# It's getting worse ...



## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

So now hardly anything works  

My switcher is fine, follows all commands sent to it.

My two Budd cars and two locomotives - nothing. Each still has the background noise coming from them, but no movement, no sounds, no lights.

And ... my trusty switcher twice started running with other loco addresses active.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

You’ll have to give us a bit more info. What decoders are you using? Is it sound? Have you programmed the other locos address? Does your command station read the decoders?


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

You should also tell us how you're doing your CV programming. Is it possible that you did your programming "on the main" which would affect all decoders on the track at that time? I've accidentally done that myself so I now do all my CV programming on a short section of track on my workbench and not ever on my layout.

Mark


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

I believe Mark meant "paged mode" or 'broadcast mode'. Programming on the main won't change all other decoders unless they all have the same address. Only the decoder holding the address active on the throttle at the time of the programming on the main will take the changes to CV's.

It sounds like he has a dog's breakfast at this point. First, he needs to remove all locomotives from the tracks and to reset his base station...if that is possible. Get rid of any data hit holds, any lists of decoders/addresses and to purge everything. 

Then, he needs to get into paged mode and reset each decoder at a time, depending on the decoder manual for that decoder. With his throttle actively managing Add "03", he can now fiddle with the CV's for each locomotive and to re-address them to their rightful cab number.


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## Mark VerMurlen (Aug 15, 2015)

mesenteria said:


> I believe Mark meant "paged mode" or 'broadcast mode'. Programming on the main won't change all other decoders unless they all have the same address. Only the decoder holding the address active on the throttle at the time of the programming on the main will take the changes to CV's.


Thanks for correcting me.  Good to get that clarification point right for everyone's benefit.

Mark


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Cycleops said:


> You’ll have to give us a bit more info. What decoders are you using? Is it sound? Have you programmed the other locos address? Does your command station read the decoders?


I have Tsunami and all have sound - except the switcher (which is the only one that still works. Is that a coincidence?)

All my other locos were addressed and worked fine up until two days ago. This is when I started working on my newest CN loco, while it was running, it started and stopped far too quickly.

Does my command station (Digitrax Zephyr) read the decoders? Yes, up until two days ago.


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

mesenteria said:


> I believe Mark meant "paged mode" or 'broadcast mode'. Programming on the main won't change all other decoders unless they all have the same address. Only the decoder holding the address active on the throttle at the time of the programming on the main will take the changes to CV's.
> 
> It sounds like he has a dog's breakfast at this point. First, he needs to remove all locomotives from the tracks and to reset his base station...if that is possible. Get rid of any data hit holds, any lists of decoders/addresses and to purge everything.
> 
> Then, he needs to get into paged mode and reset each decoder at a time, depending on the decoder manual for that decoder. With his throttle actively managing Add "03", he can now fiddle with the CV's for each locomotive and to re-address them to their rightful cab number.


Thanks everyone. This sounds daunting - and discouraging. I was POM (Programming on the Main) by the way.

When you say base station, is this also known as the command station (https://www.bing.com/images/search?...608033617303634811&selectedIndex=6&ajaxhist=0

Mike


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Yes, the command station. Too much science fiction in my misspent yoot. 

It's not daunting at all. It's as daunting as rebooting your DVR.

Get into your system manual and find reset. It might involve an "Ops Switch". The idea is to rid the memory of all your addresses and times, etc. When it is reset, it starts freshened, just like a rebooted computer that seems to be acting up.

Then, do the CV8 reset, POM, using a value of 8. Ensure the last step is to remove the power to the rails after you press enter. Your system may do that. Then, restore track power and you SHOULD find the decoder willing to play along, but now on ADD "03". If it does, blasting you with all that horrid volume and distortion, and it moves, you are in business and can safely re-address each decoder as you wish. Make sure you know precisely how to do this with your system. Decoders act up with wonky digits entered into CV29, so if your addresses are higher than 128, you must set your CV29 values in all decoders with those higher addresses to a value of 38 if you want them to continue to sense DC voltage, say on a friend's layout, or a value of 34 if you will only play on your own layout and don't want runaway locomotives whose decoders think they've suddenly gotten DC voltage on power-up. Yes, that happens. CV29, either 38 or 34.


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Thanks - I'll try this tomorrow. 

Speaking of yoots, remember the film with Joe Pesci I think as a New York lawyer defending his cousins in the Deep South


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

That's what I had in mind. I figured you'd pick up on it.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

MikeL said:


> Thanks everyone. This sounds daunting - and discouraging. I was POM (Programming on the Main) by the way.
> 
> When you say base station, is this also known as the command station (https://www.bing.com/images/search?...608033617303634811&selectedIndex=6&ajaxhist=0
> 
> Mike


It sounds like a decoder issue to me but I’ll bow to messenterias superior knowledge, anyway can’t do any harm. Here’s a video of how to the reset, it’s easy.






And here’s one for a decoder reset:


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I should also visit Soundtraxx site and download a copy of the Tsunami manual.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals.php
You’ll need the Users Manual and the Technical Reference.


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

is there an explanation?

i don't tinker with the CVs on my locos. But the other day, one loco would only run for a second and then stop. What CV settings could possibly cause this?

so i reset the decoder (set CV29 to 2) and the loco began working fine. reprogrammed the address, restored some CVs and learned about a few more in the process.

seems that sometimes things just go wrong.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

gregc said:


> is there an explanation?
> 
> i don't tinker with the CVs on my locos. But the other day, one loco would only run for a second and then stop. What CV settings could possibly cause this?
> 
> ...


Yes, they do. Whatever the explanation, sometimes a decoders settings just go wonky, and only a reset (and then reprogramming) can fix it.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

They can lose their programming just in sitting in boxes over the long months. I am just in the process of proving the track system on my new layout. I run all my locomotives in both directions, forward and reverse, to ensure they'll tolerate my trackwork. If they do, they go back into their boxes, and I can begin to ballast the tracks. I haven't run my locomotives for almost four years. At least one of them required a factory reset in order to get it to respond to my throttle inputs.

Cosmic rays passing nearby can change bits in a chip's memory. It just takes one...one ray, one bit.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

mesenteria said:


> Cosmic rays passing nearby can change bits in a chip's memory. It just takes one...one ray, one bit.


Just don’t put them next to the tele when the StarTrek repeats are on.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

Electronics are like sheep, sometimes they die just to prove they can.


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Most of my problems have been solved. I did a system (command station) reset and all my locos (except one) are operating as they were.

My newest arrival, the CN loco, is still not working. I spoke with my LHS and he suggested I bring it back. I'll go to the Tsunami website first and try a few things. 

Again, thanks everyone.


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

*All done!*

Hi again everyone,

I figured out (with your help) how to do a system reboot, change the CN loco address to 03, reset several CV values (03 and 04) and then readdress the loco to the original number. And everything works perfectly! 

(As an aside, I found the Digitrax Zephyr manual a bit lacking. I went to the DCCwiki site; it correctly explained I had to use Blast Programming to program on the main and change the address.)

So, what will make this an almost perfect day? After tonight's Super Bowl Tom Brady decides he wants a new challenge and announces he's going to finish his career with the Montreal Alouettes


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Glad you’re all sorted Mike. That’s the main problem with Digitrax, the technobabble manual!
Have fun.

We appreciate the thanks Mike, not everyone bothers.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Welcome to the wacky, zanny world of Digital Command Control.
Usually when my locos get outa wack, I just take them by one end and beat them on the edge of the work bench a few times. Straightens out those little digital 1s and 0s.


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