5
COMPLETING THE QUICK START
Operating one locomotive is fun — for awhile. But operating two or three locomotives is a
lot more fun for a much longer time. Advancing beyond this simple DCC testing requires
decoder installation into more locomotives and perhaps a few straight pieces added to
your circle of track. After you have at least two locomotives with decoders we can
continue with two locomotives simultaneously operating under DCC control. To
accomplish this, both decoders need to be installed in their respective locomotives and
at least one decoder will need to be programmed with a different address.
PROGRAMMING A LOCOMOTIVE
ADDRESS
#1 The first item of business in this section is to connect a programming track. We simply
use an old piece of snap track connected to the PROGRAMMING TRACK terminals of
the system box.
#2 Place a locomotive with an installed decoder on the programming track.
#3 Press the PROG button four times to get to the programming track menu.
Your cab should read:
SELMODE xx:xxPM
SELMODE xx:xxPM
SELMODE xx:xxPM
SELMODE xx:xxPM
SELMODE xx:xxPM
USE PROGRAM TRK
USE PROGRAM TRK
USE PROGRAM TRK
USE PROGRAM TRK
USE PROGRAM TRK
xx:xx represents the fast clock which may display any time at this point.
#4 Press ENTER to use the programming track and you will see:
PROG TRK xx:xxPM
PROG TRK xx:xxPM
PROG TRK xx:xxPM
PROG TRK xx:xxPM
PROG TRK xx:xxPM
1=STD 2=CV 3=REG
1=STD 2=CV 3=REG
1=STD 2=CV 3=REG
1=STD 2=CV 3=REG
1=STD 2=CV 3=REG
NOTE: The STATUS light of the booster will flash rapidly indicating that the power
booster portion of the system has turned off track power. This is due to a loss of DCC
signal from the command station half of the Power Pro and is normal when using the
programming track.
#5 Press “1” to use Standard programming. You will see:
MAIN OFF xx:xxPM
MAIN OFF xx:xxPM
MAIN OFF xx:xxPM
MAIN OFF xx:xxPM
MAIN OFF xx:xxPM
MANUFACTURER:___
MANUFACTURER:___
MANUFACTURER:___
MANUFACTURER:___
MANUFACTURER:___
After a moment the blank space after MANUFACTURER: will be filled in with “011” which
is the NMRA code for NCE Corporation. All manufacturers have different codes.
If you get a CAN NOT READ CV message the decoder is not responding. Check the
locomotive, decoder and programming track wiring. An older decoder that uses “paged”
mode (discussed later) can take up to 15 seconds to read the values.
#6 Press ENTER read the version of the decoder version (this will vary depending upon
which model decoders were shipped with your system).
#7 Press ENTER again to see: