# Bachmann Shay factory DCC (newbe here)



## crackerjackhoghead (Aug 5, 2010)

I'm brand new to DCC and ready to pull my hair out. I have a NCE system. I'm trying to reprogram the engine address. I got lots of "cannot read decoder" messages both on the main and on the test track. After trying many times, I finally got the address changed but, in the process, I lost the cab light and the exhaust sound. I tried resetting the exhaust volume in the CV's and it shows that it took my setting but still no sound. The cab light I have no idea how to turn back on. The headlight and firebox flicker work. I hope someone can help me out. Well now that I've fooled with it some more, most of the numbered function buttons aren't doing anything. The whistle and bell work but the other sounds don't function. Thanks in advance


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## crackerjackhoghead (Aug 5, 2010)

Well I'm learning a little now. I figured out how to reset it back to the factory settings (CV30=2) and that worked but now I'm back to address #3 and can't change it again???


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

CV 1 is the address but only if cv 29 is not set to long addressing.
If long addressing is turned on then cv 17 and 18 contain the address.
So, what are the contents of cv 1, 29, 17 and 18.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

If you have set it back to factory defaults, then CV1=3, and long addressing should be turned off. You can reset CV1 to whatever 2-digit "short" address you want by reprogramming CV1, but you must be in "Service mode" to reprogram CV1. If you want to use a 4-digit address, you have to make sure "long address" is turned on via CV29, and then use a CV calculator to figure out which values to program for CVs 17 and 18. 

Later,

K


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

First, the program track can read and write CV's but programming on the main cannot read back.

So when you try to change the address, there is a menu to do this, but it sounds like you might not have understood that you can have a "long" address and you can have a "short" address, and you choose which one you want active.

I'd suggest reading the quick runthrough in the manual that walks you through changing the address.

It sounds like you have changed some other CVs unintentionally.

I believe also there are 2 different factory sound systems, the early "Quasinami" and the newer one from Bachmann (again apparently a Soundtraxx OEM).

We need to know what you actually have.

Greg



crackerjackhoghead said:


> I'm brand new to DCC and ready to pull my hair out. I have a NCE system. I'm trying to reprogram the engine address. I got lots of "cannot read decoder" messages both on the main and on the test track. After trying many times, I finally got the address changed but, in the process, I lost the cab light and the exhaust sound. I tried resetting the exhaust volume in the CV's and it shows that it took my setting but still no sound. The cab light I have no idea how to turn back on. The headlight and firebox flicker work. I hope someone can help me out. Well now that I've fooled with it some more, most of the numbered function buttons aren't doing anything. The whistle and bell work but the other sounds don't function. Thanks in advance


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## crackerjackhoghead (Aug 5, 2010)

I believe the system is Soundtrax, I just bought it in the past year, if that helps. A short address is fine since the engine is the Westside #4, four is what I was trying to program but it doesn't want to take a short address or a long address. It doesn't matter if it's on the main or the programing track, I get a "cannot read" message when trying to program. A couple of times it showed that the short address was set to four but would not respond to address four, it still was responding on address 3. As I said earlier I was able to reset it to factory settings so at least everything works now.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

The small-scale Tsunamis sometimes need a booster to program them. Depends on the DCC system that's programming them, if I recall correctly. Don't know if that holds true for the Tsunami in the Shay or not, but it might be the case. Soundtraxx sells a booster for that purpose. *Link to booster here.*

@ Greg, I know they upgraded things when they did the PnP board for the Climax, but haven't heard about those changes making it back to a 2nd-generation Shay board. Any insight into what changed? 

Later,

K


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## crackerjackhoghead (Aug 5, 2010)

I'm starting to wonder if its not my NCE system or me doing something wrong. Today a received in the mail a QSI decoder for my C19 and when I tried to change the address in it I get the same "Cannot read CV's" message. Also the controller retains the numbers I input (when I try again it already shows them) but the loco doesn't respond. I have been able to change other CV's though, like volume and whistle.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Sometimes electonics get corrupted and need a reset.
On the LGB MTS system, a power cycle usually does this.
On my Zimo system there is a CV in the base station that forces a master reset and this has cured some issues in the past, however, this also resets any special settings I have made so if there is a programmed reset be careful as to what it really can do.


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