NCE Power Cab VERY FRUSTRATING!!

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Help!

I was testing a Loco on my test track, it worked fine then it stopped,

I tried resetting it on 1. STD and am get a message that says “cannot read cv”.

I then put on another Loco on the track and it did not run.

I tried resetting it as well on 1.STD and the still get the same message “cannot read cv”.

I have no clue why nothing works!

Ever since I changed from DC to DCC, it has been nothing but problems!

I HATE when this happens, especially because I suck at electronics!

How in the heck does it go from working to not working?

Are they producing inferior and crap products?

Are things that delicate that they fall apart?

Can anyone please help me before I lose it and throw eveything in the garbage!!!

2

First off, do NOT use the decoder reset menu option in the PowerCab unless the decoder is an NCE decoder. It’s only designed to work with NCE deoders, it MIGHT work with others, but it actually sets CVs rather than tells the decoder to reset. It mostly sets common CVs that should be the same across all decoders but it also resets some that are NCE specific and may not be used or else have different valid values.

To read CVs, you must be in program track programming mode. You also need clean wheels and track. ANd what decoder are you trying to read?

Don;t worry about reading CVs. Put one loco on the track. Select program, ont he program track, and set an address. Escape out of programming mode, hit Select Loco and enter the address you just gave the loco and see if you can control it. Start simple - don’t try to adjust settings until you can just run the loco as is.

Make sure you are using the flat cable, not the curly one, and make sure you have it plugged in to the left socket on the panel - that’s the left one with the electronics facing up, also the one in front of the connector where the track wires connect.

–Randy

3

Hello Randy,

You state"Put one loco on the track. Select program, ont he program track, and set an address. Escape out of programming mode, hit Select Loco and enter the address you just gave the loco and see if you can control it.

You have to be patient with me please.

Lets see if I have this right.

When I select Program Track it gives me 7 options.

1=STD 2=CV 3=REG 4=PAGED 5=DIRECT 6=NCE EFFECTS 7=RECOVERY PROG 8=DECODER UNLOCK.

Which option do I chose to set an address?

4

Ok Randy,

After thoroughly checking the track, wire connections to the PCP panel, on a hunch I deceided to change the panel, since I have an extra one.

Low and behold, I got it working.

Looks like the PCP panel is faulty.

Again, just my two cents worth, I find the NCE panel is not that well made.

I dont like its flimsy wire connector and the RJ12 cab connector is plastic and can easily snap off if one is not careful.

They could have come up with a stronger more reliable connection system in my opinion.

My Thanks to Randy for your help

Cheers!

5

I’ve been using Digitrax for over 15 years, and they use the same RJ12 connectors for the cabs. haven’t broken one yet. Or bent any pins in my panels. Club uses Digitrax as well, mostly radio throttles but I always take one of mine which are plug in only. One or two of the club owned throttles may have had the tab snapped off, but it’s cheap and easy to crimp a new one on.

I also work in IT - where the 8 pin RJ45 version is EVERYWHERE - hundreds of them in patch panels in switch closets all over the place - they are a lot more robust than you might think

. Nearly all of the DCC vendors who use some sort of plugin for their cabs use these connectors, and have for many years. Back in the early days of DCC there were some other types of connections used, but nearly all have disappeared in favor of RJ plugs and sockets of one form or another. Not electrically compatible with each other, but the same physical connectors.

Apart from the plastic face plate on the PCP, there’s not much to break. There are no active electronics, just the barrel connector for the power supply, a few diodes, and the LED, and the two pin connector for the track wires. If the PowerCab starts uop and displays normal screens, odds are the issue is with power to the tracks - you didn;t get a bit of insulation caught up in one of the screw terminals, did you?

–Randy