NCE Decoder Changes CVs as It Runs - Stewart FTs

[richhotrain]

Rich,

No it shouldn’t, but that was luck of the draw. I just reset, re-long addressed and reconsisted 540 all over again. Set it and 541 running a few feet apart and let them loose on the main. 2 or 3 laps later, they’ve coupled together, because 541 catches up with 540 as it gradually starts slacking. Removed 540 to the programming track. This time CV29=154???.

Put loco 540 back on the programming track without doing a reset to factory defaults. Program the value of 34 in CV29. That would select the long address and 28/128 speed steps. See if that works and see if CV29 holds a value of 34.

Rich

Edit Note: Picking up on maxman’s comments, while 540 is on the programming track, set the value of CV19 to zero to clear any prior consist. Do the same for loco 541.

[maxman]

Set it and 541 running a few feet apart and let them loose on the main. 2 or 3 laps later, they’ve coupled together, because 541 catches up with 540 as it gradually starts slacking. Removed 540 to the programming track. This time CV29=154???

Okay, now I have a curiosity question. Why exactly are you moving the loco to the programming track and re-reading CV 29 when the 541 catches up to the 540? If you don’t move the loco to the programming track do you have an issue, or does the problem start after you attempt to read CV 29?

[richhotrain]

mlehman
Set it and 541 running a few feet apart and let them loose on the main. 2 or 3 laps later, they’ve coupled together, because 541 catches up with 540 as it gradually starts slacking. Removed 540 to the programming track. This time CV29=154???

Okay, now I have a curiosity question. Why exactly are you moving the loco to the programming track and re-reading CV 29 when the 541 catches up to the 540? If you don’t move the loco to the programming track do you have an issue, or does the problem start after you attempt to read CV 29?

Probably because I asked him about the value of CV29. I asked about the value of CV29 because I was curious if he had the speed curve selected.

Rich

[richhotrain]

This time CV29=154???

When using an NCE command station and an NCE decoder, the value of CV29 should never exceed 59 since some of the bits are reserved or not applicable.

Rich

[maxman]

Another question: Do you have a PowerPro system (5 amp) or a PowerCab system?

Edit: Never mind. Re-reading the posts I see that you have a PowerPro. You confused me because in one of your posts you said you “let my PowerCab do the translation”.

Which leads to another question. You mentioned that some of your units seem to lose their addresses. Are these units which are in consists? I ask this because there is a battery in the command station that is needed to maintain the command station memory, which includes consist addresses, when the power is off. I think that you did say that the problems occur when you turn off the command station, correct?

So if the unit is in a consist it will want to run on the consist address, contained in CV 19. If the consist addresses are lost because of a dead command station battery you can enter the cab number all day long and the unit won’t run because the command station looks for that number amongst the consisted units which no longer exist.

[richhotrain]

Another question: Do you have a ProCab system (5 amp) or a PowerCab system?

He mentioned Power Cab somewhere earlier in this thread.

Rich

[mlehman]

This is a correct statement as far as it goes. However, if he makes multiple attempts to consist those two locos and doesn’t go into the command station and delete any existing consists that might contain those two units, there will just be a lot of decoder confusion as the command station tries to figure out exactly which consist is being called up when he selects loco whichever.

Note that I have also been conscientious about keeping only the one consist in the stack I find when I use Browse Consists. Normally, I keep two consists on F unit lashups that have A units at both ends and with hood units. In the case here, I deleted 541 consist to avoid the confusion that might arise as I’ve tyried different things.

That said, if the command station has a stack of old consists in it that don’t show on the NCE hammerhead, then that could be a problem.

[mlehman]

I have a PowerCab on the proggramming track. The layout is a PowerPro 5 amp with a 5 amp booster.

I move things back to the pogramming track when 540 starts stumbling, bceause I can’t read back using Programming on the Main. I also am more comfortable doing the resets there, as I can check my work. Otherwise I’d never have known about the weird values showing up in various CVs.

[richhotrain]

Going back to Mike’s initial post on this thread, it does seem clear that the CV values are changing without user reprogramming. Very weird.

As far as creating and killing consists goes, I have had recent problems in this regard and I started a thread about it a few days ago.

If it were me, I would check the values in CV19 (consist) for both locos to see what is stored in each decoder even if a consist does not show up on Browse Consists.

Rich

[richhotrain]

I have a PowerCab on the proggramming track. The layout is a PowerPro 5 amp with a 5 amp booster.

