Can't change the address on my SD70ACe

[BDM]

I bought a Genesis SD70ACe at a train show a couple weeks ago... I love the engine, but no matter what I try, I cannot get it to change the address of the engine. I can modify CV's, but can't change the address.

Using a Digitrax Zephyr Xtra. Have tried direct and ops modes, can't get either to do the address. Tried both on the programming track, and solo on the operating track.

I'm at a loss at this point as I don't want to buy the PTB-100 that Tsunami recommends unless I'm 100% sure that will fix the problem.

Thoughts?

 

[Selector]

An important step often missed in changing addresses of decoders is cycling track power off and then back on again immediately after pressing 'enter'. I don't know if your system does that automatically, but with my Digitrax Super Empire Builder's DB150 base station, it automatically cuts power to the rails as soon as any CV change is made in Paged Mode..which is the suggested mode for address changes only with Digitrax.

Secondly, if you are attempting to input an address higher than 127, it is a 'long' or 'extended' address, and you must reconfigure CV29 concurrently or the loco will still only act on address "03" when you go to acquire control of it. For Non-DC sensitivity, or what we call non-dual-mode sensitivity, you need a value input of "34" in CV29. That value precludes the dreaded runaway locomotive that happens in some systems upon power-up. Otherwise, the value you need is "38" which will allow the decoder to decide for itself which type of power you are supplying it.

 

[BDM]

With the Zephyr, it's supposed to be simply selecting the engine to change, pressing program, then loco to select either ad2 or ad4 (short or long address), then the number (in this case, the loco number 8334), then cv-wr to write the value, then exit and cycle power.

I think I've tried that about 25 times now and it simply doesn't work..... which is why I'm lost on what to do. The manual for the Tsunami decoder says some dcc systems aren't powerful enough to change it... which was why I was looking at the PTB-100 booster... but I don't want to spend another 50 bucks for it unless I know it will fix the problem.

And my other two engines (which are not Tsunami decoders) worked just fine using the above method.....

 

[Motley]

I would try calling Soundtraxx tech support. They answer the phone, and are very helpful with problems like this.

 

[BDM]

I would try calling Soundtraxx tech support. They answer the phone, and are very helpful with problems like this.

I'm going to do that tonight. I hadn't done it yet because most of the time when you call someone in a situation like this, it comes back to "buy more of x so y will work".... Was hoping someone else here had already ran into this situation and could tell me how they fixed it.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Can you change the 4 digit address on another loco?

 

[TrinityJayOne]

Are you actually setting it to use the long address? With a PowerCab part of the basic setup is to change the loco address, but you can still set a long address and then tell it you want to keep using the short one when configuring CV29. I've done this a few times myself when blasting through the initial setup and accidentally hitting "enter" instead of "1" when it asks whether to use the short or long address. They're entirely different CV so this isn't unique to the PowerCab, you could even change the long address manually and still be using the short one if you don't adjust CV29 accordingly.

 

[CSX Robert]

Have you tried blast mode? It is a special mode that the Zephyr has that increases the service mode power for programming sound decoders that require more than the NMRA recommended practice.

Concerning ops mode programming, with my Zephyr(which is not the newer Xtra) if I try to program a 4 digit address in ops mode from the console it does not perform all three writes that are required. It will if I use an external throttle, but not the console. To program a long address and activate it in Ops mode, I have to write the three CV's individually.

 

[BDM]

Thanks for the help guys... I'm at a complete loss here... This is my first DCC system, but I'm not new to computers by any means, and that's essentially all this is.

That said, I've tried all the options listed here... programmed the individual CV's, and I can get CV 17 and CV 29 to program, but for some reason CV18 won't take when I try to program it for a 4 digit address. Next step would be to try a 2 digit with CV17.... but I'm entirely frustrated with this engine at this point, so I'll try again tomorrow night.

 

[BDM]

Update!!

After much irritation over the last couple of days with this, I worked with it again tonight and got it to work. Programmed it by hand modifying each of the CV variables based on the extended number I wanted to use, modified CV 29 to a setting of 38 based on an online CV calculator I found, and it worked. Programed it in Ops mode with blast mode on on my Digitrax Zephyr Xtra.

I'm just happy it worked!

After that, I modified a bunch of CV variables based on Athearn's recommendations for the sound settings, and I have an engine that operates on the cab number, and sounds a lot better!

Very happy with it now! Now.... to save up another 200 bucks for another one......

 

[TrinityJayOne]

Do you recall what it was before? It sounds like it was still looking for the short address if fiddling with CV29 fixed it.

I know you're probably hesitant to change anything but I'd recommend altering CV29 to 34. It's the exact same settings you have now, only it turns off DC operation as Crandell mentioned earlier. If you don't plan on running the train on someone else's DC layout you're better off disabling this legacy feature, otherwise your train could misinterpret an electrical glitch as instruction to blast off down the rails at full tilt.

 

[BDM]

Do you recall what it was before? It sounds like it was still looking for the short address if fiddling with CV29 fixed it.

I know you're probably hesitant to change anything but I'd recommend altering CV29 to 34. It's the exact same settings you have now, only it turns off DC operation as Crandell mentioned earlier. If you don't plan on running the train on someone else's DC layout you're better off disabling this legacy feature, otherwise your train could misinterpret an electrical glitch as instruction to blast off down the rails at full tilt.

I'll consider it, and will probably change that tonight.

I'm leery of changing anything that has to do with the address right now since it took so much to get it to work.... I had done the exact same process before, and it didn't take.... only thing I can think of that I did different was to hit the "write" key like 20 times before moving to the next CV.... maybe that's what it took for the decoder to finally get the value....