Directional lighting CV's set-up...


Scordicus

Scordicus

Member
Now I don't know if this is possible or not to set up, but if it is, I could do with some help! lol..

This is what I would like to achieve on my switching yard layout..


  • When switching on the loco lights, the lights at both ends are on but dim (Rule 17) not full brightness and do not extinguish when the direction is changed.. (As they do in their default settings)
  • When the horn is pressed the headlight in the direction of travel goes to full brightness (for a predetermined time) and the ditch lights flash alternatively (for a predetermined time).

Is this at all possible?? And if so what CV's need to be changed??

I don't know if it makes a difference to CV's, but I'm using Digitraxx sound decoders...
 
It should be possible but it would take some doin'! I'm at work right now but when I get access to my decoder manual I'll have a looksie, as the CVs are the same as the NCE lighting effects I think.
 
TrinityJayOne said:
It should be possible but it would take some doin'! I'm at work right now but when I get access to my decoder manual I'll have a looksie, as the CVs are the same as the NCE lighting effects I think.
Click to expand...

Thanks..

I've got a DCC book, but it's quite old & unfortunately doesn't list CV's lol...
 
Hmmm...seems I don't know how to do it after all! I'm positive that you can set lighting effects to turn off after a set time though, and I'm also sure that you can program multiple outputs to a single function. Perhaps check the Digitrax site for your decoder's manual?
 
TrinityJayOne said:
Hmmm...seems I don't know how to do it after all! I'm positive that you can set lighting effects to turn off after a set time though, and I'm also sure that you can program multiple outputs to a single function. Perhaps check the Digitrax site for your decoder's manual?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the Digitrax manual doesn't tell you an awful lot and only lists a few of the many CV's (the F1 - F12 functions) so really isn't a lot of help..

Although that said, I do believe that the F10 is what they call a 'crossing gate function' which I believe (I haven't tested it yet) is just a short-long-short horn blast.. This is really what I would like to get to work in unison with the ditch lights & full brightness headlight.. That is of course after I figure out how to have the headlights permanently dimly lit lol...
 
This automatic reversal of headlights was started by the MR companies back in the old DC era as a selling gimmick. It's carried over into the DCC now. On the real RRs the lights don't do that. The engineer has to turn them on & off manually. The only real reasons to have the rear lights on is if you are making light power move. In that case both front & rear lights would be on. On some RRs both lights are always on when switching. But alot of Ops people do like the automatic reversal feature because they can't remember which direction they had their loco going last. :)
 
Scordicus said:
Although that said, I do believe that the F10 is what they call a 'crossing gate function' which I believe (I haven't tested it yet) is just a short-long-short horn blast.. This is really what I would like to get to work in unison with the ditch lights & full brightness headlight.
Click to expand...
After having a little bit of a play on the rolling road this afternoon, this is indeed what F10 & indeed F7 do.. Why it's needed on two function buttons though is beyond me.. So now I'm guessing it's just a case of tying the lights in to this function button press as well..

cajon said:
This automatic reversal of headlights was started by the MR companies back in the old DC era as a selling gimmick. It's carried over into the DCC now. On the real RRs the lights don't do that. The engineer has to turn them on & off manually. The only real reasons to have the rear lights on is if you are making light power move. In that case both front & rear lights would be on. On some RRs both lights are always on when switching. But alot of Ops people do like the automatic reversal feature because they can't remember which direction they had their loco going last. :)
Click to expand...
I hear ya Cajon but this is exactly how I want it on my small layout, and as my layout is effectively for all intents & purposes a switching yard it's what is required.. It does however have a grade crossing going through it which is why I need the headlights to go to full brightness along with the ditch lights..

I don't personally need the lights to tell me which direction the loco is travelling because I have a NCE Power Cab which shows the direction of travel...
 
It can be done, but you are going to need 7 functions for that kind of control ! - 6 if you don't ever want to turn off the dim headlights.

Function 1 - to both headlights with the appropriate resistor to achieve your level of "dim".
Function 2 - to the front headlight
Function 3 - to the rear headlight
Function 4 and 5 - to the front ditchlights
Function 6 and 7 - to the rear ditchlights

Functions 2 through 7 would be configured as directional and also configured to be activated when the horn is on (amount of delay should also be user adjustable). Functions 4+5 and 6+7 would be configured as alternating ditchlights.

The only glitch you may run into depending on your decoder is being able to set multiple lighting configurations on a single output. Some decoders won't support directional lighting with an effect such as alternating ditchlights.


Mark.
 
Mark R. said:
The only glitch you may run into depending on your decoder is being able to set multiple lighting configurations on a single output. Some decoders won't support directional lighting with an effect such as alternating ditchlights.
Click to expand...

From what I understand it's just a case of mapping i.e. Setting the horn, the headlight & the ditch lights all to one function key.. From what I've read, it's about CV values, (hex's) which I don't quite understand and it's a formula something like this..
Headlight = 1
Ditch lights = 2
Horn = 3
So 1+2+3=6 So it's just a case of setting the correct CV (we'll call F7 CV20) CV20 = 6

The problem I have is I don't know what the numbers are for the ditch lights & the headlight (if possible) & what the original number value is for F7 (as F7 on my NCE Powercab is for the grade crossing horn anyway)..

Now, what I did find is this;
Flashing ditch lights when horn pressed:
CV 51 = 106 (6A Hex)
CV 52 = 107 (6B Hex)
CV 62 = 17 (11 Hex) first digit for keep alive rate.
second for the rate of the effect
CV 63 = 64 (40 Hex) for 5 seconds
255 (FF Hex) for 20 seconds
However, it didn't list what any of the CV's were originally for..

Failing finding the answer for manual input, I've purchased a NCE USB interface which will arrive hopefully this Mon or Tue to use with the JMRI software to hopefully make things a little easier with the programming, as this is supposed to convert plain English in to all these hex & decimal values and will hopefully do the job to apply all the settings that I'm after..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top