I recently bought anN scale Atlas H15-44 with a decoder. Initially the marker lights did not function regardless of cv settings.Atlas replaced the decoder and tested it ok. I tried it and the lights are great but the loco now won’t run. I tried resetting the long address but did not help. Accelerating just makes the headlight blink. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
After resetting the long address, did you program a value of 34 into CV 29? The decoder won’t recognize a long address unless CV29 is changed.
It’s funny. I have programmed all my long addresses with my Power Cab on the programming track and have never once had to adjust CV29. Does the Power Cab somehow do that automatically when I’m programing it?
Tom
Tom:
I am no expert on this but I believe that the NCE Power Cab does several things more or less automatically. In other words, if you are trying to program something, say a long address, the Power Cab will automatically adjust whatever CVs are required to be adjusted. That assumes that your version of the Power Cab software accomodates the decoder of course, but I have never had to play with multiple CVs in order to program a four digit address. I have a variety of newer and older sound and non-sound decoders and the only problems I have ever had with programming were with Intermountain decoders being difficult to reset to factory settings, and that may have been because I was trying to input the commands too quickly.
Dave
When you program a four digit address with NCE, you must activate the ‘long’ address. That automatically changes CV29. The Cab screen will ask you this when you are programming the address.
That’s true of all NCE systems, but too many people exit programming mode before completing the setup, and wind up with a non-responsive decoder because CV29 doesn’t get reset.
Lights blinking as the throttle is advanced can also be a symptom of the incorrect speed step setting. Make sure CV29 is set properly in the decoder, but also make sure you did not accidently swith the mode for the address on the throttle. With the CV29 suggestion for a long address, the throttle will also need to be in 28.128 speed step, which is pretty much what all current systems default to, but it can be changed to 14 on an address by address basis via ‘status edit’ or a ‘mode’ function.
–Randy
With Digitrax you just select the 4 digit option with a click of the knob when you program a 4 digit address and it takes care of CV 29 as you program in the road number.
Richard