DZ-125 programming help....

[SP-Wolf]

Hello Guys,

I'm a bit baffled. I'm trying to program a DZ125 I have installed in an N-Scale E-6. I want the yellow wire to be the "MARS" light. I can not for the life of me figure it out. What CV's do I need to change and to what value-? Also the "rule 17" function isn't working properly for the headlight. I have CV49 set to 104. The light acts as normal. On- forward, off- rev. With no dimming. Oh- I am using 1.5V incandescent lamps w/ 1K ohm resisters.(might that be the problem with the rule 17 thing-?)

Thanks,
Wolf

[peteski]

You gotta love Digitrax manuals!  Not! 
If I find some time tomorrow (and locate my secret decoder ring), I'll try to figure these out for you.  Unless someone else beats me to this.
I know that you'll need to remap the yellow output (F0R) to be another function.   The 1.5 bulb should be fine (actually Digitrax decoders work best with bulbs and no so much with LEDs).

[peteski]

Wolf,
after some head scratching, here is what I would try:

first of all, F0F white wire function.  As you already did, setting CV49=104(decimal) seems to be correct for direction-controlled Rule 17 lighting.  Make sure CV61=0

If it is not working, maybe you should play around with the keep-alive value in CV62.  If it is 0 then set it to 112 and see if that is better. If not try using 240.

As far as Mars light on F0R (yellow) , set CV50=34(decimal) and remap F0R to F3 function by setting CV34=016(decimal).  Now toggling F3 on your throttle should turn the Mars light on and off.  No guarantees that this will work but that is how I interpreted the information in the manual.

It is such a joy trying to figure out Digitrax manuals! 

[central.vermont]

Isn't it said somewhere in that manual that "DCC is fun!!!"   

Jon

[SP-Wolf]

Isn't it said somewhere in that manual that "DCC is fun!!!"   

Jon

So true.... I finally downloaded JMRI. Programmed the units using it. Got the lights to do what I want. JMRI is a God send. Should have done that a while ago. With the new instructions to set up my PR3 with windows 7-64 bit, it went smooth as silk. Now- I need to change out the incandescents for LEDs. The incandescents didn't look or perform as  iexpected. The "mars" light is just blinking (and slowly).  iknow it has to with the value of the resistor. Oh- well- onward and upward!!

Thanks- to all,
Wolf

[peteski]

Excellent!
Just for giggles, could you read out the CV values you and me were tinkering with to see what they are set to?

As far as LEDs go, if you don't like how the Lightbulbs effects work, you will probably hate them with LEDs!   Digitrax does not handle LEDs well (and I was hoping that the FX3 would have been optimized for LEDs).  TCS decoders are much more LED-friendly.

[SP-Wolf]

Excellent!
Just for giggles, could you read out the CV values you and me were tinkering with to see what they are set to?

As far as LEDs go, if you don't like how the Lightbulbs effects work, you will probably hate them with LEDs!   Digitrax does not handle LEDs well (and I was hoping that the FX3 would have been optimized for LEDs).  TCS decoders are much more LED-friendly.

I'll do that... I'm at work now. I'll do it this evening.

Well- this is my first incandescent lamp install. The rest that I have done- are LED. They all work great.  I went incandescent for the size. I need to get some even smaller LEDs. NGineering here I come.

Talk to ya later,
Wolf 

[SP-Wolf]

Here is what JMRI set the lighting CV's to:

CV49=40
CV50=2
CV33=1
CV34=1
CV35=2

With these settings I get Rule 17 headlight, yellow wire is now the upper "mars" light controlled by F1.

Enjoy,
Wolf

[peteski]

Thanks Wolf!  So much for me trying to comprehend the Digitrax Decoder manual! 

[wm3798]

Just set up a Kato F7 with the Mars light effect using the CVs listed above.  After a few minutes, the effect keeps going, but the light goes dim.  This is regardless of whether it's moving.  Any thoughts?

Lee

[bdennis]

Guys,
Some time ago I set up a Kato F7 for a friend with a mars light as the top light and a headlight in the bottom front light.
The mars works perfectly using the original incandecent globe or one from a older Kato GP38. As mentioned for any effects on a DZxxx decoders incandecent works best.
The lower light I used a SMD LED for the main headlight.
All this was set up using a DZ125.

From the above coment from Wolf re the Mars light just blinking. Are you sure it is set to be a mars light? I found the incandecent to work really well for a Mars light.

Brendan.

[SP-Wolf]

Hey Brendan,

It was set to "Mars light". The issue may have been the value of the resister for the incandescent lamp. Not sure tho.. It's now been quite a while since I went thru this. But- since I switched to all led's , And- using JMRI Decoder Pro.

--All is good.

Enjoy,
Wolf