From NCE-DCC Yahoo Group, Wed Mar 1, 2017
Posted by: Dave Heap
There is one and only one
correct way to set up an advanced consist with an NCE system. I will describe
the correct procedure using an example.
Setting up an Advanced
Consist the NCE way
================================
- Assume we have three
locos, numbered A, B & C we wish to consist.
- On the NCE throttle press
CONSIST SETUP.
- Press ENTER to select an
advanced consist.
- The system will suggest a
consist address X. You should NEVER change this and you should NEVER remember
it. For a technical justification of these assertions see my addendum. Simply
press ENTER and proceed to the next step.
- Follow the prompts to set
up the three locos in consist with loco A as the lead, Loco C as the rear and
loco B as mid-consist.
- Let us assume the loco
decoders only support three functions; headlight, bell and horn. These three
functions are all only relevant to whichever loco in the consist currently is
driving the consist, i.e. contains the crew to manipulate the lights, bell or
horn. In this case you should have already programmed CVs 21 & 22 in all
three locos to a value of 0. If not, never too late, you can do it with POM
now. (For the slightly more complicated situation of how to handle
decoders with other functions applicable to all locos in the consist, such as
dynamic brakes or sound mute, see my addendum.)
Driving an Advanced Consist
the NCE way
================================
- Assume the consist will
be hauling a train with loco A leading and loco C coupled to the train. Climb
aboard loco A with your scale crew. To do this you press SELECT LOCO A ENTER.
The throttle should display CON: A. Select DIRECTION FWD, turn on the bell,
blow the horn, turn on the headlights and head off down the track. Loco A is
the only loco that will respond to the function commands you just gave. Locos B
and C will remain dark and no horn will sound.
- Assume you have reached
your destination and you wish to run around your train preparatory to returning
with the train (maybe after some loading, unloading or shunting). Do exactly
what a real loco crew would do. Pick up your kit (not forgetting to turn the
headlight off first), disembark loco A with your scale crew, walk to the other
end of the consist and climb aboard loco C. To do this you press SELECT LOCO C
ENTER. The throttle should display CON: C. Select DIRECTION REV, uncouple, back
off from your train, run around and couple up to your train. When ready to
depart, select DIRECTION FWD, turn on the bell, blow the horn, turn on the
headlights and head back off up the track. Loco C is the only loco that will
respond to the function commands you just gave. Locos A and B will remain
silent and dark.
That is all there is to it.
You have driven the consist in a prototypical fashion, simulating climbing
aboard each end of the consist in turn by selecting the appropriate loco
address displayed on the loco cab side. Note that the FWD direction is defined
by which loco your crew is aboard, and the headlights, bell and horn function
only on the loco the crew is currently aboard.
It never ceases to amaze me
why so many modellers insist on making consisting so complex with NCE systems, when
the correct solution is so simple and prototype-intuitive.
Addenda
=======
How to set CV21/22
correctly for consist-wide function commands
================================
- Make sure you have
enabled SEND FUNCTION COMMANDS TO CONSIST ADDRESS in SETUP COMMAND STATION.
- Configure the bits in
CV21/22 in every loco so that only those functions applicable to
whole-of-consist are on. Leave the rest off.
- For example, with my
LokSound V3.5 diesels, the only functions applicable to whole-of-consist are F5
dynamic brakes, F6 prime mover startup/shutdown, F7 air brakes and F8
volume/mute. So I configure CV21 to have a value of 240 and CV22 to have a
value of 0 on all my LokSound diesels. (I didn't calculate that value the hard
way with pen and paper, I just told JMRI Decoder Pro which functions I wanted
to respond to the consist address and it did the hard work for me. I never
program using the throttle, that is too difficult when there is a much easier
way.)
(N.B. I am upgrading to V4
decoders with Full Throttle so these values will not be the same in them.)
Why you should never
remember or need to use the short consist address X
================================
- You should never change
the consist address suggested by the NCE throttle when setting up a consist.
The command station knows better than you. It keeps track of which consists you
have set up and makes sure you do not accidentally try to set up two consists
with the same short address.
- When you wish to break up
a consist, you simply press CONSIST CLEAR followed by either the lead or rear
loco address. The command station looks up its internal consist table,
determines the short consist address and sends an NMRA standard Consist Clear
instruction to that address.
- If you wish to remove an
individual loco from a consist, you simply press CONSIST DEL <loco
number> ENTER. The command station simply sends an NMRA standard Consist
Clear instruction to <loco number>, even if it does not think the loco is
in a consist.
- If you wish to take your
consist to another layout, you should always re-create the consist on that
layout so that layout's command station knows about it and you are not using an
address conflicting with a consist already on that layout. Even if that layout
does not have a consist aware command station, the host should have a list of
in-use consists and can advise you accordingly.
- If you bring a consist
onto your layout from another layout, either your own consist returning or a
guest's consist, you should firstly attempt a CONSIST CLEAR <lead loco>
instruction (in case it is yours returning) and then recreate the consist.
- If you have decoders
which to not honour the NMRA standard Consist Clear instructions (such as some
MRC decoders), you can still use POM CV19 commands addressed to the loco
address. Locos always respond to both normal and consist addresses with POM.
- If you really want to
know the short consist address, you can always do a BROWSE CONSISTS (shortcut
is PROG 9) and it will tell you all you need to know.
- If you try to drive the
loco by selecting the short consist address (and you have correctly set up
CV21/22 as NMRA RP9.2.2 intended) you will not be able to control
functions such as lights or bell or horn.
- Why waste time and effort
keeping paper records when the NCE command station is already keeping records
for you?
- You can recover from any
situation by using solely the loco address already displayed on the loco itself
(unless you have somehow changed the normal loco address and in that case is
back to the program track.
Sent from my iPad
--
Dave in Australia
