# Ditch light help: Tsunami decoder



## Holshot14 (Aug 25, 2012)

Ok guys, just starting with DCC, have a digitrax zephyr xtra. Just got a genesis csx yn3 gp15t athg68036 w tsunami sound. It states in athearn pamphlet (page 16) if wanting ditch lights to flash make CV 51 41, CV 52 57, and CV 59 6. I did that and now they flash when horn is blown, but they DO NOT alternate back and forth. Essentially they flash on and off at the same time. Is there something I'm missing here? Thanks for the help.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Without a booster,it is possible that the Zephyr didn't succeed in writing CV's correctly to a Tsunami,specially on the programming track.These numbers should work so I suggest you read them to check,if the Zephyr can read them wich I doubt.If you can't read them,then try re-writing them again.If still failing,try programming "on the main" using "ops mode" (check your Zephyr's instructions) but then make sure no other loco is present on the layout at the time.

Tsunami need a strong signal to be written to,so you may end up needing a booster like the PTB-100 or similar.Hope this helps....


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## Holshot14 (Aug 25, 2012)

I was programming on the main. Little more info. The track is 12 feet long in a circle with 2 sets of feeder wires. The loco would lunge forward after every entry of the new cvs. And everything else I have done works fine.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Can you read the CV's?The loco indeed accepted new CV datas but are they all the right ones?It looks to me like CV52 is off (bit 4 wasn't activated)...this is the one CV I'd try re-writing.It may be a little harder to write to than the others,don't ask me why...it just happens.This is why a booster is often needed.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Jake might be right about the rewrite. With the engine lunging forward after each
rewrite it sounds like the decoder took the rewrite. It may also be possible the decoder
just does not have the capability to alternate the ditch lights. Flash yes but alternate no. I have a bli paragon sd40-2 (not paragon2). Came with no ditch lights. I thought 
it would, paragon2 has ditch lights. I called bli to see about adding ditch lights. They
told me the decoder was not capable of flashing ditch lights. Just not possible with this decoder. Its a qsi decoder not tsunami but I have heard many of the factory decoders that come with these locos are not full featured. They are a little watered down. Cost I guess. Your athearn instructions mentions flashing ditch lights but not alternating flashing ditch lights. Its possible it just doesn't have it.


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## Holshot14 (Aug 25, 2012)

mopac said:


> Jake might be right about the rewrite. With the engine lunging forward after each
> rewrite it sounds like the decoder took the rewrite. It may also be possible the decoder
> just does not have the capability to alternate the ditch lights. Flash yes but alternate no. I have a bli paragon sd40-2 (not paragon2). Came with no ditch lights. I thought
> it would, paragon2 has ditch lights. I called bli to see about adding ditch lights. They
> told me the decoder was not capable of flashing ditch lights. Just not possible with this decoder. Its a qsi decoder not tsunami but I have heard many of the factory decoders that come with these locos are not full featured. They are a little watered down. Cost I guess. Your athearn instructions mentions flashing ditch lights but not alternating flashing ditch lights. Its possible it just doesn't have it.


This loco is brand new, just released from athearn a few months ago. It clearly states in the instruction manual that it is capable of doing this.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

If it says it then it should. You mentioned the flashing part. I didn't know it said alternating. Hope someone can help you. If not call athearn monday.


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## sbeck80 (May 14, 2012)

You have to have each ditch light on a separate functions for this to work. Ditch light 1 on the f5 tab and ditch light 2 on the f6 tab. Then it'll work. Mine was the same way.


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## Holshot14 (Aug 25, 2012)

sbeck80 said:


> You have to have each ditch light on a separate functions for this to work. Ditch light 1 on the f5 tab and ditch light 2 on the f6 tab. Then it'll work. Mine was the same way.


Could you explain a lite more? This is a factory installed decoder and I followed the manual directly from athearn?


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## sbeck80 (May 14, 2012)

You do have to open he shell and see where the wires are going to. Take a pic and post it and we'll be able to help you out pretty easily.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

The two ditch lights wired on the same decoder tab?It would obviously be the problem indeed...lousy assembly to say the least.


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