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Unable to program or reset a Digitrax decoder! MRH product support
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Moderator 2,267 posts Nelsonb111563 Moderator 2,267 posts
Nelsonb111563

Just installed a Digitrax DN163 decoder in a Walthers GP-9m.  Before i put it all together, I tested it using the factory default settings.  Locomotive ran good fwd and rev.  Changed start voltage to a value of 25. Started to move at speed step 1.  NDOT was reversed.  Engine ran backward in FWD.  (wires are correctly installed)  Using Digitrax's decoder manual it says to program CV 29 to a value of 39 (4 digit address, analog operation,28/128 speed steps). Now the engine will not move at all in either direction.  Tried resetting CV 8 to 8 for factory reset and still nothing.  Tried manual setting all CV's  I programmed back to factory default to still no avail.  Decoder is not covered under warranty as it was old stock I had and cost to fix it will be more than I paid for it.  Was Just looking to see if anybody else has had this issue at some time and what you did to correct the problem short of replacing the decoder. I am using a MRC Prodigy express system.  

Nelson Beaudry,  Principle/CEO

Kennebec, Penobscot and Northern RR Co.
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boatman909 Active Member 96 posts
boatman909

Program using MRC Prodigy

Hi  Nelsonb111563,

Try programming on the main.  I find that this usually ensures you can change any CV.  I have a short length (30") of track mounted on a board, wired up with a spare Prodigy plug (green plug) that I use for programming my locos  - never had any problems (although it helps having a spare Prodigy Express system at the work bench).

John
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Nelsonb111563 Moderator 2,267 posts
Nelsonb111563

Tried that already to no

Tried that already to no avail. I finally got frustrated and took the decoder out.  I will try to set it up using a tester.  Now off to the workbench to make that tester.

Nelson Beaudry,  Principle/CEO

Kennebec, Penobscot and Northern RR Co.
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wp8thsub MRH Author 3,348 posts
wp8thsub

HMMM...

I'm wondering if something didn't take correctly on the CV 29 setting and it's preventing the decoder from responding as expected.  That happened to me once, and the decoder somehow thought only a 2 digit address was supposed to be active although it was programmed for 4.  As a result I got no response from the decoder at all on the main.  I figured it out by getting a read-back on the programming track which showed the actual value in CV 29, and successfully re-set to default and reprogrammed after that.  Since you say that the value of CV 29 was set to allow for analog operation, have you tried running on straight DC to see if that works?  If so, the decoder is probably still fine but you've done something funky from a programming standpoint that should be fix-able on the programming track.

Another possibility is if you didn't program a 4 digit address before setting the value of CV 29.  If you still left the decoder at its factory default address of 3, it may no longer respond unless you address it as a "long address" by selecting "03."  Try that first.

Rob Spangler MRH Blog
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Nelsonb111563 Moderator 2,267 posts
Nelsonb111563

Rob, I did not change the

Rob, I did not change the address to a 4 digit.  Yes it still works on DC.  I will re-install it and try to set a 4 digit address.  It would seem to me that programming on the program track would erase and reset it though.  I'll give it a shot and see what happens.  Thanks.

Nelson

Nelson Beaudry,  Principle/CEO

Kennebec, Penobscot and Northern RR Co.
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