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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
Bob, as far as I know the Bachmann Spectrum GE 44 tonner does not have factory installed decoder, I have 2 of them, they have 2 motors one of them runs in reverse direction. Decoder installation is very difficult due to the fact of the motors running in opposite direction. My guess is you have a Bachmann standard 44 ton which comes with a decoder installed and it was changed, the DZ123 comes in several versions the only difference being the connections. The DZ123SP has a short harness with plug which would not work since there is no place to plug in. I also have a Bachmann standard 44 ton which has a single motor decoder equipped which I removed and replaced it with a ESU sound decoder. If you need to physically check which decoder is installed there are two screws in center bottom, remove them and the body can be lifted off. Hope this helps, Al Babinsky?
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I built a turntable using JMRI. The interface to the layout is an SMINI using CMRI boards. I use all turnouts and routes to control it, not the TT built into JMRI.?
I will be at the NMRA next week and will cover it along with other devices in ?Clinic on JMRI and CMRI. If you are going to be there look me up.?
Jim
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I believe what your experiencing with the turntable in JMRI is expected behaviour (intentional or not). I have a turntable on my layout panel but no physical equivalent as yet. I find the same thing with the turnouts. From experimentation I have discovered the JMRI TT operates by change of state not by the turnout getting thrown. I found a turntable hack in the JMRI files section that uses logix to close all turnouts on the turntable when a road is selected and throw the relevant one (? /g/jmriusers/files/ProblemsBeingWorkedOn/WaltsStuff/JRMI%20tricks/TurntableHackWalt.xml?). I don't know if this behaviour is intentional or not. Neither do I know what effect closing the turnouts at once will have on the DCC operated turntable hope this helps John
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Re: Inconsistent behaviour with the dispatcher
Hi James
We built your layout, masqueraded a very nice RS as Haymarket, an ran it.
1) the profile has problems, if you view the current profile the errors are in red, the calculations will go bonkers if it trys to set a speed near those values. Until you get everything sorted Id suggest using a speed profile with 4 points (25% increments), its one less complication.
2) The train stops very quickly as it slows from 100% to 25% (max entering a final block) and the stops. The entry into the final section is under "Bottom Right"? which is "Proceed"? so its entering the final block at 100% throttle. The driver wakes up and says "What The, Im stopping here" and chucks out the anchor. The Signal on entry to the stopping section, "Bottom Right"? should be amber/yellow/caution/approach. It will only be set to that if the next signal, "Bottom left",?is set "Danger", unfortunately "Bottom left" is "Proceed", even though the next block is not allocated to it, another "Oh My" moment. This needs to be fixed with direction sensors in the sections and Signal Mast Logic.
3) I can only duplicate the train stopping and starting for no apparent reason by making the "slot in use" before starting. I suggest that use the LocoNet monitor to ensure all the slots are speed zero, all functions off and status? free before starting anything.
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Re: Inconsistent behaviour with the dispatcher
James,
Yes, your train settings would help.
The immediate stop for a single train is not reproducible. ?It happened once or twice but never again. ?
I am assuming that your single train has the Reset when Done option enabled. ?If so, then with the current transit definition for either Full circle..., the train will run forever or until manually stopped. This is the documented behavior.
Based on your dispatcher options, the block values are being maintained by Dispatcher which appears to be overriding normal block tracking. ?The block warnings are real but not relevant. ?They are a side effect of a 4 block loop.
What is relevant is that when running two trains, the layout occupancy varies between 50%, 75%, and 100%. ?When the trains are in sync, the best signal indication is Caution. ?When one train catches the other, the front one will get a Proceed.
I may have overstated the permutations thing a bit. ?There is a lot of documentation and it seems to be well organized. ?I find that I need to read the documentation, play with the system, read it again, play again until it finally makes sense.
Dave Sand
On Jul 31, 2018, at 6:12 AM, jamespetts via Groups.Io <jamespetts@...> wrote:
Thank you both for your replies. Steve - I am having difficulty reconciling that explanation with the behaviour that I actually experience.?viz.?the trains?running correctly when there are two on the layout, but running incorrectly when there is only one, as described in more detail in the original post. As I?have written before, when there are two trains on the layout, they do accelerate and decelerate for signals as one would expect, but they do so gently.?When there is one train on the layout, it either stops dead on entering its final transit, or never stops at all and keeps going in a circle until stopped?manually.?
