I recently tried to do consisting on my DCS 52 controller and upon reading the manual that came with it telling how to do consisting. It was pretty confusing for me being that Im a beginner with this stuff. I tried looking it up on YouTube but found nothing on how to do consisting with that controller. I decided to give it a shot reading the manual and I put two locos (One is a Walthers BNSF and the other is a UP Athearn) on my programming track and changed the CVs to 19 and it worked out well. I put them on the tracks and when I ran them there was a difference in speed and one was going a different direction than the other so I changed their directions to match. But, I didn't want something to break so I stopped it. I then just ran my BNSF and it wasn't right. It runs well but the sounds werent playing so i just tried to reset the locomotive and the decoder wouldn't respond even though everything was working right. I then redid the locomotives decoder number back to 03 (it used to be 01). But, now the locomotive startup sound and throttle is on 01. But, all the other functions are on 03. My UP loco on the other hand, its loco number was 1943 and now its set on 01, it functions as it should but the numbers are switched. If anyone would know what I can do that would be great and if theres something that needs to be cleared up I can try.
Consisting mistake making locomotives not work right
- Thread starter RyderLaw
- Start date
goscrewyourselves
I'm the one
I can't help you sorry, other than to say that you bought the right brand of DCC System if you want to be confused. If you want a very user friendly system with great customer support you might want to think about an NCE Starter System. In my opinion, unless you are a seasoned DCC person, digitrax is far too confusing and their manuals are written for people who know what they are doing, not to help people who are new to DCC.
Anyway, I am sure someone who uses the same controller will be able to help you or those more experienced in DCC and digtrax.
Anyway, I am sure someone who uses the same controller will be able to help you or those more experienced in DCC and digtrax.
I have a Digitrax system, and can probably help you with setting up a consist. Especially since the instructions are clear as mud.
First, push the little "engine" button at the top left. Enter the address of the engine you want to lead. Push the engine button again. If you want the second engine to run back to back with the first, turn the reverse knob to "R".
Then push the "A" button". At the bottom left of the screen you should see "MU". Press that. The address on the screen should start flashing. Enter the address of the second engine, then push "MU+". That should slave the second engine to the first.
First, push the little "engine" button at the top left. Enter the address of the engine you want to lead. Push the engine button again. If you want the second engine to run back to back with the first, turn the reverse knob to "R".
Then push the "A" button". At the bottom left of the screen you should see "MU". Press that. The address on the screen should start flashing. Enter the address of the second engine, then push "MU+". That should slave the second engine to the first.
Okay got it, I'll do that next time if I do consisting. I believe what I attempted to do was advanced consisting by looking up a manual from online that was the same controller if I remember right.
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
I've operated NCE and Digitrax. Even had some time with Zero One many years ago.
They're all digital systems.
The one common thing among them all is; they can't read your mind. You have to apply yourself just a little bit to learn their features.
Some claim that NCE is so much easier to operate than Digitrax because the loco selection process is only two steps instead of the highly complex and strenuous three steps of Digitrax.
I would think that encouraging newcomers to the hobby that DCC might take a little bit of learning in order to utilize the entire spectrum of features instead of focusing on the simplicity of the most basic starter steps.
They're all digital systems.
The one common thing among them all is; they can't read your mind. You have to apply yourself just a little bit to learn their features.
Some claim that NCE is so much easier to operate than Digitrax because the loco selection process is only two steps instead of the highly complex and strenuous three steps of Digitrax.
I would think that encouraging newcomers to the hobby that DCC might take a little bit of learning in order to utilize the entire spectrum of features instead of focusing on the simplicity of the most basic starter steps.
kjd
Go make something!
Did you change cv19 back to 0?
When I set up and advanced consist (assigning an address in CV19) I set it up so some functions work with the consist address and some work with the locomotive address. Different speeds for different locomotives is another issue, usually fixed with CV 2, 5 and 6, start, top and midpoint voltage respectively. If that doesn't work CV66 to 95 is the speed tables and trims but that is best tackled with something like JMRI and a computer.
Basically, advanced consisting is changing CV19 to a two digit value that acts as an address. Dial up the value in CV19 on the throttle and all locomotives with that value (or that value + 128) will run on that number. Adding 128 makes the loco run in reverse. If there is a value in 19, the loco won't respond to its own address.
There are some calculations to get values to put into CV21 and 22 that determine which functions activate on the consist address and which activate with the locomotive address. I don't know how to calculate the values, I use JMRI and a computer to set them. Once figured out, you can leave the values in 21 and 22, they only have an effect if there is a value other than 0 in CV19. So if you have a consist set up and want to take a loco out, change 19 to 0. Later if you add it back in, put the consist address in 19 it will still act as expected per the values in 21 and 22.
When I set up and advanced consist (assigning an address in CV19) I set it up so some functions work with the consist address and some work with the locomotive address. Different speeds for different locomotives is another issue, usually fixed with CV 2, 5 and 6, start, top and midpoint voltage respectively. If that doesn't work CV66 to 95 is the speed tables and trims but that is best tackled with something like JMRI and a computer.
Basically, advanced consisting is changing CV19 to a two digit value that acts as an address. Dial up the value in CV19 on the throttle and all locomotives with that value (or that value + 128) will run on that number. Adding 128 makes the loco run in reverse. If there is a value in 19, the loco won't respond to its own address.
There are some calculations to get values to put into CV21 and 22 that determine which functions activate on the consist address and which activate with the locomotive address. I don't know how to calculate the values, I use JMRI and a computer to set them. Once figured out, you can leave the values in 21 and 22, they only have an effect if there is a value other than 0 in CV19. So if you have a consist set up and want to take a loco out, change 19 to 0. Later if you add it back in, put the consist address in 19 it will still act as expected per the values in 21 and 22.
