Step By Step Advanced Consisting (72)

[@lowarcher]

Enjoyed the video Larry. I just stumbled onto your channel as I was wanting to learn advanced consisting with sound engines using Digitrax. I have somewhere to start now because of you. Thank you again.

[@TheDCCGuy]

Hope it works for you and glad you found the channel.

[@dhillebrandt85]

Absolutely fantastic video. I was struggling to understand Advance Consisting and how it all worked. Add to that, my point modules on the layout hadn't been wired quite right I couldn't use railcom at all. Point modules sorted and your video have now allowed me to achieve exactly what I wanted to do. Cheers!

[@TheDCCGuy]

Glad the video worked for you. There is a lot of confusion and lack of information in the hobby about many aspects of DCC and consisting is one of them.

[@dhillebrandt85]

@@TheDCCGuy I got used to the Bachmann Dynamis where it had controller based consisting. Simple but basic. Having moved over to the Z21, I have found there is a lot more to DCC and I am on a learning curve with it.

[@thomasmatteson9284]

Very nice explanation of advanced programming. I did two Walthers E-8s and an E-7. Apparently the E-7 which was third in the consist and running backwards did not like having 128 added to its consist address. So, I went to CV 29 and added one to it. Then it worked just fine. I did find that ops mode programming would not read the CV's and paged mode would. It would also write to them. Ops mode would write but not read. Just for your information's sake. Tom

[@cadrmn88]

Thanks for the video. I had no idea I Digitrax made no effort in this functionality. On anNCE system you just walk the menus and you’re done in like 15 seconds.

[@mandbhomestead]

Excellent video Larry, I am really learning about DCC. Thanks for sharing. Ken

[@TheDCCGuy]

That’s why I do these videos.

[@scottwendt9575]

I always wondered why advanced consisting wasn’t popular with most of the railroaders at the club…. They were all strictly Digitrax users! I have always had NCE at home so I have always used Advanced Consisting for F and E unit sets. 😉

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes, Digitrax makes their Universal consisting method so easy to use that most just default to it.

[@thomasgrassi8817]

Larry Thanks for the information I figured out the advanced CV's 21 and 22 245 and 246 for my decoder also. I am using NCE Power Cab Pro. I went to the digitrax link and received 404 error page not found they must have moved the link for some reason. I was using a calculator to add up all the functions,

[@TheDCCGuy]

They must have moved it and forgot to update their internal links. I’ll send them an email tomorrow if it isn’t fixed.

[@aqualungs77]

Really neat and helpful, thanks!

[@timwright3592]

Question...I want to consist two F7's back to back on a point to point switching layout. Any issues with lead locomotive changing so often? Using MRC Prodigy Elite. I do not have room for a loop.

[@TheDCCGuy]

No problems. You have the option of allowing both locos to respond to horn and bell commands or use advanced consist to limit that to just one of them. You can also program them so the headlight only lights on the loco in the lead by setting them for directional lighting.

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

I have a question. I have a loco with flashing ditch lights that turn on when the horn blows. They work fine except when I put the loco in the lead of a consist. Then they quit activating. But they work fine again when I delete the loco out of the consist. The loco has a Tsunami 2 TSU-2200 that I installed and my system is an NCE Power Cab. I wired the ditch lights to the FX3 and FX4 wires. I used JMRI to do my all my lighting programming. I use the Power Cab consist buttons when building the consist and I pick the advanced consist selection. I've looked at the JMRI lights and consist pages and can't figure out a solution to correct the problem. Any ideas?

[@TheDCCGuy]

You need to create the advanced consists for those locos and use the CV settings to allow those functions to respond while in a consist.

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

@@TheDCCGuy Thanks for the reply. Is that something I have to do on the Power Cab? I'm still scratching my head trying to find anything that makes it work using decoderPro.

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

@@TheDCCGuy Phew, I finally got it figured out after pulling some more hair out. lol. Thanks. A lot of decoderPro's parameters are hard to figure what they do.

[@claytons8263]

Hello and Happy New Year To set up a consist between any two diesels is the same as setting a consist between a steam engine(4014) and my Diesel SD-60?

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes.

[@claytons8263]

@@TheDCCGuy Thank you that's great I haven't see anyone do that it's usually two diesels.

[@cektito87]

Hello Larry. I have strange issue with TCS decoders. So, after I watched your videos, I'm trying to consist 2 Atlas C420s, one with TCS Wowdiesel 1530 and one with TCS EU621. I put the locomotives back to back and I want only the front headlights working, and not also the rear headlights. After programming CV19, CV21 and CV22, is it normal that the EU621 understand that it has to lights up only the front headlights according to the direction of travel, and the 1530 not? If I write CV22=0, no headlights and it's correct. But if I write CV22=1, 2 or 3, there is no difference for the 1530: it keeps turning on and off front and rear headlights according to the direction of travel when I turn the lights on. I don't understand why. Maybe a decoder's software bug? (I bought both the engines used from ebay and I don't know if the wow need a nuclear reset. Never opened and I hope not to find a surprise, but I know the old owner has inverted white and yellow wires so I have to change CV49 and 50 after every reset).

