Digitrax SDH164D Ditch light programmation


J

julienjj

Noodle is good
I just got an SDH164D soundbug decoder and looking to make the ditch light flash when f2(horn) is pressed. No matter what, they only work when f2 is pressed, when released they just light out. Ive got JMRI and the used premade config, but hasnt worked. Anyone knows the steps to make them work ?
 
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Found the answer on the web :

CV 51 = 106 (6A Hex)
CV 52 = 107 (6B Hex)
CV 62 = 17 (11 Hex) first digit for keep alive rate.
second for the rate of the effect
CV 63 = 64 (40 Hex) for 5 seconds
255 (FF Hex) for 20 seconds
 
What are you using for ditch lights? Digitrax will only work with bulbs. There's no LED compensation mode. I've tried it and the LEDs dim almost imperceptibly instead of flash.
 
on mine they dim to half power, i think the cv are not working properly cause i specified the dimmed voltage to be zero and obviously they dont shutdown
 
I get the same thing with Digitrax and ditch lights. Its the way the decoder works. It never drops the voltage to 0 no matter what you do with the CV settings. I even sent an email to Digitrax and they basically said to use bulbs instead of leds.

I've started replacing my Digitrax decoders where I have led lighting with either TCS or NCE.
 
One thought, what system are you programming with? Might need more power on the programming track, like a PowerPax to get the job done right.
 
Karl, the digitrax decoders are in the stone age. No BEMF unless you get a 4-function or more decoder, no LED compensation....

I generally buy DH123s for basic decoders to run brand new engines until I get upgrades for them like additional lights. When I put sound in them, the decoders go into my parts box and are recycled for new engines.

The digitrax should program fine on the programming track. If not, you can always do broadcast programming in OPS mode.
 
diburning said:
Karl, the digitrax decoders are in the stone age. No BEMF unless you get a 4-function or more decoder, no LED compensation.....
Click to expand...

So things havn't changed.:( About 10 years ago I bought a bunch of DH121's cuz they were cheap. Shortly afterward each engine that had them started having the "shakes" when in a coinsist. You would try to move the engines, and they would move, but about 1/2 throttle and would shake like Grandma's good hand. Then abruptly would stop shaking for a bit, then just as abruptly would start again.
I checked wiring, I checked motors and current pickup. Finally Jim Scorse at NCE gave me the fix.:D I reset the stop packets sent by my DCC system to a higher number (8). Seems the DH121's (also DZ121 and DH140) had a habit of not remembering they were in consist, and remembering a stop packet for thier non-consist address, would try to respond to it, simultaniously while responding to the consist address. So the would get confused. Resetting to a higher value basicly reminded them of what info they should be responding too. Since then they have all run fine, but I havn't bought any Digitrax decoders since.
It's all NCE,QSI, or Soundtraxx for me.:D
NCE used to have a program where they would take any manufacturers decoder, plus 10 bucks, and send you a new NCE decoder to replace it. A lot of my Digitrax and TCS decoders went bye-bye under the program. Shame they are not still doing it!:(
 
Karl, I use mainly DH123s. They work fine and I don't get any shaking. I buy DH123s because they are readily available and are the least expensive at the LHS. I don't need BEMF because I usually run more than one engine (consists) and BEMF would cause the locos to fight each other.

NCE still offers the $10 replacement policy. The only difference is that they charge for shipping now ($2) so it would be $12 total. They will take working or smoked decoders of all brands, and they will send you a brand new 4-function decoder at the minimum as NCE no longer makes basic 2-function decoders. The downside is that decoders must be submitted one at a time and the turnaround time can take months.
 
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