I was talking to the BLI repair guy today about how to enter the various ‘shutdown’ stages on my class a steamer and he said to hit f9 twice (within 2 seconds of each other) wait for the usual noises associated with shutdown, then do the same again, and then again for a total of 3 times. He said to hit the f6 key for startup. I tried this and got no response. I reset the engine to factory defaults and tried it again. Nothing. I visited BLIs website and looked through the manual and it said that sometimes you have to, on the first try, you may have to hit the f7 key 3 times. I tried it and nothing happens.
Anyone else tried this?
JaRRell
I shut down my E6 sometimes. Although, it’s usually just to hear the sounds. I don’t
think it’s mandatory, but it’s fun to hear the cab door open and close. Of course it
doesn’t take much to entertain me.[:P]
My E6 has worked from the begining, but my Hudson is older… before they added the
shutdown/start-up sounds. Good luck, Dave
shutdown steps? You mean there’s more than the switch on the power strip?
Jarrell, let me help. Your shutdown is going fine. You have to perform the shutdown THE VERY FIRST TIME YOU DO IT, according to my manual, by double-tapping once, AND THEN AGAIN within two seconds.
So, double-tap on 9, double-tap on 9, and do it once more, all within 5 seconds and you will eventually (eventually) get your shutdown. Apparently, the decoder needs this initial “break-in” method. For subsequent shutdowns, you don’t need to double-tap quite so quickly between them. I have successfully shut down my Hudson by double-tapping at intervals greater than a minute. ( I hope you understand that the double-tap is one application…and that you must double-tap a total of three times to get the third stage where your loco will sit like it is broken…no response, no sound.)
Now, something else that I think is frustrating you. The effect you expect at each double-tap will TAKE SEVERAL SECONDS to develop…like about 30 for the final stage. At least, that has been my consistent observation. So, if you double-tap the first time, you may not notice any change, even a half-minute later. S’arright!! Same for the second and third stages. You’ll move on to something else, and then suddenly realize your loco has gone to sleep. What you should hear is a puff of steam when you do each double-tap. That is all you’re gonna get in the way of confirmation that the loco understands what is asked of it.
Don’t panic the first time you go to run your steamer and get nada. Swallow your heart and double-tap key #6.
I hope that puts you at ease.
I have a BLI AC6000, shutdown works fine for me…
Thanks Crandell~ Ya just gotta know the code! I’ll giver a try tomorrow.
Jarrell
I appreciate it guys. Chip, I think the big red OFF button will do it too!
JaRRell
Jarrell,
I find the shutdown mode very annoying and a waste of decoder bandwidth…It can be confusing enough sometimes to know whether a decoder is responding correctly without it going to sleep or partially etc…I’m sure others have a different view…
I suppose. But I have found the feature quite useful. If I don’t want to hear my Hudson popping off, compressing air, and saying, “Look at MEEE!” while I’m trying to get issues with other locos sorted out, I use the shutdown. Yes, I knew you’d suggest I merely mute it. But I have also customized my mutes to about 35% so that I can still hear them running, but not competing with whatever I am working on or watching. If I want them quiet, therefore, I must use the shutdown.
The shutdown steps on my BLI steamers is simplicity itself - when I want the sounds to shut down I hit F8. Shuts down immediately. When I want it to start up again, I hit F8 again.
Yeah, I know it’s not the same thing you’re talking about!
[:o)]
He said 'shut down" not 'shut up", Mark
[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
–Randy
the first person to design DCC for non-technical people is going to make a killing
I do it on my pair of BLI E7’s when using the Prodigy Advance. I can’t do it with the Digitrax SEB because it stops at function 8. Dang!
John, your SEB surely came with a DT400 throttle? Please say yes.
If so, all you have to do is press (double-tap) key #9. It is the same key as if you were selecting loco # 945; you would press #9 first. Well, that key IS the “nine” were talking about. It is also a function key in this case.
And with all the double tapping, shift #8, click twice, esc, F13 instead of controlling the trains we suddenly have a video game … and I thought we went to command control to get away from controlling other things than the locomotive! [;)]
What I’ve just discovered is they stay in shutdown, even after the main power has been off, I really like this idea. I get annoyed when 3 diesels and two steamers unshut up (F8), when I’ve had a track short somewhere. When they are all shutdown it’s all peaceful.
Ken.