Dave - thank you very much for testing this. The original problem occurred when I set up new Active Trains and then ran them then removed one train?from the layout and ran the other, then terminated the one that had run (and had failed to stop) and re-created a new active train with the same settings?as before, so this exact sequence and the problems could not be replicated if I had uploaded a file with Active Trains saved. Would it help if I were to?give all of the settings that I used for the Active Trains?
In terms of being many options which create a lot of permutations, unless the consequences of each option are clearly documented, nobody will have a?hope of being able to get predictable behaviour from the Dispatcher except by luck, and nothing in the documentation that I have read would lead me to?infer that the behaviour that I have seen would result from setting the options that I have set. I note that you had trains stopping suddenly at the end of a?transit on some occasions but not others, which suggests that you are able to reproduce inconsistent behaviour. Should this now be escalated to a bug?report, do you think?
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Re: Detecting DC vs DCC track power
Hi Ken,
You are correct - Address should be 0 for DC loco on DCC.
However, not all decoders are enabled from new to do this.
Incidently - I don't recommend running DC locos on DC at all - not even for test runs.
The onboard electronics are not designed (in most cases) to take the higher voltage that DCC puts on the rails. ? Thanks Phil H ? Got a specific interest?
Model Scottish Railways? - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScottishModellers/
and the new files section - http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/scottishmodellers-photoalbum/
Modelrail Exhibition - Glasgow? - www.modelrail-scotland.co.uk
Interested in DCC operation? - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DCCUK/
Interested in Proto87 - http://proto87.org
Interested in Guilford/PanAm Railroads? -?
From: KEN <boomer17@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, 31 July 2018, 14:35 Subject: Re: [jmriusers] Detecting DC vs DCC track power
I thought that DC locos run? on Address 0 on a
DCC system.
Ken
On 7/30/2018 2:06 AM, Michael Piazza
via Groups.Io wrote:
This is what I¡¯m saying.?
Most DC locomotives will run on the latest DCC systems with
NO modifications. ?All the DC engines are running as address
3 so your block control is still required but you don¡¯t need
to futz around with any esoteric circuitry because you are
only running in one mode: DCC. ?As such there would be NO
REASON to run DC anymore.? Some people don¡¯t like the way
the DCC pulses drive their DC motors but it is still doable.
?
Mike Piazza
?
?
I also agree with Bruce, trying to run DC
and DCC together is just asking for trouble. ? I think that
model railroaders are sometimes a very cost conscience group
and I count my self in that description. ?I have some great
looking older locomotives from the DC era that I would like to
run on my layout, but now I just have them in my display case.
?I¡¯ll likely never convert them to DCC especially now that I
have some 20 other DCC locomotives on my layout. ?So I find it
a faulty logic to avoid the time and $20 to convert a loco to
DCC when the unfortunate consequence of an accident could be
the cause of damaging a DCC control system worth hundreds of
dollars. ??
?
Thomas Cain
Indianapolis, IN
atsf93@...
Modeling the Eastern?Illinois Santa Fe from
the?Prototype
See my website and layout?at: ?
On Jul 29, 2018, at 10:19 PM, Bruce
Petrarca via Groups.Io < bfpetrarca@...>
wrote:
?
The VERY BEST way to prevent the
disasters awaiting this scenario is to prevent its
existence. Don¡¯t ?allow DC and DCC to exist on the
same layout at the same time.?
Anything else is a recipe for disaster.
Bruce Petrarca, Mr.
DCC; MMR #574
Learn more about DCC at?
?
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Re: Detecting DC vs DCC track power
I thought that DC locos run? on Address 0 on a
DCC system.
Ken
On 7/30/2018 2:06 AM, Michael Piazza
via Groups.Io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
This is what I¡¯m saying.?
Most DC locomotives will run on the latest DCC systems with
NO modifications. ?All the DC engines are running as address
3 so your block control is still required but you don¡¯t need
to futz around with any esoteric circuitry because you are
only running in one mode: DCC. ?As such there would be NO
REASON to run DC anymore.? Some people don¡¯t like the way
the DCC pulses drive their DC motors but it is still doable.
?
Mike Piazza
?
?
I also agree with Bruce, trying to run DC
and DCC together is just asking for trouble. ? I think that
model railroaders are sometimes a very cost conscience group
and I count my self in that description. ?I have some great
looking older locomotives from the DC era that I would like to
run on my layout, but now I just have them in my display case.
?I¡¯ll likely never convert them to DCC especially now that I
have some 20 other DCC locomotives on my layout. ?So I find it
a faulty logic to avoid the time and $20 to convert a loco to
DCC when the unfortunate consequence of an accident could be
the cause of damaging a DCC control system worth hundreds of
dollars. ??
