I've spent a couple days gathering information on MTH's DCS system for HO, and it's compatibility with DCC controllers. I know there is an article on this subject already, but I think I can be a bit more specific about "what you can't do" if you have DCC. Hopefully this will be useful to someone considering an MTH HO locomotive (as I am) for use on DCC:
First, I have a Prodigy Advance 2 "squared" DCC system, which I have no intention to replace with a DCS.
Here's what I've learned:
First, the MTH implementation of DCC uses function numbers 0 through 28 to activate sounds and lights, as usual. You also control some (but not all) of the volume levels using function buttons. Here is where the Prodigy Advance 'squared' is a good choice, because it supports all functions, unlike some other controllers. So, if you're going to run MTH on DCC, you probably want to make sure your controller supports functions 0 through 28.
Here's a quick list of function numbers from the manual for one of their steam locos. I am told by their tech support that the diesels will be set up very silimarly, with some obvious function name changes:
# (F0) Headlight on/off. # (F1) Bell on/off. # (F2) Whistle/Horn on/off. # (F3) Start-up/Shut-down. # (F4) PFA initiate and advance. # (F5) Cab Light on/off . # (F6) Engine Sounds on/off. # (F7) Volume low, med, high, off. # (F8) Smoke on/off. # (F9) Forward Signal Sound. # (F10) Reverse Signal Sound. # (F11) One Shot Doppler. # (F12) Crossing Signal w/City Horn. # (F13) Extended Start Up. # (F14) Extended Shut Down. # (F15) Labor Chuff. # (F16) Drift Chuff. # (F17) Smoke Volume low, med, high. # (F18) Single short whistle toot. # (F19) Coupler Close. # (F20) Feature Reset. # (F21) Idle Sequence 1. # (F22) Idle Sequence 2. # (F23) Idle Sequence 3. # (F24) Idle Sequence 4. # (F25) Brakes auto/off. # (F26) Cab Chatter auto/off. # (F27) Clickety-Clack auto/off. # (F28) Train Wreck
MTH supports CV's too. Here's a list of the CVs supported:
CV............Description
1..............Short Address 1-127
3..............Acceleration Rate 4 smph/sec
4..............Deceleration Rate 4 smph/sec
17 & 18.....Extended Address (upper bits must be set to 1)
29............Bits 5 = ext. addr; bit 1 = speed/dir method
49............Short Address (controllers that prohibit addr POM)
50 & 51......Extended Address (controllers that prohibit addr POM)
55.............Reset - send value = 55 to addr 55
Now, note the absense of CV19 CONSISTING! This I think is one of the main complaints I would have about the MTH implementation of DCC. However, I have found a partial workaround for this. The MRC Prodigy Advance 'squared' has something called "Universal Consist". Using that you can still do a basic consist of MTH locos. Only one "universal consist" is supported by the Prodigy Advance 'squared', so if you wanted to run two consists of MTH locos with this, you're out of luck. You can still run some advanced consists (CV19) of other brands though, and keep the MTH's on the universal consist. I think there is adequate flexibility there to make life with an all-MTH consist not so bad after all. Some who want full consisting flexibility and who want to bring together a bunch of different brands of locos in one consist will find the MTH to be frustrating of course, due to the lack of CV19, and because you can't program a speed curve into it, and so on.
I hope I don't come across as a plant for MTH. I'm not at all happy about the "not quite DCC" implementation, but I also know I want some HO SD70ACe's. As you saw in a prior post, I was very concerned about their capabilities (or lack of them) with DCC a few days ago, and I got some opinions and information from the forums that were reassuring but not 100% clear. Hopefully this is useful to someone. I'm going ahead with my order of a couple MTH HO SD70ACe and will be happy to share any first-hand info I have at that time on how they behave with my Prodigy.
Mike
First, I have a Prodigy Advance 2 "squared" DCC system, which I have no intention to replace with a DCS.
Here's what I've learned:
First, the MTH implementation of DCC uses function numbers 0 through 28 to activate sounds and lights, as usual. You also control some (but not all) of the volume levels using function buttons. Here is where the Prodigy Advance 'squared' is a good choice, because it supports all functions, unlike some other controllers. So, if you're going to run MTH on DCC, you probably want to make sure your controller supports functions 0 through 28.
Here's a quick list of function numbers from the manual for one of their steam locos. I am told by their tech support that the diesels will be set up very silimarly, with some obvious function name changes:
# (F0) Headlight on/off. # (F1) Bell on/off. # (F2) Whistle/Horn on/off. # (F3) Start-up/Shut-down. # (F4) PFA initiate and advance. # (F5) Cab Light on/off . # (F6) Engine Sounds on/off. # (F7) Volume low, med, high, off. # (F8) Smoke on/off. # (F9) Forward Signal Sound. # (F10) Reverse Signal Sound. # (F11) One Shot Doppler. # (F12) Crossing Signal w/City Horn. # (F13) Extended Start Up. # (F14) Extended Shut Down. # (F15) Labor Chuff. # (F16) Drift Chuff. # (F17) Smoke Volume low, med, high. # (F18) Single short whistle toot. # (F19) Coupler Close. # (F20) Feature Reset. # (F21) Idle Sequence 1. # (F22) Idle Sequence 2. # (F23) Idle Sequence 3. # (F24) Idle Sequence 4. # (F25) Brakes auto/off. # (F26) Cab Chatter auto/off. # (F27) Clickety-Clack auto/off. # (F28) Train Wreck
MTH supports CV's too. Here's a list of the CVs supported:
CV............Description
1..............Short Address 1-127
3..............Acceleration Rate 4 smph/sec
4..............Deceleration Rate 4 smph/sec
17 & 18.....Extended Address (upper bits must be set to 1)
29............Bits 5 = ext. addr; bit 1 = speed/dir method
49............Short Address (controllers that prohibit addr POM)
50 & 51......Extended Address (controllers that prohibit addr POM)
55.............Reset - send value = 55 to addr 55
Now, note the absense of CV19 CONSISTING! This I think is one of the main complaints I would have about the MTH implementation of DCC. However, I have found a partial workaround for this. The MRC Prodigy Advance 'squared' has something called "Universal Consist". Using that you can still do a basic consist of MTH locos. Only one "universal consist" is supported by the Prodigy Advance 'squared', so if you wanted to run two consists of MTH locos with this, you're out of luck. You can still run some advanced consists (CV19) of other brands though, and keep the MTH's on the universal consist. I think there is adequate flexibility there to make life with an all-MTH consist not so bad after all. Some who want full consisting flexibility and who want to bring together a bunch of different brands of locos in one consist will find the MTH to be frustrating of course, due to the lack of CV19, and because you can't program a speed curve into it, and so on.
I hope I don't come across as a plant for MTH. I'm not at all happy about the "not quite DCC" implementation, but I also know I want some HO SD70ACe's. As you saw in a prior post, I was very concerned about their capabilities (or lack of them) with DCC a few days ago, and I got some opinions and information from the forums that were reassuring but not 100% clear. Hopefully this is useful to someone. I'm going ahead with my order of a couple MTH HO SD70ACe and will be happy to share any first-hand info I have at that time on how they behave with my Prodigy.
Mike
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