Perminant 128 speed steps?

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I have an NCE system. I’m primarially running BLI locomotives. Each time I select the locos they are reverted back to 28 And I need to select 128 on the controller.

Is there a way to set a loco so that it is always set to 128 speed steps?

2

It’s not the loco, it’s the system. The decoder config for 28 and 128 speed steps is exactly the same, the difference is what the command station sends. Check the NCE manual for making 128 the default.

–Randy

3

Thanks Randy

4

Randy,

So the setting in CV29 doesn’t take precedence over that???

Tom

5

I guess not, I have that set. I think it allows it but apparently doesn’t set it. I have to check the NCE manual.

6

So the NCE manual says;

SPEED STEPS - 28 OR 14
If the decoder in this locomotive is an early 14 step decoder then press 1. (all decoders

made since 1997 support 28 speeds). NOTE: If you are wondering how to set the decoder for 128 speed operation, you do not have to program anything. 128 speed mode is always enabled in decoders that support 128 speed step operation.

The only way I get to 128 is to select a loco and then select it on the controller.

7

CV 28 selects between 14 steps and 28/128. The difference between 28 and 128 is in the command station. If you are already setting locos to 28 steps in CV29, you just have to push the 28/128 button on the NCE throttle to switch to 128 steps, no reprogramming of the decoder. Surely there is a configuration setting to make 128 the default. Digitrax defaults to 128 but you can chanbge the default to 28 or 14 if you really wanted to (why anyone would use 14 these days, unless running an ancient decoder, is beyond me).

After a quick read through of the latest PowerPro manual fromt he NCE site - amazingly it seems there is no option to set 128 steps as the default - you have to hit the 28/128 button every time. That’s a huge oversight - hope they fix it in the next firmware. As seen in pretty much every review of a DCC loco, using 128 steps results in much slower minimum speed without any other changes to the decoder.

–Randy

8

Thanks, Gary. I always set me decoders to 128 speed steps when I intially program it. And, IIRC, I only have to press the 28/128 button on the Power Cab once and it remembers it from then on.

Tom

9

As mentioned above, Randy, once I program CV29 for 128 speed steps, I only have to press the 28/128 button once and not each time I operate the locomotive after I turn the Power Cab on.

Tom

10

I’ve got an NCE Power Pro.

It always goes to 128 steps all by itself. I don’t have to push any buttons ever.

If I did anything to make that happen, it happened when I first set it up–years ago.

Ed

11

Same on my Pro Cab. Sounds like your controller is not holding this in memory when you shut it down. Have you contacted NCE about this yet?

12

I plan on calling them today.

13

I have the ProCab 5 amp NCE system. I just did a little experiment. I put 2 locos on the track and set them both to run at 128. Then I shut the system down and restarted. Both were still at 128.

Then I set them both at 28 steps and shut down the system and restarted. Both the locos were still at 28.

Then I set one loco at 28 and one at 128, shut down and restarted. The loco at 28 remained at 28, and the other remained at 128.

So far as I can tell either the command station remembers how it last set a particular loco, or the decoder remembers how it was last set.

14

It’s the command station or cab. The decoder has no clue on 28 vs 128. It takes whatever packets get sent, either 28 or 128. It DOES have to be programmed to take 14 step packets.

–Randy

15

well it seems that everyone went to the train show. I called NCE TS about 6 times between 9a and 11a and they keep saying call back M-F btw 9a and 4p.

Mine doesn’t hold the 128. I shut the power supply when I’m done. Before that I (exp-1) the controller so it is shut off. I guess I’ll wait to see what they say.

16

There is a battery in the command station to retain settings when the power is off - perhaps yours is dead.

What happens if you say select loco 1, switch to 128 steps. Then park it, select loco 2, run it, then go back to loco 1 - is it still in 128 or do you have to switch to 128 again? Basically, do they go back to 28 steps only when you shut off the system, or every time you select a different loco?

–Randy

17

So this is a radio ProCab?

18

Yes

19

This is the digitrax decoder manual. Scroll down to page 34 and you will find a chart that list all the settings for CV29. These settings should work on any decoder.

CV29 does select what speed steps to use.

20

Not really. The choices are 14 or 28/128. There is nothing about 28 or 128.