[:(] OK so i got home yeasterday and hooked my MRC Prodigy advance the the track and got my new ATHEARN GE C44-9W Santa Fe with a new quick plug decoder, im trying to get the train to run but i dont know what to put for ADD, SV, TV, ACC, DEC, or CV, I read the manual and think i got more confused than before i started and is there a right or wrong way to insert the chip twice i was programming and the chip started to smoke. [X-)]
well it sounds like you are in over your head. There are several good basic books about DCC and you need at least on of them. There are many boards including an MRC DCC board on Yahoo that you need to join and read the many thousands of posts to learn what you need to know. The MRC system is very basic and has directions right on the back of the handheld. All the things you are asking are answered in the manuals.
As far as I know, the decoder will only fit the right direction in the 9 pin jst plug Athearn uses. If you’ve seen smoke you are already in trouble. Each DCC manufacturer has there own site as well as places like Tony’s Trains, Loys toys and many others. Just do a google for digital command control and you will have several months worth of sites to explore
jsoderq is right. The basic instructions are on the back of the handheld.
ICMR
Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]
if you let the smoke out you’ll probably need a new decoder . it’s the smoke that makes all those electronic gizmos work , and there’s no way to put it back in [:(]
[(-D]
I love it!
Check the jumpers in your decoder, maybe they’re set to DC mode. Read the manual of your DCC decoder. I strongly recomend to re-read your instructions manual and refer to it before following the next instructions:
The best way to program your loco is to use a program track.
- connect an isolated piece of straight track (long enough to host your longest loco) to the “to program track” screws behind your DCC base unit (command control). This will be your “Program Track”.
- connect your main line to the “to main track” screws behind your DCC base unit (command control), just beside to the "to program track screws. This will be your “Main Track”.
- Plug your handheld control into any of the three “User Cab” sockets on the front part of your DCC base unit (command control). DO NOT use the “Factory Test Only” socket.
- Plug in your power supply unit and turn on your system.
- Plase your loco on the “Program Track”.
- Press the “PROG” button until “prog prog track” is displayed on your lcd screen
- Press “ENTER”
- The word “Adr” will flash on your screen. Use the keypad form 0-9 to asign an address to your loco. You may use the cab number on your loco for easy identification.
- Press “ENTER”
- The word “SV” (Starting voltage) will flash. Press “ENTER” to set default.
- The word “Acc” (Acceleration rate) will flash. Press “ENTER” to set default.
- The word “dEc” (Deceleration) will flash. Press “ENTER” to set default.
- The word “TV” (Top voltage) will flash. Press “ENTER” to set default.
- The word “CV#” (Configuration variable) will flash. Just Press “ENTER” to skip system configuration.
- At this point your loco’s decoder is programed and ready to roll.
- Place your programed loco on the “main track”.
- Press the “LOCO” button on your handheld.
- Press on your keypad using 0-9 the number add you just asign to that loco.
- Press “ENTER”
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thanks redleader will give it a try
As Randy Rinker would say, if you let the magic smoke out, you’re hooped. Time for a new decoder.
I am concerned that the magic smoke was let loose (lose? [}:)] ) because there was the wrong kind of power getting to it. What setting is the controller on? N scale, O?! I am not familiar with your system, but Digitrax ones are able to be set for the scale.
Sounds like DC power got to the decoder?
ok so i examined the decoder to see it it was dead and it turns out i stopped it just before it went poof it got so hot though it melted the souder and a wire cam undone so at least that part not done for