MUing not as planned....WTF^Mate

[sizemore]

So I have two locos, both are back to back, both run in the same physical direction. One Forwards the other backwards. Lock in the TOP address, MU+ the first loco to the TOP address, MU+ the second loco to the consist. Flip the switch to forward, and both loco's go into tug of war. Did I miss something?

[sizemore]

Got it figured out. I flushed the command station of all tables. Reapplied my MU consists keeping the TOP in "neutral" and it worked fine. I must have had a bunch of consists, consisted. 

[wm3798]

Say it with me... MRC.

I use advance consisting, which applies a consist address 01-126 (I usually use the last two digits of the lead unit) via CV-19.  I can also set the direction of each unit in the consist on the fly, which eliminates the need to acquire each unit individually.  It makes it possible to take a 2-unit consist out on a local, then split the consist on the road to let one engine do the switching, then put everything back together for the ride home.  Just takes a couple of buttons.

Why you guys continue to torture yourselves with Digitrax is beyond me...  Other than "Well, Everybody's doing it!"

Lee

[davefoxx]

Say it with me... MRC.

I use advance consisting, which applies a consist address 01-126 (I usually use the last two digits of the lead unit) via CV-19.  I can also set the direction of each unit in the consist on the fly, which eliminates the need to acquire each unit individually.  It makes it possible to take a 2-unit consist out on a local, then split the consist on the road to let one engine do the switching, then put everything back together for the ride home.  Just takes a couple of buttons.

Why you guys continue to torture yourselves with Digitrax is beyond me...  Other than "Well, Everybody's doing it!"

Lee

Torture?  It's easy!  I enter both locomotives on the controller (one on each throttle of the hand-held controller), make sure they are both set up to run in the same direction, press MU, press +, and it's done.  Both locomotives are now controlled by the right-hand throttle.  That's considered hard?

I have to admit, though.  The MRC controller always looks complicated to me.  It's really only about what you're used to.  For you it's MRC, for me it's Digitrax.  For example, having to set the speed steps each time you enter in a new locomotive on the MRC controller has always thrown me.

DFF

[wm3798]

As opposed to the Digitrax where you can't set the speed table except on the program track?  I can get 128 steps out of a 28 step Bachmann decoder...  Mmmm.

But yes, I agree it's all what you're used to.

Lee

[davefoxx]

As opposed to the Digitrax where you can't set the speed table except on the program track?  I can get 128 steps out of a 28 step Bachmann decoder...  Mmmm.

But yes, I agree it's all what you're used to.

Lee

Ha ha!  That's where I've got you.  On the Virginia Central, the whole layout was the programming track!  Hmm, so I had to remove every locomotive from the layout when programming or risk a massive reprogramming project.  Big deal.  ;D ;D ;D

DFF

[wm3798]

Uh... You told Brian about that little detail, didn't you? ;D

Lee

[davefoxx]

Uh... nope.  But, well, you know... you get what you pay for.  ;D

[sizemore]

Say it with me... MRC.

I use advance consisting, which applies a consist address 01-126 (I usually use the last two digits of the lead unit) via CV-19.  I can also set the direction of each unit in the consist on the fly, which eliminates the need to acquire each unit individually.  It makes it possible to take a 2-unit consist out on a local, then split the consist on the road to let one engine do the switching, then put everything back together for the ride home.  Just takes a couple of buttons.

Why you guys continue to torture yourselves with Digitrax is beyond me...  Other than "Well, Everybody's doing it!"

Lee

It boils down to what I'm familiar with really. I've read the manual since 1998 when they used to be given out for free. The problem I have now is applying practice. I dont know what the problem was originally but once I cleared the system everything was in working order.

You can break a consist on the road with a few simple buttons too. I did it yesterday and thought to myself thats so handy for switching an industry. By default when MUing a consist on Digitrax it uses Advanced consisting. Enter your train address then MU your loco addresses to it. If you want to control a loco independently, you select the loco address and remove it from MU (the train address).

What I'd like to know is how MRC takes a 28 step decoder and operates it at 128 steps. I can send 128 step signals to a 28 step decoder but the 28 step decoder is what limits me in the equation.

Inquiring minds want to know.

[wm3798]

That's probably what it's doing... it just seems like it responds equivalently to 128 steps. 
Lee

[RockGp40]

Uh... You told Brian about that little detail, didn't you? ;D

Lee

Doesn't matter for me, Lee. I only have 3 DCC locos right now, and you programmed all 3 of them. All work fine.

Long lost RI guy....

[wm3798]

It's not too big a deal, Brian.  There's a separate pair of leads for a programming track on the MRC.  You can either isolate a track in the yard with insulators, or just add a separate piece of track on a shelf like I did.



I also wired in a dpdt so I can switch the track from program to test, and built the little tester rig that lets me check out decoders to make sure they're fully functional before I install them.

Lee

[sizemore]

It's not too big a deal, Brian.  There's a separate pair of leads for a programming track on the MRC.  You can either isolate a track in the yard with insulators, or just add a separate piece of track on a shelf like I did.



I also wired in a dpdt so I can switch the track from program to test, and built the little tester rig that lets me check out decoders to make sure they're fully functional before I install them.

Lee

I have the same thing I took and added a siding set to a DPDT which allows me to switch from mainline to programming. Pretty convenient!

[wm3798]

I'm thinking of adding a third switch that would allow the test track to support straight DC, too, for testing pre-install locos for ticks before I take them apart.

Lee

[John]

whats that white contraption with the wires ... a detonator?