Hello guys, I am new to the hobby but very zealous and anxious to get
started. Today I purchased two locos (proto2000 SW8/900s w/qsi sound),
a prodigy advance DCC system, and a few pieces of track so that I can
get started running and testing my locos.
My questions are as follows: While reading the manual for both the
locos and the prodigy adv. sys., they both mention programing on
the “main or programming track?” If I am just using a single piece of
flex track to test out and play a little with the locos can I still
program/run the locos?
My next question: I read in the manual that programming locos with qsi
sound decoders is problematic/ difficult? Keeping in mind that I am a
novice will this present a problem for me?
I don’t own a Prodigy Advance ¶ system, but programming on the main or a program track is pretty much the same with every major DCC system, so I can at least answer your questions in a basic fashion.
“programming on the main” aka “ops mode” (i think) - means that the locomotive is on the main line of your layout. This is a slightly more “dangerous” way of programming your locomotives - if you wired in the decoder yourself, and something is wrong, you’ll most likely fry the decoder; also if you arent careful, you can potentially program all of the locos on your layout at once. Usually the only way to get some of the more finicky sound decoders to “listen” to your programming commands and read back the CV (configuration Variable) value. Now, this is not the case for every system, some of them work fine when you’re programming on the programming track.
“Programming track” - either a seperate stretch of trackage on the layout (might be modelled as a long-abandoned siding, with the switch torn out), or a stretch of track that can be cut from the main (through the use of a toggle switch. This is usually a safer way to program a locomotive, because there is less voltage on the track (so you won’t fry and incorrectly installed decoder), as well as there is/will only be one locomotive on this track at one time (so you don’t program ALL of your locomotives).
As far as running/programming your locomotives, all you have to do it hook up the outputs for the MAIN LINE on the back of your PA unit to the track (don’t worry about the program track), and set the PA to Ops-mode programming when you want to change something in one of your locomotives.
As I stated above, some sound decoders are “finicky” if you use the programming track style of programming the decoders
You could try muting the sound in the QSI unit(s) before programming on the separate track in Paged Mode. That may allow the reduced current to get into the decoder’s circuitry without being shunted into sound production…and you may set it that way. Don’t forget about long and short addresses; they require different processes to enable the new address. Also, some QSI decoders will sit quietly, apparently not re-programmed, or worse, dead, until you enable the long address first, and then actually acquire that new address on your throttle. Until you dial in and engage the actual address, the decoder remains shut down.
I have the Prodigy Advance and a couple of QSI controlled loco’s (not the same ones that you have). You will probably need a programming track booster to use the programming track. You can program just fine on the main. Programming in a long address (over two digits) may require you to either turn the sound off (it tells you the CV setting and is talking while the PA is trying to program a second CV) or program a CV value for the long address to work. The QSI manual should tell you which CV’s to program with what values. I use all short addresses and everything programs just fine on the main line.
NOTE: For safe operations, only have one loco on the track when you are programming on the main.
I’m a rookie DCC disciple too but got a lot of help from this forum. My limited experience has been that you can program your Proto loco on the Program Track just like the MRC manual says with a four digit address. I had to program my BLI locos on the Main Track and, for simplicity purposes, use a two digit address pretty much like the MRC manual says. (There is a slightly advanced procedure to use the four digit address and I may do that with a little more experience). You can look at the complete QSI manual on their website (www.qsisolutions.com) and its very helpful (its about 180 pages long so I just saved a copy on my PC and refer to it). Make sure when you program on the main track that you don’t have any other locos on it or you could end up with all of them having the same address
I’m using a Prodigy Advance also but if I had to do it all over again I would have probably started with a different system, either Digitrax or NCE based on comments that I have seen here.
If you want to contact MRC they can send you a 14 page Word document "PRODIGY ADVANCE, ADVANCED SQUARED, AND EXPRESS TIPS AND TRICKS’ which has a lot of good information thats not in the instruction manual. I got it yesterday in response to a question I asked them. (www.modelrectifier.com)