Programming

[mastercaptain]

My grandson recently purchased a HO GE 44 Ton switcher (Item # 62201) DCC Equipped. It has no cab # and I was told that Switchers did not have cab numbers. I personally am relatively new to DCC technology but I believe it has been set up with a primary number as it responds to 003. I would like to assign it an individual secondary number which would be specific to that particular device. I would also like to have the lights work (which they currently do not) and ideally have the ability to sound the horn. My question to you is do they have the ability to light and sound a horn out of the box or does it have to be programmed or have an additional board installed. My other DCC trains can be optioned by changing CV programming. I'm not familiar with the term DCC ON BOARD as opposed to DCC EQUIPPED but this unit has these features.

[ACY]

My grandson recently purchased a HO GE 44 Ton switcher (Item # 62201) DCC Equipped. I would like to assign it an individual secondary number which would be specific to that particular device. I would also like to have the lights work (which they currently do not) and ideally have the ability to sound the horn. My question to you is do they have the ability to light and sound a horn out of the box or does it have to be programmed or have an additional board installed.

This particular locomotive has no sound and would require the installation of a DCC sound decoder in addition to a speaker (with baffle) if you desire a horn, bell and prime mover sound effects. That upgrade would cost around $150 most likely and depending on your abilities may be something you would want to have installed by someone with more experience. The lights can be turned on an off with F10 on the EZ Command Controller or F0 on most other systems, F1 I believe is the dimming function. If the lights do not currently work after trying that, then replace the bulbs and see if that rectifies the problem, if not it is likely you have a wire lose somewhere or an incorrect connection.
So in short this locomotive does not have the ability to sound a horn out of the box but does have lighting.

[richg]

My grandson recently purchased a HO GE 44 Ton switcher (Item # 62201) DCC Equipped. It has no cab # and I was told that Switchers did not have cab numbers. I personally am relatively new to DCC technology but I believe it has been set up with a primary number as it responds to 003. I would like to assign it an individual secondary number which would be specific to that particular device. I would also like to have the lights work (which they currently do not) and ideally have the ability to sound the horn. My question to you is do they have the ability to light and sound a horn out of the box or does it have to be programmed or have an additional board installed. My other DCC trains can be optioned by changing CV programming. I'm not familiar with the term DCC ON BOARD as opposed to DCC EQUIPPED but this unit has these features.

Welcome.

Just for you info, there are forums for different scales here. Sometimes helps other understand what loco you actually have.
DCC ON BOARD as opposed to DCC EQUIPPED means the same. If you ever see DCC Ready, it means the motor is isolated from the frame and "might" have a 8 pin socket to plug in a decoder. That can vary with different manufacturer's.
Read ALL the advertising for a product.

The DCC documents are somewhere in the Bachmann site. Get familiar with the sire as there is a lot of good info here.

Look below at the site. He has all kinds of info about DCC.
Different brands will have different features.
I got  my HO 44 tonners DCC ready. The decoder wires had to be soldered to contacts on the PC board.

http://www.mrdccu.com/

The DCC documents are somewhere in the Bachmann pages. The decoder is a low end Lenz but suitable.
I converted my two 44 tonners to sound. They are not plug and play. I used LokSound Micro decoders but the Bachmann suggest SoundTraxx decoders. A Tsunami Micro with 16mm x 35mm speaker in a baffle would work.
The Bachmann with DCC onboard with sound are made by SoundTraxx. Bachmann does not sell any sound decoders that are used in their locos, so far. I doubt that will change.

What DCC system do you use?

Rich

[rogertra]

My grandson recently purchased a HO GE 44 Ton switcher (Item # 62201) DCC Equipped. It has no cab # and I was told that Switchers did not have cab numbers.

Not true.  Every locomotive on a shortline or class one railroad MUST have a number.

If it's an in plant locomotive that never leaves the plant grounds then yes, it's possibly that it will not have a number.  Rare but possible.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Joe323]

The Bachmann switchers such as the 44 ton and the 70 ton come in  undecorated versions upfrom the factory. But that doesn't mean you can't add a number and assign a new address to the loco.

[mastercaptain]

Thanks for the reply. Very useful information. ....ACY, lights are now working-----RICHG, Controller is NCE Power Cab, Scale is HO---------Rogertra, Joe323, Default address out of the box is 3 (Primary standard ?). I will try to assign an extended address to use on the line. I have run into some problems doing this as it involves CV's etc. for different manufacturers. If you have any information regarding adding a secondary address to a bachman train it would be greatly appreciated. 

[rogertra]

Thanks for the reply. Very useful information. ....ACY, lights are now working-----RICHG, Controller is NCE Power Cab, Scale is HO---------Rogertra, Joe323, Default address out of the box is 3 (Primary standard ?). I will try to assign an extended address to use on the line. I have run into some problems doing this as it involves CV's etc. for different manufacturers. If you have any information regarding adding a secondary address to a bachman train it would be greatly appreciated. 

You do not add a secondary address to the locomotive you replace the factory default address of 03 with a new number, typically the locomotive number.  That's if you have a DCC system that enables you to do that.

Before anyone can advise you, we need to know what DCC system you are using.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Hunt]

mastercaptain,
If you can run the locomotive using address 3 - then since you have a NCE Power Cab DCC system carefully follow the instructions in section PROGRAMMING A LOCOMOTIVE ADDRESS starting on page 2 of the printed Power Cab System Reference Manual to program the address you want to use.

    A Short address is 1 thru 127
    A Long address is 0001 thru 9999

Remember do not enter leading zeros except as explained the Power Cab System Reference Manual.