I cannot figure out how to program a long address on my new MTH GP38-2 on my NCE Powercab. The instructions make no sense. Something about CV 17 and 18 and hexadecimal digits.
I got the short address changed. Anyone out there figure out long addresses?
Joe,
Are you using programming on the main (POM) mode or programming track mode to programming your locomotives? I always use programming track mode to program the short and long addresses and rarely have any programming issues using my Power Cab. However, I’ve never tried programming an MTH locomotive because I don’t own any.
Tom
I thought the instructions said to use POM mode but I suppose I could try programming track mode. No matter since I have a separate programmin/test track separated from my layout with a DPDT switch.
Is that the MTH instructions? You should always use programming track mode for programming your locomotives. It programs your decoders at a lower current and helps to protect them from frying in the event of a short - i.e. from either a bare wire or the bottom of the decoder touching the chassis.
Tom
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I lost the first Lee County Computer Programming competition in 1984 because I could not remember the formula for converting to hexidecimal!
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Thank you for reviving an old bad memory.
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[:D]
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-Kevin
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I don’t know how to do it that way either. Maybe you should read the NCE instructions, instead. Page 3: turn on the powercab
Page 4 & 5 walks you through programming a long (####) or short address (1-127) on the programming track. You can have one but not both.
I’ve never had to set CV 17 and 18 separately.
Never again what.
If you have the patience to endure, here is the MTH writeup on extended long address programing:
https://www.mthtrains.com/sites/default/files/Programming%20The%20NCE%20DCC%20Controller.pdf
Rich
I thought that you could not do MTH locomotives on a programming track, I thought they had to be done on the main track?
Rick Jesinowski
Never again will I buy am MTH locomotive. This one is the NS First Responders so it is a bit specialized. Its for my cousin to run when he is over. He is a police officer in training.
Usually with the PowerCab, and using the programming track function, you don’t have to fool with the hex stuff. The PowerCab takes care of that for you. Just follow the PowerCab instructions.
There’s no hex invovled with CV17 and 18. And no DCC system makes you calculate the values for those anyway. The oddity of them is that they are more complex than just the first 2 digits and the last 2 digits of the long address (ie 1234 is NOT stored as 12 and 34). Blame the NMRA, they were adding on to the Lenz system (which only had short addresses, 0-99). There are many ways to make a number in that range fit into two 8 bit bytes, they picked one and that’s what we have for the format of CV17 and 18.
Some MTH locos only allow you to use either short address 3 OR the cab number as a logn address, you can;t always use whatever address you want. ANd normally this is set using programming on the main, the instructions are included with the loco - there are several pages on DCC operation explainign what functions do what and how to program it.
I had no problem getting my FAs programmed to the cab number. But there are plenty of other reasons they are my first, last, and only MTH HO locos.
–Randy
Does that mean that the NCE method can’t be used?
The Power Cab can program the long address on an MTH locomotive but there are several steps involved. Here is an explanation from NCE. Note that the details regarding programming a long address start part way down the page, but I would read the whole article because I suspect that you have to start with the short address set to 03. I could be wrong:
Dave
Then I think the OP chose the correct title for the thread
Actually after all the fuss it turns out that I have to program the locomotive in programing track mode not POM despite what MTH lead me to believe. It would be so much easier if they would just say so and if they would follow the convention the other manufacturers do.
Glad you were able to get your one and only MTH locomotive programmed, Joe…
Tom
Hi Joe,
Just so my wee brain can understand, were you able to program the MTH locomotive using the Power Cab’s basic commands, or did you have to go through all the rigamarole that was outlined in my link to the NCE website? Just curious? Glad you got it to work.
If I have learned anything about DCC, it is that the solutions to what seem to be major programming problems are almost always very simple.
Dave
Dave,
thats the bottom line but in the process I learned a few other things like programming the Option Key to access funtions 10 to 28. So it was a learning experience Thank you everyone the advise helped.
I belong to the “One-and-only” MTH locomotive club as well. For several years my New York Central Empire State Express Hudson was programmed to default address “3”.
Finally, one day I decided to simply wire a short length of track to the output of my Digitrax command station and use this as the “Main”. I admit that I was just too intimidated to use the entire main line of my layout, with about 100 locomotives sitting on it to program a loco address.
Using the DT402 throttle I went through the steps of POM programming and the engine has been fine ever since. It only took a few minutes to “isolate” my command station and designate a short piece of track as the “new main” but the reassurance that the Hudson was the only engine going to see the new CVs made it a wise choice for me.
Empire_5426-9sm by Edmund, on Flickr
https://mthtrains.com/news/037
I will often make changes to sound or momentum CVs using Decoder Pro on the main but I don’t trust myself with making address changes there.
Good Luck, Ed