digitrax maximum units in memory

[trainforfun]

My Digitrax system des not accept more than 128 locomotives in memory .
I know we are suppose to dispatch unit number  when you are finished with it , which I always  do .
But I am using 3 or 4 units lash  up , if you dispatch unit 1234 ( the  lead  unit ) the others in the lash up will not free the memory so after a  while you get the annoying message that all slot are occupied ....
Is there annoter way than buying the new module good for about 400 lokis ?

[CNR5529]

If you are getting "slot max", meaning all the memory is tied up with locos where the speed is non-zero or functions such as headlights have remained on, you will have to clear the memory. Check for your specific command station but as far as I know, closing OpSw#36 will do the trick: http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB595/command-station-option-switches-clear-slots-and-fa/

Hope this helps.

[mmyers]

Addresses that are in Digitrax Universal consists will not purge. You consists will occupy slots until the consists are broken up. If you have enough consists set up that the 120 slot limit is filled you will either need to upgrade to the new DCS240 or use different types of consisting that does not tie up as many slots. Advanced consisting and Basic consisting use only one slot per consist.
Also, any address that is at speed step 1 or above will not be purged even if dispatched because the command station thinks it is still running.

Martin Myers

[trainforfun]

Addresses that are in Digitrax Universal consists will not purge. You consists will occupy slots until the consists are broken up. If you have enough consists set up that the 120 slot limit is filled you will either need to upgrade to the new DCS240

Martin Myers

Thanks Martin , this is exactly my problem . I have many trains parked in staging yard with 3 or 4 locos . I dont want to erase the consist combination as many trains are not visible .
I guess the only solution Is to go with the new DCS 240.
Would have been fun to change a chip ....

[mmyers]

Louis,
Please read this Digitrax tech support article: http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB1039/how-do-i-practically-use-400-slots-available-dcs24/
Only Dt402 throttles and newer can access the "expanded" slots of a DCS240.
this may or may not be an issue for you.

Martin Myers

[C855B]

Addresses that are in Digitrax Universal consists will not purge. ...

OpSw#36 doesn't do this? It's my experience that it does, but maybe I'm confused.

[jagged ben]

I will just say that JMRI is very useful for clearing unused slots.  Also useful when the expanded slots ops switch reverts by itself, which seems to happen a lot on our command station at the club.

[Bendtracker1]

Maybe you know this Ben?
When was the last time you replaced the battery in your command station?

[C855B]

... When was the last time you replaced the battery in your command station?

^^^^^ This.

[trainforfun]

Louis,
Please read this Digitrax tech support article: http://www.digitrax.com/tsd/KB1039/how-do-i-practically-use-400-slots-available-dcs24/
Only Dt402 throttles and newer can access the "expanded" slots of a DCS240.
this may or may not be an issue for you.

Martin Myers

Wow thanks again Martin , it would have been too much fun just to put 400 regular slots ...
I have the other throttles also but the 280 other slots "reserved" for these throttles will not be accesible by the "regular" throttles .

As for ops switch # 36 I really don't want to purge everything that is still in the staging . As I explained before it would be very difficult to retreive a parked train that I don't even see completely , unless I marked down on a paper the 3 or 4 locos of the consist .
The other thing I could do is changeg all the decoder road number to the leading one which I don't think is very versatile when you break the consist .

[jagged ben]

Maybe you know this Ben?
When was the last time you replaced the battery in your command station?

Don't know when it was replaced actually.  This particular issue usually seems to happen in the middle of an ops session though

[Paradise275]

If you run the same locos continuously in a consist, perhaps a better way would be to reprogram all the addresses to the lead loco and run them as one unit.

Rick

[C855B]

Louis mentioned that, and not wanting to do it.

I don't see a lot of options here. Even upgrading to a DCS240 is not going to solve the whole issue, it'll just extend the issue to 3X longer between hitting the limit... just long enough to forget how to resolve it.

I suspect the best solution is going to be JMRI. Yes, it's going to be a learning curve, but you are hitting the max with the DCS100. Your operations are apparently on the large side of the layout equation, and you're going to need a better manager than afforded in the off-the-shelf hardware-only methods.

[trainforfun]

I already use JMRI and it's a beautifully tool .
The best would then  to sell some units and downsize operation .
Thanks for all the tips I might use the same address on some ABBA lash up .
 That would help .

[Ike the BN Freak]

The way I set up my consist, which works for me, may or may not work for you, is that all the units in the consist are set up with the same address. While I don't have a layout up and running, I do run on NTrak and looking to start some FreemoN in Vegas, or expand the NTrak club to include FreemoN.  But I set up a set of locos, and if I am running 5 units, I don't need to take up 6 slots for a single consist, when I can go into JMRI and program the units as I want them set up in the consist. I program all the locos to the "lead" loco.

Had a guy on trainboard basically say it was the stupidest idea ever.  He had his reasons, none of which really make any sense to the way I operate. Basically if I broke up the consist, I'd have random locos all over the layout running without any control, or wouldn't be able to trouble shoot a loco.