How do I dump the memory of my system when it gets full of addresses?
You have to unplug the Loconet cables on the system, plug in your DT400 and set CV36 - ‘closed’ The table is in the back of the manual(DCS100 Super Chief) on page 115. Setting CV39 to ‘closed’ will reset all mobile decoder/consist/route information. The same information is on page 47 of the ‘Zephyr’ manual.
The real issue here is why are you getting the “slot-max”? message to start with? You have to ‘dispatch’ your engine after you are done using it. And you need to ‘zero’ the throttle as well. Our club was getting the above msg after a month or so on our Super Chief system(120 address). After resetting CV39 a few times, we did a little investigation with Decoder Pro. The ‘Purge’ fuction of the system does NOT toss out idle addresses if they have not been ‘zeroed & dispatched’. And even if they are dispatched, they will remain in the stack, but are marked for purge if a new engines is aquired. The basic rule around the club is to break your consists & dispatch each engine when you take it home.
Another problem taken care of by Decoder Pro…
Jim Bernier
i have been dumping the memory on my clubs two systems once a month since we installed them a few years ago. we had that problem with our first system (empire builder) because members were not dispatching their locos properly. we downgraded the empire builder to our n scale layout and got the super chief for the ho layout. we had the same problem with it. while the super chief can handle 120 addresses it comes from the factory set for 22 so the command station must be reprogramed to accept 120 addresses. even with that i still clear the memory once a month. it’s also easier to de mu locos when a lot of them are run together than to seperate and dispatch each one individually.
I dump the memory on my clubs DB150 before shows. I always dispatch my loco’s at home but at the club or at shows everybody is in a hurry to pack up so we just remove the loco’s from the layout without unMUing and dispatching them. Its not a problem because we all know we do it and just dump the memory before the next show.
Isn’t that a PIA? Like I mentioned, we had to ‘lay the law down’ about ‘dispatching’ engines. I have not had clear the mobile decoder addresses on out Super Chief system for over 2 months. I check the stack with ‘Decoder Pro’ each time I am at the club, and it appears that all 10 members are following the ‘rules’ now. I have a ‘DCC Book’ with instructions for programming addresses/consisting/dispatching engines that member can use if they cannot remember. We plan on ‘registering’ each locomotive with the ‘roster’ feature in Decoder Pro so we can manage the engines better as well. This makes reloading the customized CV’s much easier in the future…
Jim
i don’t think of it as a pita. i think of it as a maintenance procedure just like cleaning rails or wheels. some people never learn so it will always be needed