I move things back to the pogramming track when 540 starts stumbling, bceause I can’t read back using Programming on the Main. I also am more comfortable doing the resets there, as I can check my work. Otherwise I’d never have known about the weird values showing up in various CVs.

Agreed. You can set CV values POM, but you can only read CV values on the programming track with the PH-Pro.

Rich

[mlehman]

Edit Note: Picking up on maxman’s comments, while 540 is on the programming track, set the value of CV19 to zero to clear any prior consist. Do the same for loco 541.

After the last fail, checking CV19 shows it = 61 on 540 and = 248 on 541. That probably explains why they weren’t playing well together at that point. I suspect whatever is changing CV29 is also affecting CV19?

[richhotrain]

I have a PowerCab on the proggramming track. The layout is a PowerPro 5 amp with a 5 amp booster.

Mike, why do you use a Power Cab on the Programming Track? Why not just use your Pro Cab?

When you use the Power Cab on the Programming Track, do you then run your locos on the main using the Pro Cab or the Power Cab?

Rich

[richhotrain]

richhotrain
Edit Note: Picking up on maxman’s comments, while 540 is on the programming track, set the value of CV19 to zero to clear any prior consist. Do the same for loco 541.

After the last fail, checking CV19 shows it = 61 on 540 and = 248 on 541. That probably explains why they weren’t playing well together at that point. I suspect whatever is changing CV29 is also affecting CV19?

And CV5 and CV6, and I wonder what else.

Rich

[mlehman]

Zeroede out CVs 19, confirmed CV29 was 34, deleted old consist from stack and confirmed no others present. Put both back on the track. 541 is fine as frog’s hair. After I found it wouldn’t respond on the main, back to the programming track and found 540 reverted to CV29=1 and CV19=50…[*-)]

[maxman]

I have a PowerCab on the proggramming track. The layout is a PowerPro 5 amp with a 5 amp booster.

Okay, now I’m more confused. Do you have a separate programming track with the Powercab?

Are you doing your consisting with the ProCab on the main? Or are you doing your consisting with the PowerCab and then moving the locos to the layout and expecting them to run consisted there?

You mention that you were clearing out the consists on the hammerhead. All this does is clear out the controller loco recall slots. I think there are only six slots. It does nothing to clear out multiple consists from the command station, where you can have up to 127.

And since the posts are now starting to get crossed, please go back and read my post above concerning the command station battery.

[richhotrain]

Zeroede out CVs 19, confirmed CV29 was 34, deleted old consist from stack and confirmed no others present. Put both back on the track. 541 is fine as frog’s hair. After I found it wouldn’t respond on the main, back to the programming track and found 540 reverted to CV29=1 and CV19=50…

Oh my !

Do you have a consist #50 elsewhere on the layout?

When you Browse Consists, is loco 540 included in another consist?

Rich

[richhotrain]

And since the posts are now starting to get crossed, please go back and read my post above concerning the command station battery.

Yeah, all three of us are posting near simultaneoulsy.

Mike, is that command station battery fresh?

What is your latest EPROM update?

You should use your Pro Cab on the Programmng Track.

Browse Consists to see if loco 540 is being used in another consist.

Rich

[mlehman]

When you use the Power Cab on the Programming Track, do you then run your locos on the main using the Pro Cab or the Power Cab?

Power for the main bus is in the corner of the layout room on opposite side from the wall that separates staging from the main layout. Programming track is with staging. There’s just no room for a programming track on the layout and would crowd the aisle to use it even if there was.

I use the PowerCab just like any other controller on the main part of the layout, other than the other throttles are all radio cabs and the PowerCab isn’t.

[mlehman]

So if the unit is in a consist it will want to run on the consist address, contained in CV 19. If the consist addresses are lost because of a dead command station battery you can enter the cab number all day long and the unit won’t run because the command station looks for that number amongst the consisted units which no longer exist.

It’s been awhile since I changed the caommand station battery, but I have changed it once sicne purchasing the syustem 5 years ago.

The QSI units started having problems about a year ago. The FTs recently. I have other consist with neither in them and they’re all OK, no problems.

[richhotrain]

I have the PH-Pro wireless system, but not a Power Pro.

I just wonder if there are storage and/or memory conflicts when using both systems together like you are doing.

Do you Browse Consists on both the Pro Cab and Power Cab?

Do you get identical readings for consists on both cabs?

Rich