Having just fitted a new decoder to one of the Baldwins, it was time to change the address and a couple of little tweaks to the chip. I find all this far easier to do using the Digitrax PR3 via the computer. Obviously having too much time on my hands (I wish - but it is strange - the busier I am the more I seem to get done!), I decided to do something I have been meaning to do for ages. My plan to mount the PR3 on a board with some track soon escalated into a complete test station for chips complete with stowage for the power supply;

So time to change the address and guess what nothing works Arrghhhhh! I was not at all happy as I then had to spend ages messing around to get things back. This ended with no success but with a question on the Digitrax Sound Forum. Luckily, I think this has just come up with the answer. Now this story goes back a bit and I have to admit it includes me being a bit foolish. You may remember that about six months ago I fitted all the locos with Zimo Supercap stay alives. Theses worked briliantly at keeping the chip going but a little while later I realised that the wheels were not going around. I wanted them to work like electronic flywheels so this just wasn't on. Agin I resorted to the Digitax forum and it came to light that there was a stay alive designed specifically so the Digitrax chips which did what I wanted. So, if anyone is interested, I have quite a few Zimo capacitors going spare!

Getting back to the problem, it seems that the stay alive may be taking too much power during programming so the recommendation is to disconnect it during programming and pop it back on afterwards. This would be a lot simpler of course if everything was not neatly fitted into the bunker with a nice layer of coal on top. When I have calmed down a bit I shall get around to sorting this out.