my home layout, and my club has a Digitrax Emire builder set up. I recently have been working on getting decoders installed on my locomotives. As long as I am new, I have been using the Digitrax Harness system to hook the decoders wires to a few Athearn, SD40-2 ready to run locomotives. I have also been using inexpensive NCE decoders from my LHS.
Here’s my problem. When I first installed the NCE decoders, they were working fine. But for some reason, the locomotives now want to suddenly take off as soon as I let any tiny amount of power through the throttle to the decoder. I can’t figure out why. But now here’s the weird twist. When I change out the NCE decoder for a Digitrax DH123(I believe) decoder, the locomotive works fine, with the correct speed control. But as soon as I swap either of the two NCE decoders I own back in, the locomotive doesn’t move correctly again. And no matter what address the decoder is on, it still does this.
Any ideas as to what could be wrong? Is there a specific CV I need to program.
Also, one question about programming decoders with a Digitrax Zephyr. Is there a button I can press to totally reset the decoder to the factory settings? I wonder if this wouldn’t help any.
I’d appreciate any help you can give me on the subject, as I’d really like to get these decoders working again.
CV’s 2,5 and 6 control start, max and midrange speeds. It could be CV2 is set way too high. Try resetting all 2 CV’s to -0- and see how it runs. Otherwise, it could be you somehow programmed in a curve that has a very high starting level.
If that doesn’t work, follow the decoders direction to re-set everything to factory settings, change the ID no. to the no. you want, and see how it runs then.
Thanks you so much!! I just went and tried it, and sure enough, that was my problem. CV2 was programmed for 185. Talk about over kill!!
I do have one more question. Is there a place on the web where I can find a list of CV’s for different decoder types? I can’t find it in my Digitrax manual, and I didn’t get an instruction sheet for the NCE decoders. A listing I could print out and keep by the programming track would be most helpful.
You can download the Digitrax decoder manual (the full decoder anual not the sheet that comes with the decoder) on their web site. Look under the Manuals and Documentation section.
You can get the NMRA Standards and RP’s from the NMRA site - certain CVs are standard and must be included, others are optional and up to the manufacturer - for example they all do effects lighting (blinkers, Mars light, etc) differently, and you will need the manual for your specific decoder for that.
I don’t know that NCE had a manual that lists all CVs for all their decoders liekt he Digitrax one, but you can get the individual decoder manuals on their site, and I know they explain at least the lighting effects and motor drive options.
Somethign to look into - the free JMRI program which includes DecoderPro, a tool to make programming easier. To actually control your Zephyr you will need a Locobuffer from RR-CirKits, but you can actually run it in a test mode (when you set it up it prompts for your connection type - there is one in there labelled “Loconet Hexfile” which allows you to runt he program without being connected to the system) and while in this mode you can go into the decoder programming section and you will see arranged on various windows all the CVs a particualr decoder model supports, and at last a short explanation of what each one is for. There is also an opton to show all the CVs that you have changed on the various screens - you can print that and use it to program the loco via the Zephyr if you want.
that info should be provided by your decoder manufacturer . i only have experience with soundtraxx so can’t help you directly , but they list a few CVs in the installation paperwork that comes with the decoder and then if you need more info you have to download it from their site
i just checked NCE’s site (http://www.ncedcc.com/ncetest/nce2.htm) and if you go there , click on products , click on locomotive decoders , you will find a list of decoders . scroll through until you find yours and click on the little ‘download manual’ next to the name of the decoder . all the info you need (and more!) is there
Noah,
Another place to check for decoder settings is Loy’s Toys.
[url=“http://loystoys.com”]
They have ‘cheat sheets’ with a list of CVs and what they are used for, printed and laminated. They have a sheet for nearly every manufacturer and decoder. They usually include the appropriate sheet when you buy decoders, but they are available separately at nominal cost. Worth the investment.
I’ve thought about getting the Decoder Pro program, and sometime I will have to and get the hook-up equipment that I need to go along with it. I think it should make programing decoders a heck of a lot easier.
ereimer and Allan, thanks to both of you for suggestions. I’ll have to look into both of them.
Okay, so I come back to you guys with one more question. I got both of the NCE decoder’s CV2 settings reprogrammed, and I tried it out again. One decoder worked fine, but when I tried the other one, it refused to move in forward. Backward works fine, but forward doesn’t at all. Any ideas on what this could be? Is it a CV setting problem or something that is messed up with the decoder itself?
Forward but no reverse (or the opposite) usually means a decoder problem. I don’t know that you could actually set the CVs in such a way as to make this happen (there is often a ‘forward trim’ and ‘reverse trim’ that works along with speed tables, but I think even at the extremes the loco would still move in reverse, maybe very slowly, but it would run). If it’s the D13SRJ (my choice for an inexpensive basic decoder), try swapping the good one for the bad one and see if it runs.
From what I’ve looked up at NCE’s website, it is infact a D13SRJ. I have swapped decoders on the same unit, and the one works but the other doesn’t in the same locomotive like described.
Since it sounds like a decoder problem I might as well trade it in for a new one. I know the owners of my LHS fairly well, and I think they’ll honor the problem being the decoders fault even though it’s been several months since I purchased it.
Yep, that would do it alright. Hey, I’m glad you were able to nail that one down. [tup] I’m sure Randy will steer you in the right direction with your other questions.
Even if your local guy won’t take it back, seeing how it’s been several months since you bought it, it still should be under warranty from NCE so either way you should be able to get it replaced.