Extreme newbie NCE PowerCab needs CV help.

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I can set the loco long address, that’s it. This manual is very confusing.

Is there anyone willing to walk me through the steps to program factory reset? I’d also like to know how to get to the menus to reprogram CV’s 2, 116, & 117. Just as a test. I can’t get ANY CV’s to work. All I get is basically "what number you want to enter? and then I have to ESC out which does nothing.

Thanks.

2

Note that many, many people run DCC (especially NCE) very happily without manipulating a single CV.

I personally don’t have the time to walk you through all the CV settings – perhaps someone will. NCE Customer Support is also pretty good.

But again, maybe you should just run trains for now and worry about the arcane details of CVs later (if ever). [:)]

3

Sorry, but I don’t agree.

Anyway, first you must decide if you are going to program “on the main” or “on the programming track”. The PowerCab can do both. However, there is only one connection to the track. So, if you program on the main, you can set whatever you want by dialing up a specific loco. If you use the programming track mode, every loco on the track will be programmed to the same values. So, you obviously would not want to do this if you were trying to do a full decoder reset.

Since you’re just starting out, I recommend that you remove all the locos from the track no matter which mode you want to use until you are confident that you won’t get yourself into trouble.

Next, you mentioned that you might want to do a full decoder reset. For this you need information from the decoder instructions, or the decoder manufacturer’s website. There will be a CV associated with the reset, as well as a value to put into that CV. Not all decoders use the same CV and CV value.

Getting back to the PowerCab, if you are starting out with a raw decoder (no addresses set, etc), you probably want to use the programming track mode. Have only the subject loco on the track.

  1. Press the prog/esc key several times until the display says "use progam track.

  2. Press the enter key.

  3. The display should say “Prog Trk” and have below it 1=std, 2= CV, 3=reg

  4. If you only want to set a CV, press 2

  5. The display should say PROG with Enter CV# below it.

  6. Punch in the CV number you want to program or change (lets say X) and press the enter key.

  7. Display should say CV Num (X) =. Key in the value you want and press the enter key.

  8. The display at that point will ask if you want to enter another CV number. If you don’t, p

4

Thanks Max, that helped a lot. I spent the night figuring this all out but your succint description will really help. One thing I didn’t know was each decoder has its own reset values for reset.

Paul

5

Just to be clear, I probably should have said that each manufacturer might have its own values. I think that for the most part, within brands, the CV and its associated value will be the same. You can find more info on that subject here http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/dec_rescue.htm and here http://www.dccwiki.com/Decoder_reset. I’m not sure if either of those references are all inclusive, so if you don’t find what you want, or if it for some reason does not work as advertised, you’ll have to read the instructions with the decoder or go to the associated website.

6

Hi Paul-

Let’s get some background information.

What is the brand and model no. of the decoder you are trying to program? Next, what is the brand and type of locomotive?

Once we have that information, we can point you to information that will increase your working knowledge of the hardware you own and want to operate.

7

I could be mistaken, but I believe that the original concern was not so much what to program as it was what is the proceedure I need to follow to be able to program.

But yes, if the programming procedure does not seem to work, then knowing that other information will be necessary.

8

Brand - Bachman

Model - GE 44 ton switcher

Decoder info as read by my NCE DCC CAB - Manuf 101, Decoder version 046.

9

So it is a Bachmann decoder as identified by the 101. See: http://www.nmra.org/standards/DCC/mfgnumbers.html

I believe that the version display leaves out the decimal point, so the version of the decoder is probably 4.6.

Did you get instructions with the loco? There should be something in the packaging that lists the CVs that the decoder uses. You may find that some of the CVs you are trying to change cannot be changed because the decoder doesn’t use them.

For example, if your loco has this Bachmann decoder, http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/ez_content/1_Amp_Decoder_Instr.pdf, you can try to change CVs 116 and 117 (if those are the ones you originally mentioned) all you want. But since the decoder does not support those two CVs you’re out of luck.

10

Paul in Ga.

The thing that helped me the most with my Power Cab is in the back of the PC owners manual. Open the back page and you have a road map. Across the top are numbers, Four pushes of the prog/esc key takes you to the"use program track. Then push enter twice you get to program CVs. Type CV number, push enter, then put in value and push enter again. The Power Cab is very easy to understand by using the road map.

Good luck, and enjoy.

Lee

11

Lee, this is one of those “duh” moments for me. You’re right, I didn’t even stop to think about looking there and it makes it much more helpful.

Thanks.

12

Glad I could help. [swg]

Lee