# "help" -- MRC Prodigy / DCC locos



## Rays82vette (Dec 21, 2011)

Good Morning all. Ok, So i bought a new MRC Prodigy wireless system and 2 DCC equipped engines. But, I'm having a problem........ All I can seem to get to work is the lights and sound. Neither engine will move forward or backwards. I have programed the engines with there road numbers and as I said, the lights and sounds work so that can'y be the problem. any other ideas????? HELP.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Rays,

You had two parallel threads going. I merged them into one here in the DCC section. It'll be to your benefit to have the chain of dialog / resonses all in one section.

Good luck with the debugging,

TJ


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

Have you tried reprogramming the engines? That was the first thing i seen in the troubleshooting part of the manual! 

I said something about the speed steps can sometimes be off and that reprogramming should fix it!

i hope that helps if not maybe someone else here can help


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Did they work(run forward and reverse) with the default address 03, before you reprogrammed the road numbers? If all fails you can just reset the decoders to factory settings and use 03 as the address. You'll have to read your manual, I don't have a MRC to reference to.


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## Rays82vette (Dec 21, 2011)

Ok, Like I said I am really new to this stuff...... The one engine is a used Bachmann , the other is a Atlas silver line Dash 8-CW with a Tsunami decoder. I bought this from a guy who buys these things and installs decoders and does a nice lite weathering job. The engine looks sweet. Deprogramming or doing a factory reset sounds like the best idea. So how do I do that? There is nothing that I can find that tells you how to do a reset. Sorry for being so unknowing, and I really appreciate the help.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

Each decoder resets a little differently. Some use a magnet and others you reset CV8 to a certain value. For best results refer to the manufacturer for resetting techniques for the installed decoder. If that does not work then you may have other problems with said engines.

Oh and make sure the track and wheels are clean. 

You can also test the engines on DC track as most decoders will have a DC mode. DC mode can be disabled so make sure if the engine does not move on DC that the CV for Analog running has not been turned off.

Massey


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

yes, this stuff can be fun to troubleshoot.

what steps did you take to program your engines with new address? which decoder you have in bachman?


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## Rays82vette (Dec 21, 2011)

The Bachmann is completely stock. I didn't program either of them. there both suppose to have been programed with there road numbers. I just found the instructions for how to reset the Tsumani back to factory spec's. I'm going to try that here in a while after I get my kids settled.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

please confirm. engine fully responds to lights on off commands (as in you can command the state and its not going on by itself when you put it on rails) but will not respond to speed commands?
i thought you said "_I have programed the engines with there road numbers_" and was wondering which steps you took, what CVs you touched and what values were set. basically wanted to eliminate speed CVs were not affected. 


i'm not familiar with prodigy advance, but i vividly remember the experience with prodigy express. my inexperience + system with built in CV assumptions + shoddy decoders all resulted in bunch of frustration.


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## Rays82vette (Dec 21, 2011)

The engine fully responds to light and sound commands...... But will not move forward or backwards. When i said I programed them with there road numbers, I meant I put the road numbers into my dcc to use them since that's what I was told they were programed with.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

make sure they are not in Shutdown mode. Hit F10 and if the engine says "disconnect" or "Standby" or "shutdown" then it needs you to finish the cycle and start it back up again. Most decoders use F9 and F6 for this process.

Massey


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

well, in that case you didn't *program *anything, just selected their adress in your cab.

Massey has very good point. in "idle" and "low idle" state engine will have engine sounds but has motor circuits disconnected. 
however i thought idle and standby modes are unique feature of QSI revo decoders... my tsunamis don't do that (but then they are OEM models, perhaps that's why).


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