Bachman Decoder address change

[PNKFLOYD]

I cannot change the default 03 address on my new Spectrum 2-10-2.
I am able to program the new 4 digit address with a Digitax Zephyr, but when I return to acquire the engine, nothing happens.
It is a non-sound decoder and works well on the 03 default address.
A fellow club member has the same problem on his new sound-equipted Bachman 4-8-4.
It was a little strange to turn up the throttle to move my engine and hear the engine pick up speed. And the whistle worked, too! But the headlight would not come on? Sure is dangerous to operate two engines with one controller.
Any ideas? Bad chips or the nut behind the programmer doesn't know what I should be doing?

 

[DCCinstalled]

If you can find someone who has a Bachmann E-Z command they will have no problem changing the address for you. For some reason Bachmann does not make programming with other command stations very easy.

I have actually called Bachmann and they could not talk me through it over the phone. I just replaced the decoder with a basic digitrax and the loco is running great and programmed to the address I wanted.

 

[Cjcrescent]

I cannot change the default 03 address on my new Spectrum 2-10-2.
I am able to program the new 4 digit address with a Digitax Zephyr, but when I return to acquire the engine, nothing happens.
It is a non-sound decoder and works well on the 03 default address.
A fellow club member has the same problem on his new sound-equipted Bachman 4-8-4.
It was a little strange to turn up the throttle to move my engine and hear the engine pick up speed. And the whistle worked, too! But the headlight would not come on? Sure is dangerous to operate two engines with one controller.
Any ideas? Bad chips or the nut behind the programmer doesn't know what I should be doing?

I thought I was having the same problem with a TCS M-1 decoder until I discovered that I was trying to program on the main. In other words in Ops mode. If your programing on the DT400, you have to make sure that your are in their Ops mode programming. I do so little programming anymore on the throttle. What you need is to try to program it on a programming track using Paged mode.

 

[jeffros]

I had the same problem with my digitrax zephyr and 3 of my bachman DCC locos. Tried everything, read the manual 5 times. Searched the internet and found the problem.

Ok here is how you can change the address from 03 to anything you want.

1. get a piece of track (9") will do.
2. run wires from that piece of track to tha back of the zephyr and hook it up to the "programming track" terminals (prog A and prog B)
3. place a 1000 ohm resistor across the programming track terminals along with the wires for the track.
4. place loco on that section of track and program according to the manual.
5. remove the loco from that piece of track and place on your layout and it should run fine at that address.

Something about the internal resistance in the bachman decoder is too high for the digitrax to read and will show error.

here is the link - http://www.digitrax.com/kb/index.php?a=832

hope that helps
Jeff

 

[UP2CSX]

Very good instructions, Jeff. That is exactly the problem. The Digtrax will not read or change decoder variables in the Ops mode. It works fine on a programming track, which is a good idea anyway, since you're less likely to smoke something than programming on the main. It's been a learning curve for me to got from the E-Z Command to the Digitrax Zephyr but it all makes sense after a while.

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Thanks for the help everyone!
Nobody I talked with could give me a clue and now I should be able to fix the problem. I was ready to return the engine.
Hope I can help someone else as well as you have helped me.
Mikey

 

[CSX Robert]

...The Digtrax will not read or change decoder variables in the Ops mode...

I don't know where you got this information, but Digitrax most certainly will program CV's in OPS mode. The one thing I have noticed is if using the Zephyr throttle it does not automatically program all three CV's for 4-digit address programming, but it will do OPS mode programming and you can program a 4-digit address by writing CV17, 18, and 29 seperately. The Zephyr also does the automated 4-digit programming in OPS mode when using a DT series throttle to do the programming.

Normally, no DCC system will read CV's in OPS mode, but Digitrax actually can if you have transponding installed and you are using decoders with transponding enabled.

 

[UP2CSX]

Robert, let me restate that. The Digitrax Zephyr will not change CV's for thing like the loco address in a Bachmann engine with a Bachmann decoder on the main. I was refering to what Jeff wrote, not about all engines in general.

 

[Espeefan]

Thanks for the help everyone!
Nobody I talked with could give me a clue and now I should be able to fix the problem. I was ready to return the engine.
Hope I can help someone else as well as you have helped me.
Mikey

Hi Mikey! Looking over the posts on the forum over lunch at my desk & saw yours. Here's the BEST fix:

1: Open the loco 2: remove the Bachman decoder. 2: Apply 5 pound sledge hammer to the decoder liberally. 4: replace decoder with your choice Digitrax, TCS, NCE, or whatever. They're all better than the Bachman decoder. Bachman also doesn't tell you anything about what CV's are set where, or even what the decoder does. Nothing in the box, nothing on the website. One of the Hobby's great mysteries, I guess. If you look back a few months at my review of the Bachman Peter Witt trolley in Model Railroad News, you'll see I had the same trouble with them.

 

[RexHea]

Robert, let me restate that. The Digitrax Zephyr will not change CV's for thing like the loco address in a Bachmann engine with a Bachmann decoder on the main. I was refering to what Jeff wrote, not about all engines in general.

Digitrax deliberately doesn't allow address programming with Ops mode and using the throttle and CV1 address. This is to prevent accidental programming of other decoders on the mainline. However, and as noted by CSX Roberts, you can use CV 17,18, 29. NOTE: for those of you that have never used CV 17,18, you must convert the address for number entry into each one. Several sites have a calculator to make it easier. Tony's and QSI are two sites.

 

[Espeefan]

Digitrax deliberately doesn't allow address programming with Ops mode and using the throttle and CV1 address. This is to prevent accidental programming of other decoders on the mainline. However, and as noted by CSX Roberts, you can use CV 17,18, 29.

