After all the work installing and testing my program track, I find that I do not need one! I just program on the main and I adjusted all the CVs on that old MRC decoder and the loco runs great now. So, of what use is a program track?
A program track supplies much less current to the decoder than the main. It is a good idea to test new installs on a programming track as the lower current won’t destroy the decoder if something is amiss.
Mark.
How else would you have known that the mystery decoder was a QSI?
The NCE hammerheads (1,2,3) menus are the same in “prog” and “on the main”
You also need the programming track to read CV values.
Rich
If you assign the locomotive number on the main, any other loco you have on the main will be assigned that loc’s address, also.
Only if they share the same current address. If you are POMing, only the loco you have aquired is getting programmed.
David B
I stand corrected. What is POMing?
You need to know the address of the decoder being programmed to program on the main. Either that or you program to address 00 on the main and program everything on the main.
I usually program the initial address on a program track then set the rest of the CV’s on the main so I can see the difference immediately. I don’t do much with reading CV’s because if it doesn’t run the way I want, there is no need to know the wrong value.
Martin Myers
To expand on Martin’s reply, and include the sanity check to hopefully prevent unecessary decoder frying, this is pretty much what I do:
Take newly decodered loco, place on program track. Read the address. For a fresh out of the package decoder it should be 3. If it fails to read, you probably have a wiring problem.
Set the desired address. If this fails, you probably have a wiring problem.
Read the address again - it should now be what you set it to.
If these 3 steps all work, you cna be fairly confident that the decoder is wired properly and will not smoke the instant it is exposed to fill track power. So at this point I put it on my main track and adjust the other settings, like momentum and sound levels.
–Randy
Same here.
Rich
Programming On the Main
Although the menu headings are the same, if you select program on the main selection 1, which is called standard by NCE, the first thing it wants a decision on is the short or long address.
If you select programming track selection 1, also called standard by NCE, the command station tries to read the decoder to determine the brand of decoder and the version.
You would not have been able to determine that your mystery decoder was a QSI by programming on the main.
Well folks, don’t EVER feel that you are too old to learn. Some of the replys were a memory refresher but also some were new to me. Thanks to all and I hope others have learned som things as well.
Same as Randy and Rich. As soon as the three described steps work I quit the Programming Track Mode and switch to POM mode.
I’m staying with programing on the Programming Track. I have small layout and using the program track has always done a good enough job for me. I don’t look upon DCC as a puzzle which needs every nuance of, understood. DCC is a tool I use to operate my trains with and how I do it now is likely good enough!
I have found that the more I get into some of this new electronic stuff, the less enjoyment I get from this hobby.