?
Thomas Cain
Indianapolis, IN
atsf93@...
Modeling the Eastern?Illinois Santa Fe from
the?Prototype
See my website and layout?at: ?
On Jul 29, 2018, at 10:19 PM, Bruce
Petrarca via Groups.Io <bfpetrarca@...>
wrote:
?
The VERY BEST way to prevent the
disasters awaiting this scenario is to prevent its
existence. Don¡¯t ?allow DC and DCC to exist on the
same layout at the same time.?
Anything else is a recipe for disaster.
Bruce Petrarca, Mr.
DCC; MMR #574
Learn more about DCC at?
?
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I believe what your experiencing with the turntable in JMRI is expected behaviour (intentional or not). I have a turntable on my layout panel but no physical equivalent as yet. I find the same thing with the turnouts. From experimentation I have discovered the JMRI TT operates by change of state not by the turnout getting thrown. I found a turntable hack in the JMRI files section that uses logix to close all turnouts on the turntable when a road is selected and throw the relevant one (? /g/jmriusers/files/ProblemsBeingWorkedOn/WaltsStuff/JRMI%20tricks/TurntableHackWalt.xml?). I don't know if this behaviour is intentional or not. Neither do I know what effect closing the turnouts at once will have on the DCC operated turntable hope this helps John
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Re: Can't get power to DCS200
getting error "trying to connect to loconet"? setting seems to be ok
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Re: Can't get power to DCS200
It is 32 bit.? Sometimes I get an error on com port but when I replug it it says the device is working properly.?? The connection is from the vista laptop via com port 4 (the only one I have used) to the pr4.? from the loconet plug on the pr4 to the loconet plug on the dcs200.? When I turn on the power for the throttle the green light goes on but I don't get power to the track.? A couple of times I got nine beeps from the dcs200 indicating something is blocking the locnet.but not always.? Digitrax thinks the pr4 is working okay.? The pc is one I purchased just for running the pr4 and the only thing else connect is a wireless mouse and a wireless printer with access to the internet to download the program.? The driver is downloaded for vista from the link and digitrax site.? Have deleted every jmri file and reinstalled several times.? The com error may be the probably but don't know how to fix it.
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Re: Inconsistent behaviour with the dispatcher
Thank you both for your replies. Steve - I am having difficulty reconciling that explanation with the behaviour that I actually experience. viz. the trains running correctly when there are two on the layout, but running incorrectly when there is only one, as described in more detail in the original post. As I have written before, when there are two trains on the layout, they do accelerate and decelerate for signals as one would expect, but they do so gently. When there is one train on the layout, it either stops dead on entering its final transit, or never stops at all and keeps going in a circle until stopped manually.
Dave - thank you very much for testing this. The original problem occurred when I set up new Active Trains and then ran them then removed one train from the layout and ran the other, then terminated the one that had run (and had failed to stop) and re-created a new active train with the same settings as before, so this exact sequence and the problems could not be replicated if I had uploaded a file with Active Trains saved. Would it help if I were to give all of the settings that I used for the Active Trains?
In terms of being many options which create a lot of permutations, unless the consequences of each option are clearly documented, nobody will have a hope of being able to get predictable behaviour from the Dispatcher except by luck, and nothing in the documentation that I have read would lead me to infer that the behaviour that I have seen would result from setting the options that I have set. I note that you had trains stopping suddenly at the end of a transit on some occasions but not others, which suggests that you are able to reproduce inconsistent behaviour. Should this now be escalated to a bug report, do you think?
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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
If it has the original decoder I would replace it with a new one as they are not that great. Have you taken it apart to see what decoder is on there. Maybe how had it already replaced.
Bob C
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On Jul 31, 2018, at 12:21 AM, Rick Jones <r.t.jones@...> wrote:
So Decoder Pro read the decoders in my BLI NW2 and Athearn Genesis GP7 okay and let me create and save entries for those. But the Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner I picked up several months ago at a swap isn't working as well. Trying to read the decoder, DP highlights 3 possible Digitrax decoders. The literature with the engine gives no info on what decoder is installed. Anybody know which on I should select for this loco?
--
Rick Jones
This tagline was pre-recorded for display at this time.
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Re: control from WiThrottle
Hi Ken.
First, you need the full paid for version of Withrottle not the free 'Lite'
Turnout controls are to be found by sweeping right across the Function buttons on the throttle.