[@TheDCCGuy]

Oddly I was just playing with a WOWSound advanced consist set up the way you describe. With mine I have it set up so that whichever loco is in the lead responds to headlight commands-works great. I used DecoderPro to program them, do you have that? It makes programming these decoders so much easier since it keeps track of all the differences among the various decoder versions. It also does all the background calculations for the you which can be an issue with some features in TCS decoders.

[@noname-style]

Thanks for the video. Worked perfect for me. I now understand all this is pretty much BINARY.. without the computer I can now calculate on paper which features to turn on for each loco in CV 21. Also what are values in CV 19 and 22 used for anyway? Regards

[@TheDCCGuy]

19=advanced consist address 21=advanced consist functions 1-8 22=advanced consist functions 0F, 0R, 9-12

[@434srt90]

Do you have a video of doing jmri consisting, how to set that up, been trying to figure out how to do it where I can keep my sound on all three locomotives, but on have the lights and all on the lead, using consisting threw nce doesn't help and can't figure out the cv numbers to program with, but did follow you on Facebook and all

[@TheDCCGuy]

If I understand your question, then what you want to do will require getting into the details of CVs 21&22 which allow you to set which functions the decoder responded to when in an advanced consist. I’ll have to go back and rewatch that video but I thought I covered that in another video on DecoderPro. If nit then that would be another subject to add to my to-do list.

[@Stanf954]

JMRI has a tab for consist programming. Is that an easier method to use or try this method of advanced consisting with my DT402?

[@chuckholsclaw6829]

Larry, I watched your other video with this one. I use nce. So for advanced consisting wouldn't you have to set the cv's for your locos and then consist them together? I have the same decoders being tsunami 2 but I'm still confused on how to them setup.

[@TheDCCGuy]

With advanced consisting you program the decoders for which functions you want active then save the advanced consist address in each loco and they all respond to that address. That is different than making up a universal or old style consist as NCE calls it. Also their command stations/throttles have their own method for advanced consists that is a bit different.

[@chuckholsclaw6829]

I think I understand that. So I program cv's 21 and 22 for each loco in the consist and then set each loco to the consist address and then should work as one ?

[@TheDCCGuy]

That’s the deal. Once you program the consist address it overrides the primary address. To break the advanced consist you simply change the consist address back to “0”. The function selections remain unchanged and are only active when there is a consist address. I like advanced consists for my mostly permanent ones and the universal consists for creating them on the fly or during an op session.

[@chuckholsclaw6829]

Awesome, thks!

[@hansfriess]

Thanks for the helpful video. Have a question about your layout. I am building a double deck what is the spacing you have between the lower and upper deck? I’m trying to figure out what a optimal distance would be for my layout

[@TheDCCGuy]

The top deck is 16” above the main deck. This varies a bit at one end as I put in a down gradient there leading down to the top of the helix. Also my fascia is 4” which basically hides all the wires, lights, switch machines, and other clutter. That gives me about 12” clear space between the main level and bottom of the fascia. With the main deck ranging from 16-24” deep you can see everything from the front without dipping down unless you are the Jolly Green Giant! I am planning a tour of the layout if I can ever get everything out away.

[@hansfriess]

The DCC Guy thank you very much for the helpful information would love to see a tour of the layout

[@FBMRR]

Thanks DCC Guy... great info.

[@TheDCCGuy]

The real test will be when folks give it a try. If they can do it successfully the I’ll have succeeded.

[@Mikes5785]

Can you use a combination of advanced & universal programming in a consist

[@TheDCCGuy]

Good question, and the answer is yes for the systems I am familiar with. You can take two or more universal consists and consist them and also add advanced consists to universal consists. I have never tried adding a universal consist to an advanced one and I am not sure that would work but it would be easy to test. Just program the advanced consist address into the top loco of the universal consist and see if the rest respond. However, mixing things up like this could get very confusing very quickly and you may end up having to delete all consists just to break up the one you lost track of. I prefer to use advanced consists for semi-permanent groupings and universal consists for those to be made up and broken again up during an op session.

[@prrproductions5469]

How did you get the cv 19 value?

[@TheDCCGuy]

Just picked one.

[@edcvgp9]

Will these CV programs work on all sound decoders?

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes, assuming the decoder actually supports all the Cvs involved and most now do. Some, like Soundtraxx, also now offer extended CVs for added functions.

[@JohnS-jj9by]

Great info Larry! When do you actually "consist" the locomotives?

[@TheDCCGuy]

You can do it in advance if the locos are to be operated together all the time. Or your yard crew can do it as they make up consists for each train. This the more difficult approach since it requires your crews know how to make consists.

[@JohnS-jj9by]

@@TheDCCGuy Would you MU the units as in universal consisting prior to adjust the CVs or after? if you do it after you MU the units, do you use the "new" addresses? thanks again!

[@mikerabold2361]

I can't find the digitrax toolbox on my android phone. Did digitrax get rid of it?

[@TheDCCGuy]

It is also gone from the Apple store so it must have been abandoned.

[@mikerabold2361]

@@TheDCCGuy I'm very new to the digitrax and don't understand it completely. What could I do to understand what all the cv's are for and do.