Programming track issues w/ Digitrax Zephyr

[OldEastRR]

There's probably a thread somewhere covering this on TRW but have no idea how to find it. I have the old 'plain" Zephyr throttle and it doesn't read locos placed on the programming track. It says "na", but then when I put the loco on the mainline  and call  up the number its fine. The  wires to the programming track check out, sao does the connection. Someone told me sometimes there  are "ghosts in the machine" circuit bugs that mess up how the unit operates. I know zero about this stuff. How do I track this problem and fix it?

[mu26aeh]

What kind of locomotive, and what kind of decoder ?  Some require a resistor across the rails to be able to read/program the decoder.

[OldEastRR]

Well, there's a KATO U30 w/TCS, Bachmann 44T w/ factory decoder, BLI(old PCM)E7 w/original  sound decoder, and a KATO E8 w/ Digitrax sound. Thing is, all of these locos were originally programmed and once ran fine on the layout with this power pack, but now they don't respond to commands or read on the programming track. At best, the sound and lights come on, but that's it. And I made a mistake, the error message is "d nd",  meaning no current detected, not the Dna or dnr both of which I know means the decoder's fried. Tho I can't understand how that would happen while just running the locos at moderate speed.
Oh, and when running a non-DCC loco on analog, the top speed is about 25 smph.

[POVC]

Well, there's a KATO U30 w/TCS, Bachmann 44T w/ factory decoder, BLI(old PCM)E7 w/original  sound decoder, and a KATO E8 w/ Digitrax sound. Thing is, all of these locos were originally programmed and once ran fine on the layout with this power pack, but now they don't respond to commands or read on the programming track. At best, the sound and lights come on, but that's it. And I made a mistake, the error message is "d nd",  meaning no current detected, not the Dna or dnr both of which I know means the decoder's fried. Tho I can't understand how that would happen while just running the locos at moderate speed.
Oh, and when running a non-DCC loco on analog, the top speed is about 25 smph.

My original Zephyr has problems reading two groups of locomotives; anything with a sound decoder and anything made by Bachmann, which explains 3 of your 4 locomotives.

The issue with sound locomotives is the programming track doesn't put out enough voltage to get a response from the motor on a sound decoder; you can program but not read.  To handle the Bachmann (including a 44 tonner, I put the Zephyr in "burst" mode; I don't remember the steps, but it's in the manual.

Tim

[RBrodzinsky]

Make sure the programming track is very clean, needs best contact for read back. On my Zephyr, I ended up adding a programming booster. Never had any problems with any decoders since, sound or otherwise. The booster is still inline, even though I now have a DCS 100 in place of the Zephyr

[OldEastRR]

My original Zephyr has problems reading two groups of locomotives; anything with a sound decoder and anything made by Bachmann, which explains 3 of your 4 locomotives.

The issue with sound locomotives is the programming track doesn't put out enough voltage to get a response from the motor on a sound decoder; you can program but not read.  To handle the Bachmann (including a 44 tonner, I put the Zephyr in "burst" mode; I don't remember the steps, but it's in the manual.

Tim

Thanks! Makes me feel like I was too dumb to follow the instructions, or worse, burned out the decoders somehow.

[peteski]

Thanks! Makes me feel like I was too dumb to follow the instructions, or worse, burned out the decoders somehow.

If you can dial up the address and run the loco on your layout then I doubt that the decoder is fried.  Since you are running it then you know the loco's address - you could try programming it on the main track (if your system is capable of it).  But when I do that I'm usually very cautious and I remove other locos from the track, just in case . . .

But I would not try to reprogram the loco's address on the main track. That is just asking for trouble. 
You can only write to the decoder on the main track - you cannot read back anything.

[mu26aeh]

If you can dial up the address and run the loco on your layout then I doubt that the decoder is fried.  Since you are running it then you know the loco's address - you could try programming it on the main track (if your system is capable of it).  But when I do that I'm usually very cautious and I remove other locos from the track, just in case . . .

But I would not try to reprogram the loco's address on the main track. That is just asking for trouble. 

Hands up if you've ever done that 

[djconway]

Hands up if you've ever done that 

Hand is up.
Took a while to figure out what happened when 8 or so loos all took off at once. 😨

[peteski]

Hand is up.
Took a while to figure out what happened when 8 or so loos all took off at once. 😨

Well, at least in theory, you can address the decoder you want to program on main and only that one is supposed to receive the commands. But I think that if you use address 0 it will broadcast the programming command to all the decoders currently on the track.  I have never done that on purpose or by mistake (yet).  I don't use mainline programming often. It is usually to tweak some sound or motor control CVs while the loco is running.

[Mike C]

I use POM fairly often and have had no problems yet .... But I do use the long address to address my locos .....

[reinhardtjh]

Well, at least in theory, you can address the decoder you want to program on main and only that one is supposed to receive the commands. But I think that if you use address 0 it will broadcast the programming command to all the decoders currently on the track.  I have never done that on purpose or by mistake (yet).  I don't use mainline programming often. It is usually to tweak some sound or motor control CVs while the loco is running.

Yep. 0 is like a network multicast address. When sending a programming command to address 0 any decoder is supposed to accept and program the value.  Making it REALLY easy to do an oops and program every decoder in range. 

[OldEastRR]

It turns out I have gotten hold of a very temperamental Zephyr (plain), For some reason it won't acknowledge it's connected to the programming track, for one. Second, it apparently easily jams up with bits of command codes from various processes then doesn't want to do anything. I took all  four of the unfunctioning locos to my friend's model RR club, where they have a super-sophisticated Digitrax set-up with the most power and programming track with computer attached and found there was nothing at all wrong with the decoders my pack has said were dead.
So.... lesson learned. If I want my locos to run with a Digitrax system, I'd better buy the high-end of the line stuff, the booster-loaded versions, highest amps, etc (for my 7.5'x11' layout of twice around double track).
Uhhh... this pretty much makes up my mind to go with NCE.  The "bonus" of being able to run DC locos on a Digitrax system only makes people too easy to put off hardwiring their old locos, anyway. 

[mu26aeh]

Maybe the Zephyr has issues.  Can send back to Digitrax for $25 and they'll fix it.

[mmyers]

Try resetting your Zephyr to factory defaults. See the directions in teh manual for Option switch 39. After closing the option switch, remove power from the Zephyr by unplugging the power supply from the back. Wait ten seconds or so and plug it back in. If this doesn't work, contact Digitrax service. Zephyr should work just like its big brother Chief system. It just has half the power output.
Martin Myers