It will only show turnouts which are defined in JMRI
John K
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control from WiThrottle
Hi, ? Still new to this JMRI system. ? I have acquired a layout that is DCC, using a Prodigy system (MRC) , all works well. ? The points (switches) are DCC and can be changed from the handset. ? I have the USB link to my laptop, use JMRI and my iPad and iPhone as throttles, again all works well. ? ? ? My question is :- ? What do I need to do (or where can I look) to be able to control the points in WiThrottle ? ? ? Ken ?
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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
The ads 54 is for switch control so that one is out, it could be either one of DZ123 or DZ123PS. Only way you will find that out is by visual inspection to see if there is a ¡°Plug¡± on the decoder. However the working parameters of the decoder are the same.
My 2 cents, take care,
Pierre
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On Jul 30, 2018, at 23:45, Rick Jones <r.t.jones@...> wrote:
On 7/30/2018 11:28 PM, Roberto Falorni wrote:
My Spectrum 44ton is recognized as a Digitrax DZ123 decoder. That's one of the three that DP is highlighting in the decoder list. The other two are DZ123SP and DS54. So I'm not sure which of the three is valid.
--
Rick Jones
There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
Hi Rick,
It can help if you track down the CV list of each of the three, find if there are differences (if not, then it's a matter of 'who cares?') and see which of the differing CVs your decoder does or does not react to properly when programming. Depending on the engine, it can be quicker to open it up, but this might work better for you.
Wouter
On 31 July 2018 at 07:45, Rick Jones <r.t.jones@...> wrote: On 7/30/2018 11:28 PM, Roberto Falorni wrote:
My Spectrum 44ton is recognized as a Digitrax DZ123 decoder.
? ?That's one of the three that DP is highlighting in the decoder list. The other two are DZ123SP and DS54. So I'm not sure which of the three is valid.
--
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Rick Jones
There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
On 7/30/2018 11:28 PM, Roberto Falorni wrote: My Spectrum 44ton is recognized as a Digitrax DZ123 decoder. That's one of the three that DP is highlighting in the decoder list. The other two are DZ123SP and DS54. So I'm not sure which of the three is valid. -- Rick Jones There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
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Re: Engine Driver Suggestion
Guys
The best place to go in November if you are in Australia ---
The New England Convention 2018
Gerry
--
Gerry Hopkins MMR #177 FNMRA
Great Northern Downunder
NMRA Australasian Region
Contest & AP Chairman
Web Administrator
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Re: Engine Driver Suggestion
Dave, I'd better start working on convincing you to come to the New England Convention 2018 so I can see it as well ? --? Dave in?Armidale, Australia
The New England Convention 2018
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On 31 Jul 2018, at 11:10 AM, Dave Lowe < dlowe30971@...> wrote: Peter, I have a PT coming this week. So you can see and experience how the PT and ED could work together.
I agree with Dave H. that I think the commands will need to be sent to the sound decoder
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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
Andy, The original poster knows,he has a Digitrax. He just doesnt know which one. I dont think any cv reading will tell him which one. I believe he has to open it up and see which one.?? Tom Wilson
Andy, Mine does too. That is the NMRA assigned manufacturer number.? But it cant tell me what model number the decoder is. It will tell me it is Digitrax, or Soundtraxx, or Bachmann, or NCE or whomever. But it wont tell me which Digitrax et al.? You can also get a family of decoders identified from the same manufacturer, but not the specific decoder model. There are a few exceptions, (ESU is one) but very few.? Tom Wilson
On Mon, Jul 30, 2018, 11:05 PM Andy Jackson < lajrmdlr@...> wrote: My NCE Power Cab tells me the NMRA numbers of any DCC decoder in my locos.
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Re: Bachmann Spectrum 44 Tonner
Andy, Mine does too. That is the NMRA assigned manufacturer number.? But it cant tell me what model number the decoder is. It will tell me it is Digitrax, or Soundtraxx, or Bachmann, or NCE or whomever. But it wont tell me which Digitrax et al.? You can also get a family of decoders identified from the same manufacturer, but not the specific decoder model. There are a few exceptions, (ESU is one) but very few.? Tom Wilson
On Mon, Jul 30, 2018, 11:05 PM Andy Jackson < lajrmdlr@...> wrote: My NCE Power Cab tells me the NMRA numbers of any DCC decoder in my locos.
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James E. Petts
Bob
John Kneeshaw
Pierre Boucher
Rick Jones