TCS decoder lighting - "rule 17" dimming

[nickelplate759]

I'm trying to program a TCS M4 decoder to get the lighting I want.  here's what I want:

1. Headlight on full in forward
2. Headlight dim in reverse.
3. Rear light on full in reverse
4. Rear light off in forward.

Headlight dimmable manually in forward (with F4 button).

I can't quite make this work.

I understand that I have to set CV61 to (BEMF bit +32) to enable "opposite headlight Dim", but when I do that
the rear light dims when in forward, it doesn't go out.   This seems to override what I set in CV50 - 16, which is Constant Bright in reverse.    If CV61 is just 1 (BEMF bit) then the rear light has the behavior I want, but the headlight does not (although I can manually dim it with F4).

Any ideas?

[lajmdlr]

On real RRs, headlights don't auto-reverse. The engineer has to do it manually. Also the front headlight ALWAYS HAS TO BE ON by the rules so opposing trains know where it is. On most EEs yard switchers have both headlights on dim. The auto-reversing headlights are just a model RR thing that started when diodes/transistors where added to headlights. It's been carried over to DCC locos. But some modelers like it because they can't remember which direction their locos were last set to go. ~}

[samusi01]

My best recommendation, if you are not already doing so, is to use JMRI to graphically set in what you want.


(note: the image above probably won't exactly get what you want... the headlight configuration you are after isn't quite what I've ever tried.)

I cannot guarantee these will work, but you can try them:

CV49 = 40 (CV49 = F0F, white wire, value 40: Rule 17 Dimmable both directions; page 7 of TCS's manual)
CV50 = 24 (CV50 = F0R, yellow wire, vaule 24: Rule 17 Dimmable rev; page as above)
CV61 = 49 (CV61 = BEMF, 49 = 1(BEMF)+16(Rule 17 dim when stopped)+32(Opposite Headlight Dim); page 2 of the TCS manual)

Should you follow the advice about not having the automatically switching headlights, something like the following should work(it's what I use on all my non-sound TCS decoders):

CV33 = 3
CV34 = 4
CV49 = 40
CV50 = 40
CV61 = 49

That'll map the forward light to F0, rear to F1, and enable dimming via F4.

[jagged ben]

On real RRs, headlights don't auto-reverse. The engineer has to do it manually. Also the front headlight ALWAYS HAS TO BE ON by the rules so opposing trains know where it is. On most EEs yard switchers have both headlights on dim. The auto-reversing headlights are just a model RR thing that started when diodes/transistors where added to headlights. It's been carried over to DCC locos. But some modelers like it because they can't remember which direction their locos were last set to go. ~}

And fortunately nickleplate is using TCS so he can choose how prototypical he wants to be about this.  Unlike with Digitrax, where you can't have dimming that isn't affected by direction.   

What does EE stand for by the way?  Or did you mean RR?

[nickelplate759]

I use some Digitrax decoders as well, but only on models where I'm less particular about lighting and motor control.  They're not bad, but they're not as good as TCS.

I do realize that on real railroads the lighting isn't automated, but there are lots of things I don't want to do the same way the real railroads do - for example, I'm perfectly happy with DCC control instead of having to get inside my engines to work tiny controls 

[peteski]

I use some Digitrax decoders as well, but only on models where I'm less particular about lighting and motor control.  They're not bad, but they're not as good as TCS.

I do realize that on real railroads the lighting isn't automated, but there are lots of things I don't want to do the same way the real railroads do - for example, I'm perfectly happy with DCC control instead of having to get inside my engines to work tiny controls 

For roughly the price of TCS decoders, you can get ESU or Zimo decoders which have motor control superior to any American-made decoders. But they are European, so I'm not sure if they offer Rule 17 headlights (I haven't checked the manual).

[samusi01]

ESU has a "dimmable" light feature, and Zimo has something similar (don't recall specifics off the top of my head; only have one Zimo decoder at the moment). In any event, whilst not directly called Rule 17, it is straightforward enough to set up on both.

[RBrodzinsky]

The ESU Decoders do use the “Rule 17” designation (in LokProgrammer)