NCE Power Cab- Lights turn on and off, no movement

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I recently hooked up the power on my NCE Power Cab commanded layout. I’m using the NCE decoder on an Athearn AC4400, and I can get the system to talk to the engine, e.g. change the ID and such as well as turn the light on and off (as well as change direction with the light), but it won’t move.

Is there something I missed in the programming to get it to move (voltage bump or kick?)?

Thanks!

2

80KTS,

A few questions for you:

  1. Did you install the decoder yourself?
  2. Did you program your NCE decoder on the programming track?
  3. Did you verify that it worked on address “3” before programming it?
  4. Did it move at all (stutter forward) when it took the long address?

You might try your locomotive on address “3” to verify whether or not it actually changed to the long address when you programmed it. You can also try resetting your decoder back to factory standards - i.e. CV30 = 2. (Here’s a handy page for that for most decoders)

80KTS, verify that your decoder and locomotive work together first before programming it. That will eliminate a number of rabbit trails.

Hope that helps…

Tom

3

If I remember correctly One of my decoders did this, and it was because I had accidentally put it to sleep by double clicking one of the controller buttons. I believe I woke it up by double pushing the number 6.

Maybe someone else will help us out?

Cheers

Lee

4

Lee,

That method only works on QSI sound decoders. The OP has an NCE decoder.

Tom

5

Is this an engine that you used elsewhere and which might have been used in a consist? If there is any possibility of this, reprogram CV 19 to a value of zero.

6

When you changed the decoder address, did you also step through the “configuration” option? If not, set CV 29 to a value of 34 and try again. The decoder won’t recognize a long address without setting CV 29.

This can be done through either main line programming or on the programming track.

7

Chuck,

I’ve programmed every one of my decoders (Digitrax, Lenz, NCE, TCS, QSI, and Loksound) on the programming track with my Power Cab using the long address option in programming mode and have NEVER had a problem with the long address not taking. I’m assuming CV29 is changed to a value of “34” when that happens?

Tom

8

When changing a decoder to a long address with an NCE system, if you select “3=CFG” and work through the options, you are setting the value of CV29.

Too many users get in a hurry and immediately exit from programming mode without doing this, so the decoder thinks it is still set to operate only on the short address 3.

9

Chuck,

When I initially program a decoder I do the following steps:

LCD Command

Action

Press PROG/ESC 4X then Press

SEL MODE [Fast clock time]

USE PROGRAM TRK

Press ENTER

PROG TRK

1=STD 2=CV 3=REG

Press “1”

MAIN OF

MANF VER: [___]

Press ENTER

DIR MODE

DECODER VER: [___]

Press ENTER

ACTIVATE ADR: SHORT

SHORT ADDR 1=YES

Press “1”

ACTIVE ADR: SHORT

SHORT ADDR: 003

Press ENTER

ACTIVATE

THIS ADDR? 1=YES

Press “1”

SETUP ADDRESS

LONG ADDR: ____

Enter address [e.g. 8245]

ACTIVATE

THIS ADDR? 1=YES

Press “1”

SET CFG

ENTER=NO 1=YES

Press PROG/ESC