# proto gp15 decoder



## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

I have a proto gp15-1 and I installed an mechanical 1750 decoder in it and I would like to runs more lights.(ditch beacon etc) can I add a digitrax decoder to an mrc to get the lighting fx? I have an dh165lo but it does not work on the original board that was with the loco.


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

let me rephrase...the digitrax does not fit for plug and play. and will not plug and play on the original proto board. any suggestions??


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Pull out the stock board and hard wire a digitrax decoder in place of it!


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

i ended up getting a dh163d so i can hard wire that one. im trying to use 2 decoders one for sound and one for lights and motor. im new to programing cvs and looked around but understanding is a different story. lol i am trying to set up ditch light functions. i understand cv 49 through 56 is for the fx wires. but i dont quite understand hex and bits. all the sites i have seen expect you to know how to set those up. i am new and do not fully understand how i set them up. are they the cv values? im using a zephyr to program the decoders.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

When you install the decoders tell me which wire you hook it everything and I'll tell you how to program it.
If your using 2 decoders it's real "fun" to program them!!!
Leave the body off and there has to be a way to disconnect at least one of the decoders!


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

Thank you. You rock in my book. I have the shell off and have been trying to do one at a time. The mrc is sound and digitrax for the lights. Should I use the mrc for motor because of the sound? Right now I have ditch lights on green and purple. Should I also hook the direction lights to the digitrax since that is controlling the ditch lights? I appreciate the help.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yep I would keep all of the lights on the digitrax decoder.
If you want to help keep the sound sinked then yes keep the motor control on the MRC decoder.


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

perfect. thats what i was thinking. ok i think im ready to program cvs. which ones do i do and what do they do?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Give me the model #'s of both the decoders and the Cab #.


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

digitrax dh163d mrc 1750 cab nuber 1499


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

i think i just fried the digitrax. i cant get the zephyr to comunicate. i get the nr code.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Do you have both hooked up?


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

No. I only had one. I hooked up my ditch lights and I had them working then I went in to try to set cvs and nothing put it back on track power and nothing. I have them seperated the whole time. The mrc is fine just the digitrax. I will try to get a new one tomorrow. I could use any 9 pin decoder even if its for a Katie or athern right?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yes all 9 pin set ups are the same.
Do you have power going in on the red and black, and lamps or LED's coming off of Blue+ and yellow-,white-,green-,violet-?

I have done some research on the MRC decoder your working with, I don't have a good answer for you!
That decoder is what I can a "wanna be" DCC decoder. Yes it's DCC but it will not play well with others, it has a different set of CV's than other decoders it's not standard, I can't even tell you what all the CV settings do, I do not have a CV map for it.

I install and sell Soundtraxx Tsunami's and you would be better off getting a decoder like that with all the controls built into one unit, They are not that much more $ than what your trying to do now, in fact it might even be cheaper.


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

No power from any wires...I am not hooking up the digitrax to the motor so I'm not worried about that I just want to program it for lights.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

You have to power the decoder with the red and black to track power or it won't work!
You will also need to put a "load" on the motor wires to be able to read it, you can use a set of jumper wires to a motor or a 1k ohm resistor.


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

I had it working to read CVS I did everything right it just fried for some reason. I was messing with it for a couple hours with everything working and I was setting different CVS to see what the differences were. All lights worked and the last time I set the CC and switched it back to power track poof...oh well live and learn. Well I have a soundtrax hooked it up. Its for an athearn but with a little modifications. Got it mounted. Now It is working but I can not read CVS. Is there a problem with zephyr and digitrax?


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

ok. got the tsunami in. i need help programing cvs. i have a zephyr and the only way i can i think is in ops mode. i cant even set the address. i dont know if im doing it right.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

You will need to get Programming Booster at $48 or more depending on who you buy it from.


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## fundio (Mar 22, 2012)

i have set a few of the other cvs but not the address. it will program i just cant read the cvs.


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