Bought and set up NCE Power Cab. 1st question

Hmmm
Down near Balt on business. Found a hotel a few miles north. What better time to buy and set up NCE. I brought 2 Bmann locos and a small Kato loop with me, knowing I would be setting this up. I didn't bring a DC pack (dopey me). My Acela HHP 8 set up exactly as described in the NCE instructions. I removed the loco, unplugged the power and put a DCC equiped Bmann Heavy Mountain on the track. It doesn't work.
It sees the loco, that is it knows it is manuf 101 type 046 and allows me to set a long address.
I can select the long address.
I can NOT turn on the headlight, or get it to respond to the throttle.
Every now and then it will give a little jerk, while going through the address programming.
I can select and control the HHP while the 4-8-2 is on the track.
it seems I can select the 4-8-2, but nothing happens

I am reading the manual, but is there a decoder reset, I can try, or does this sound like the loco is hosed. It worked on DC at home although I haven't used it in a while.

Thanks for reading
Marty

 

Have you tried resetting the decoder on the mountain already?

 

Solved! This decoder doesn't support a long address. Or at least after a reset (found it on Bmann site CV 8=8), it took a short address.
Now, it sems to be noisy in DCC. I will check it in DC at home, but seem to remember the unit running quieter. Will a different decoder, say one capable of "silent" give less motor noise? thx

 

Only have the mountain on the track. Press the PROG/ESC button 4 times. Then press the ENTER button until you have the option for the factory reprogram. Then press 1 for Yes.

Or press PROG/ESC then 4. Press 7 and 1 for Yes to recover your decoder to its default state.

 

The procedure for resetting a decoder is decoder-specific, not a function of the controller. That's why you didn't find anything in the Power Cab manual.

Many Bachmann decoders are made by Lenz and can be reset by CV8 = 33. Other Bachmann decoders are reset by CV8 = 8.

If the non-running loco was ever in a consist, the consist may not have been cleared. You can clear the consist by entering 0 into CV19.

Mind you, I have never had to do any of these things, but a read a lot!

- Jeff

 

Using the NCE Power Cab "Option 7" recovery programming is intended for NCE decoders. It resets 65 different CVs to their "NCE defaults." These settings may not be appropriate for all brands of decoders.

Marty did it properly by using the factory reset procedure specified by Bachmann, in his case setting CV8 = 8.

- Jeff

 

Oh ok, thanks

 

Make sure your Power Cab is plugged into left plug (w/ light on bottom).

 

The decoders that run in Bachmann's DCC equipped locos aren't the best. Each one I've had has run noisily.

You should be able to replace them with aftermarket decoders from various manufacturers that would likely do better.

 

I think I will put replacing the bmanns on the list after adding decoders to other locos. Anyone have time to describe what makes a decoder "good"?

 

For me it's as simple as silent (or near silent ) running and good slow speed control.

 

Thanks,

I bought a few to control a P42, E8, GS4, Hiawatha 4-4-0 and a DB regio yesterday. After I get them all in, I will judge silent and have better questions.