I need help with JMRI

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I need help with JMRI, I’ve tried the Users Group. I have a new MRC 1731 Steam Decoder and it doesn’t appear in the newest JMRI software load. How do I get JMRI to program the unlisted decoder?

I used the Prodigy Controller to get it going but I don’t want to do any advanced programming with the MRC Controller, too much room for errors.

Thank’s in advance.

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

2

Is JMRI detecting anything at all? If not, maybe do a full reset on the decoder (CV 8). This probably sounds like pretty standard advice, but I’ve had decoders need a couple of resets before JMRI picked them up. I would do the reset through the MRC controller as I’ve not had good luck with JMRI triggering full resets on anything I ask it to.

3

Hi, Mel

I probably can’t help much as I just muddle through JMRI and nearly all my decoders are listed. Just last night I was trying to program an Atlas AEM7 that I had installed a TCS TH150DP decoder in. I couldn’t find it on the Decoder Pro list anywhere! [banghead]

After a little Googling, I find out that TCS decided to rename the decoder to DP5X!

Did you try doing a “read type from decoder?” Sometimes that brings you into the “family” of similar decoders and you can pick the best choice out of there.

http://jmri.sourceforge.net/xml/XSLT/pages/DecoderId.html

I see that 1731 is from the 16 bit “Platinum” series. Seems like there is only one other Platinum on the above linked list.

Otherwise, I guess you’ll have to see if anyone can help on the Yahoo group.

Good Luck, Ed

4

Thanks Ed, that got me into the decoder. I can probably figure out the rest. The 1731 decoder is a MRC type 19, your info got me to a 1911 type 19 Heavy Steam decoder.

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

5

There is also a developer list where you can ask detailed technical questions, like “is this decoder included in the latest release of JMRI”, and the developers are so good at being direct and friendly about it:

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jmri-developers

6

The developer’s list is really intended for the developers to talk among themselves about coding, etc. Stuff the average end-user doesn’t usually know or care about.

The better place for end-users to ask is, well, the JMRI User’s group:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/jmriusers/info

However, with all that said, if you simply want to know what decoder definitions are in JMRI, just check their decoder information page (note that a direct link to this page is on the DecoderPro page):

http://jmri.org/xml/XSLT/

7

I tried the JMRI users group without any success. I don’t do well in Yahoo Users Groups. Thanks for the link to the decoder information page Stevert.

I have my 1731 working in DecoderPro with the MRC 1911 decoder model. I haven’t attempted to change the speed table yet but everything else seems to be working OK.

I really like the MRC 1730 & 1731 decoders, they are much better than the earlier MRC Brilliance decoders and with good speakers they sound great.