When I was trying to program them I was using my NCE Powercab, and I could only get changes to "take" using Ops Mode (programming on the main) NCE does let you changes addresses this way. The Bachman decoder is just weird. I don't like not having a list of cv's, what is in them from the factory, and so forth. Other than the trolleys I have not had any experience with their decoders, but reading threads like this one, I'm thinking that their DCC stuff is strictly for beginners who don't want to change much, if anything.

 

[RexHea]

Alan, don't know if you have a handy desktop or laptop, but if you had DecoderPro software and an interface, you could download all the CV settings at once and have them in front of you to study.

Maybe you could go to the Bachman forum and see where you could get a list of the default CV settings.

 

[CSX Robert]

Digitrax deliberately doesn't allow address programming with Ops mode and using the throttle and CV1 address...

This is true of the old DT100 throttle, but with the DT300 and DT400 throttles address programming is not limited in Ops mode. You can change the 2-digit address, and you can program a 4-digit address using the automated "Ad-4" function of the throttle without having to write the three CV's manually. The one thing you do not want to do is change the 4-digit address if the loco is already set to 4-digit addressing(the way to handle that would be to progranm a 2-digit address and then program the new 4-digit address).

Even if using a Zephyr as the command station, address programming is not limited in Ops mode if you are using a DT300 or DT400. If you are using the built-in throttle of the Zephyr, you can still program 2-digit addresses in Ops mode, but the automated 4-digit "Ad-4" function does not work, it only programs CV17 and then stops, so you would have to program CV18 and CV29 manually.

The Ops mode 4-digit programming from the Zephyr throttle not working does not appear to be a deliberate limitation, but a bug, because according to the Zephyr Manual:

Your DCS50 can use OPS Mode Programming to change the CV value in ANY
CV, including 2 digit and 4 digit addresses.

 

[RexHea]

Ok CSX, let me go out to the depot and do some checking. All I have are DT400s w/SuperChief and I always used the programming track for address changes using either the throttle or DecoderPro. This may be an op switch setting. Back in short .

 

[RexHea]

Well.... I was successful in programming both 2-digit and 4-digit addresses in Ops mode/mainline with the Digitrax DCS200/DT400.

Anyhow, I don't know where I got it in my mind, but I've been using Page Mode and the program track for years (by throttle or DecoderPro), thinking that was the only way for decoder addresses...(of course, it still is the safest). Only thing I can figure, I confused the manual recommended "Page Mode" which works only on the program track for "Only way" or someone with an old type throttle passed it on to me. Heck, maybe I read over that section to fast.

I apologize for misleading anyone.(I believe that I need remedial training.)

 

[Espeefan]

Alan, don't know if you have a handy desktop or laptop, but if you had DecoderPro software and an interface, you could download all the CV settings at once and have them in front of you to study.

Maybe you could go to the Bachman forum and see where you could get a list of the default CV settings.

No doubt Rex, but as we've discussed before, my own personal philosophy is that I prefer to keep the PC out of programming, at least for now. Bachman should provide that information with the product like everyone else does. You shouldn't have to go on a quest. My basic grumble is that their unit seems to behave differently than everyone else's, and they don't tell you why, or tell you anything at all.

 

[RexHea]

Alan, I agree that the default settings should be made available to you. If your Bachman came with Tsunami sound, then go to the Soundtraxx web site and download the manual. I don't know if something is specific to Bachman, but the basic settings should be close. This you can find out on the Bachman forum or just asked "the Bach Man" or ask Soundtraxx.

None of my BLI's, PCM's, and Atlas, User Manuals came with other than the most commonly used CV default settings. Its easy enough to download or even look at the their decoder manuals that have all the CV's and explanations. You shouldn't expect them to include over 200+ CV settings in the little pamphlet they call the user's manual. For the Tsunami, you are talking around 250 pages.

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Wow! Am I glad I asked my question!
I have learned something new three days in a row this week.

Please don't tell anyone.

And now I need to go back to the Digitrax manual and read some more about the capabilities of the DT400 controller.
The more I read on this forum, the more I realize how little I know about model railroading.
Thanks for the information!!!
Mikey

 

[RexHea]

Watch out Mikey...you may become LEARNED!

 

[Espeefan]

Alan, I agree that the default settings should be made available to you. If your Bachman came with Tsunami sound, then go to the Soundtraxx web site and download the manual. I don't know if something is specific to Bachman, but the basic settings should be close. This you can find out on the Bachman forum or just asked "the Bach Man" or ask Soundtraxx.

None of my BLI's, PCM's, and Atlas, User Manuals came with other than the most commonly used CV default settings. Its easy enough to download or even look at the their decoder manuals that have all the CV's and explanations. You shouldn't expect them to include over 200+ CV settings in the little pamphlet they call the user's manual. For the Tsunami, you are talking around 250 pages.

Um, we're not getting through to each other... Let me see if I can do better at explaining I was talking about the basic Bachman decoder (non sound) that comes in the Peter Witt trolleys, and other non sound offerings. Basic values are all I was looking for. I have the Tsunami manual at my desk, though I believe that the Tsunami that comes factory installed in other manufacturers locos (called a "psuedo-nami" in some circles) does not have all of the features that their stand alone offering does. I'll have to check the Bachman box at home to see if it has an NMRA conformance warrant or not... can't remember at the moment, but all they tell you in the Bachman literature is that it is set at address 3. There is absolutely nothing in the literature or on the Bachman website about these little basic decoders, and if they aren't NMRA compliant, who knows what does what? That's why I find them unacceptable, and would recommend replacing them with name brand units.