R8245

[LMS-steve]

Hi does anyone know what I have to change for the R8245 to accept 4 digit addresses on a Prodigy? No problem with R8249.

Thanks

[96RAF]

The Sapphire decoder accepts 4-digit addresses.

If your controller supports 4-digit addressing then it will change CV29 automatically and write the correct numbers for the long address into Cvs 17 and 18 - noting that these numbers are algorithm derived values not direct inputs.

See here (scroll down past CV29 calculator to long addressing calculator) DCC CV29 Calculator (2mm.org.uk)

Assuming the basic Prodigy and not the Advance - this extract from the user manual may help:

More About Programming Locomotive Address on the Program Track or Main Track

To program a locomotive address involves programming a series of CVs such as CV1, CV17, CV18, CV19 and CV29.

This can be somewhat complicated. For most decoders, Prodigy Express automatically handles this for you when programming the loco address.

However, it may fail to program some old decoders and some new sound decoders made by QSI®. It does not mean that you cannot program these decoders.

It only means you cannot use the Prodigy Express’s easy address programming feature.

For QSI® decoders please refer to your decoder’s manual and use CV programming to program the loco address.

Prodigy Express' default setting CV29 = 2 CV29 = 34 Change polarity only CV29 = 3 CV29 = 35 Change to 14 speed steps only CV29 = 0 CV29 = 32 Change polarity & 14 speed steps CV29 = 1 CV29 = 33 

[Fishmanoz]

Just on an NMRA compliance basis, imputing a long address to the 8245 and the 8249 should be exactly the same. Therefore, if your controller can change it for one, it should be able to do it for the other exactly the same way.

I can’t imagine the controller knows or cares which decoder it is programming either. It just produces the correct NMRA DCC instruction for writing it.

I stand to be corrected though as I have no particular knowledge of this controller.