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| DT400/ D-DT400 |
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| The DT400 can be used with any LocoNet system, including the BigBoy. Note: Adding a DT400 to a BigBoy set does not allow it to perform all of its features. There are very few dual button operations. The DT400 has enough buttons to provide single button entry into all operations. For example:
The EXIT button is how you exit all procedures. This means there is no hurry to execute any procedure due to a six second time-out. You won't exit any mode until you press the EXIT button, or other button that transfers you from one mode to another. Thirteen of the extra buttons are number buttons (0-12). When in the loco operating (Fn) mode, these are stand-alone function buttons - accessing functions zero through 12. However, when in the loco selection mode, they can be used to key the address in, rather than using the knobs. And, when in the programming mode, they can be used to key CVs or data in, rather than using the knobs. To key CVs in, the "!" indicator needs to be on the left side. If it's on the right, moving the left knob will switch it over. And to key the VC's value in, the "!" indicator needs to be on the right side. Moving the right knob switches it over if it isn't already there. The ENTER button is how you tell the throttle to enter the data you have keyed in. After dialing or keying in the value, you press the ENTER button (rather than the SET button). The PWR button is used for two things: turning track power on or off, and operating the flashlight. When you press the PWR button, it enters the track power control mode which allows you to press the + or - button to turn track power on or off. But if you press and hold the PWR button, the flashlight stays on so you can read your schedule or see a road or car number in a dimmed situation. The EDIT button puts you into the Status Editing mode from the Loco Selection mode, or from the Loco Operating mode (also the Function mode) it takes you to the clock and route editing modes. The SWCH button takes you to the Switch control mode. From here you can control turnouts, or can set OPSWs in the command station, if you have the command station switch set on the OP position. When controlling turnouts, you still control your train's speed and direction from the switch mode, but no longer have stand-alone function button use. Note: This is one of the DT400's fundamental differences from the DT300. Whether you're in the Fn (Function) mode or in the Sw (Switch) mode, you still have control of your train's speed and direction. So, both of these modes are Loco Control modes. It defaults to the Fn mode so you'll have stand alone control of all functions. When you press the SWCH button to control turnouts you still have train control, but not stand-alone Function Control. You can stay in the Sw mode for as long as you need to control turnout. But when you need to control a function, you'll need to switch back to the Fn mode by pressing the FUNC button. The BACK key allows you to go back one step in some modes. If you've made an incorrect entry, this key sometimes allows you to back out of it in some cases. For example, if you wanted to key in "1234" as a loco address, but keyed in "1235" instead, you can use the BACK key to erase the five and enter the four - as long as you do it before "setting" it, which brings up another point. With the DT400, there are three ways to set a Loco
address: using the LOCO button, the ENTER button,
and the knob button. To select a loco address, you press the LOCO
button. You can then dial or key in the address, then push the LOCO
button, the ENTER button, or the knob button. |
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| Playable Horn/Whistle |
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Some Digitrax DT400 throttles
have a previously undocumented feature - a playable whistle/horn function
button. This feature has been in and out of the DT400 for some time,
but was not documented because there were no sound units designed
to use it. However, now that the Digitrax SoundFX
and SoundTraxx Tsunami sound
units can use this feature, it becomes yet another surprise feature
for most people - especially Digitrax's competition.
We don't know if Digitrax will be able to add the pressure sensitivity to the Function 2 button of DT400s that don't have this feature. It all depends on whether or not AJ can figure out a way to easily do it. Never-the-less, you can't tell if you DT400 has this feature or not without simply turning it on and trying it. NOTE: All DT400s sold by Loy's Toys at this time are tested to confirm that they have this feature. Here's how to activate this feature: Adding hex 80 to the Option #3 value in the DT400 activates the pressure sensitiveness of the Function 2 button. This means that if you currently have x14 there for back light off, 24-hour clock format, recall stack depth of 8, and no tetherless release, you would put x94 in to still have all those features and a pressure-sensitive Function 2 button. If you don't know how to do that, following is a step-by-step procedure: 1) Press and release the OPTN button. This places you in the configuration mode at Option #1. 2) Assuming you don't want to change Option 1 or 2, press and release the ENTER button twice. This places you at Option #1. 3) Add x80 to the existing value by turning either knob to the right. It will take a lot of knob turning to do this. 4) Press and release the ENTER button enough times to get through the configuration mode, back to loco operation. With this successfully done, you not only will hear the pitch change of the compliant sound decoders, but can see the change on the display. The bar graph, which goes up and down as you give the loco throttle, turns into a pitch bar graph showing how much pressure you're applying to Function 2 when using that button. When you release that button, it turns back into a throttle bar graph. Even if you don't have a sound unit that can use this feature yet, you can play with it and see it work. By activating this feature, as outlined above, select any address and press the Function 2 button to see the bar graph move as you apply and release various pressures on the Function 2 button. It's OK to play with for kicks, but if you don't really have a sound unit that can use this feature, I suggest that you turn it off after playing with it. It does add extra LocoNet message traffic that's not necessary if you don't need it. |
