Digitrax PR4 programmer

[Terry Toenges]

I've had this Digitrax PR4 decoder programmer for a few months. It looked like it was going to be a major ordeal to set it up so I shelved it for a while.
It involved changing computer settings and dealing with device manager and com ports and installing software. I was hesitant about doing all that on my everyday laptop because I didn't to be messing with all my settings.
A couple of weeks ago, I broke out my old Dell laptop that I hadn't used in at least a year. (It was very slow. That was why I had gotten a new HP one.) I got the Dell all up to date with all the Windows updates.
Today, I got the Digitrax stuff all uploaded to the Dell and got the PR4 to work. It was a major accomplishment and took a couple of hours to get everything right.
I just successfully changed some CV's on my F40PH to get it to start quicker and stop quicker. I had never done anything with decoder programming before.
Now, I have no reason to get rid of my E-Z Command and switch to something fancier.
I'm very pleased now.

[Terry Toenges]

Here's a pic. The list of CV's is there. Just highlight the one you want to change and enter a new value. Much easier than I thought it would be.

[trainman203]

That must be very old technology. It sounds like a very complex way to change CVs. I've always programmed on the main with my N C E procab or on a programming track with the pro cab if I needed to do a bunch at once.

[Terry Toenges]

As they say in the Old West - There's always somebody faster.
With my way, I can sit at my computer to do it all and I don't need my glasses to look at hard to read text on a small screen and I don't need to push a bunch of button sequences. I do everything with  my mouse except for entering the CV value.  I click on the icon to  open the program and click on the "cv editor" tab. Whatever loco I  have on the program track shows up. I just go down the list of cv's, check which one I want to change and enter a value. Then I click "write checked" and "exit".
It took me a while get  the whole set up on my old computer going because my old one was so slow.
Once I figured how to do it, I now have it set up on my regular computer and it only took me about 15 minutes.

[trainman203]

😂😂😂

[Terry Toenges]

There are 3 wires. One for the power supply, one going to the track and one going to the USB port on my computer.

[Terry Toenges]

Trainman - I understand that you with your 99,000 locos  need something that can handle all of them. I figure you probably have them all with long addresses. I know you are pretty picky about the various horn, whistle, and bell sounds and need more control over those.
I, on the other hand, with my hand full of locos, don't need all that extra stuff. 
The only time I have ever needed to program CV's is with this new F40PH to keep it from starting and stopping so slow and to turn the volume down. I really don't have any other use for the programmer right now unless one of my locos goes down and needs a reset.

[trainman203]

When I was a kid, I didn't know all about the big, bad world and all of its problems. I only knew that the sun was shining in my world, it was a beautiful day, and the only responsibility I had was to play.

Sometimes with me, it's sort of like that with this decoder business. I still remember the first DCC/sound locomotive I bought, a Soundtraxx sound on board Bachmann 2-8-0 way back in 2007. Plus one of the first run decapods with the same decoder. I bought an EZ because I was intimidated by DCC and was told that the EZ command was the easiest way to get started it, for $75 or so with the time. I didn't know how to change any CVs and was happy just running the engines back-and-forth on a simple run around track deal I had on a 1x8 board, blowing the whistle and ringing the bell. It took me over a year to get the confidence to become involved with a more advanced system. But I have to say, I probably had more fun than today with those two engines just the way they came from the factory.

[Geeper]

Hi Terry; I have a Digitrax (Zephyr Express) DCS-52 bought 10 months ago. I love it and program all my DCC Locos with it. EZ system once I learned the process and made a 'cheat-sheet' to remind me. I've used it changing CVs on DCC locos with Tsunami2, QSI Quantum, ESU Select, ESU LSS, ESU Digital, and of course Digitrax DCC ready plug and play 8 pin, 21 pin, etc. Converted many of my DC to DCC ops with Digitrax DH166MT, etc. Once programed, I run my set-up (switchyard) using my EZ Command with 1-9 locos. I made the DCC address for each loco the 'last number' in their road number (CB&Q #338 is DCC address "8") (Great Northern #152 is address "2"). My computer stills are nil, I'd mess-up bigtime and can't afford to destroy one of the locos. Sounds like you're in for a good time making them run your way. I needed to quiet my sound down as they all came set at FULL volume and loud horns. Also they were speed set for fast running... and I need slowwwww yard speeds. Digitrax makes it EZ to adjust CVs.

[Terry Toenges]

I really thought about buying a full fledged DCC system until I saw this Digitrax PR4. I realized this would suit all my needs. I don't have that many locos. It's so much easier for me to look at the computer screen and change stuff. I looked at those hand held things with the small windows and the lighting didn't look very good on them. Then there are all the buttons to push. With this it's all just mouse clicks except for entering the 2 or 3 digit CV numbers. I don't need my glasses to see what I'm doing whereas I would have with one of those other systems. The E-Z Command is so simple to operate also without having to  press a lot of buttons.

[Geeper]

Hi Terry; I agree EZ Command is excellent for actual day-to-day RR operations. Once everything is Digitrax programed. The locos keep their settings and they run smoothly on EZ Command. My grandson learned quickly on EZ Command. My Digitrax isn't a handheld, just a table top unit with easy to read buttons and large screen. It plugs directly into my EZ Track for programing. You just have to have a separate maintenance track for programing or removing ALL other locos before programing the one you want. I oops and left a switcher on a siding once... I reprogrammed BOTH locos by mistake. Like launching a boat without the plug in... ya never do that twice.

[Terry Toenges]

Geeper - I just set up a terminal rerailer and couple pieces of track on the table in front of my computer. That way I can sit at the table and do all I need to do with out bending over the layout.

[Quentin]

All y'all (classic Okie talk, ha) are talking about all this fancy DCC stuff, while I'm sittin here with my little EZ Command... makes me feel the want for Digitrax or whatever else is good even more. Ha!

[trainman203]

Mercy sakes, Quentin, I do declare! (the way my Mississippi grandma used to talk.) all this talk about the DigiTraxx thingy is fine. Until you want to change a setting. Like the whistle. If you're really into whistles like me.  Tsunami2-2 has 90. Of course I don't like all of them, but there's about a dozen of them I do. Five chimes and six chimes, I don't care for the three chimes or the hooters. I change the whistle on almost every engine at least once in an evening of operation, sometimes more. Even with 90 whistles in that decoder, there's still several prototype whistles I like that aren't in there. Like a real southern pacific six chime. Although there's three so-called ones on there already, they are all imposters. Or one of the little cast iron 6-inch-high five chime screamers that were on almost all of the T&NO and MP engines.

Or, second reason to want a more advanced system, if you want to give a locomotive a real address other than a single digit, and have more than 10 engines you want to assign addresses to.

I understand that smaller reach operating systems suit some folks well. But when I first fired up my NCE wireless pro cab 15 years ago, I knew there was no going back.

[Desert Rose]

I use the ez-comand and Dynamis system hand in hand. We run our Layout with a Dynamis system, the ez-comand runs
the isolated turntable spur. We use five wireless receivers with one 20ft cat 5 extension cable, two 25ft cat 5 extension cables and one 75ft cat 5 extension cable for the wireless Receivers. Four Bachmann 5amp power boosters, one every 50 to 75ft of track. It handles just fine. Two tears of function keys (1-20), programs all the CV's and indexed CV's to. Can program on service track, main track and isolated turntable spur.