Hi,

I just bought the cs3 60226 and cannot find a way to find a locomotive address (non mfx) when adding a new loco. This is specially useful for non marklin locos, with esu/loksound decoders or M models not in the database or even M models without the default address.

With cs2 there is a button with a locomotive and an arrow that starts a search for the address and configures the locomotives after it founds the address. Also cs2 has dcc, mm and mm2 programmable options whereas in cs3 I only found dcc and mm..

I have a loksound 4 that with mm2 type the cs2 founds the address 101 and configures it well and in cs3 even if I mannually put mm 101 it doesn't work or read the decoder parameters..

Anybody knows how to put the cs3 searching for the loco addresses and configure itself (functions) for non mfx?

Kind regards,
John

Hello John
Look what software version has its CS3 60226, if it is not 1.3.0 should update it to this version, I think the base of locomotives is wider than the previous version.
In case you already have it to version 1.3.0 you should consult the Märklin service to see if this is normal in this central.
I can not tell you anything else, I do not mean to test CS3 60226, since I have the CS3 plus 60216 and do not have this problem.
Greetings from Joan Ferrer

Hi,
Thanks for all your valuable feedback. For searching the address (when you don't know it) I found the procedure is different in cs2 and cs3.

In cs2 in the menu of manually add locomotive you have an icon with a locomotive and an up arrow. You select the protocol (mm, dcc, mm programmable) and then click that button. This works in most "digital" locomotives (in delta or older decoders doesn't work but you can try all 16 addresses quickly). You have to repeat with various protocols if you don't know what decoder is inside. This is useful when you buy a used locomotive (+90% of my stock) with changed addresses or esu/dcc decoders.
R
In cs3 (v1.3) this button is not active/present when you add a locomotive. Instead you have to create a locomotive with mm or dcc protocols with any address and then click ok. After that you edit the locomotive and the locomotive with the up arrow icon appears next to the address. You can now click and it searches the address and changes it accordingly. If it doesn't work you can delete the locomotive and create a new one with other protocol (dcc or mm) and try again.

If it is a marklin locomotive I found that is best if you create the locomotive by searching item number (e.g. 37970). In cs3 there is an icon (folder I guess) next to the address in the create locomotive menu. This configures the function icons correctly and in most cases the loco figure/icon as well. If you don't know the marklin number you can google "marklin" + "road number of the locomotive" printed in front and/or sides. E.g. "Marklin 18 466". You often find a link with the web with marklin part number. In the above example it is 29857.

Imho the cs2 approach is more intuitive, maybe something that marklin may improve in future cs3 updates.

Kind regards,
John

Edited by user 23 August 2017 00:31:17(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hello Mike C,



This is correct, except for the M4 decoder from ESU. This should be the only one with mfx capabilities beside the Maerklin decoders. But I do not have any experience with this decoder.




No, I cannot confirm this. Because only Maerklin and the M4 decoder from ESU have the technical conditions for the mfx format to be detected by a CS 3 or MS 2 automatically.

If other locos with other decoders are not listed in the Maerklin database, they have to be fed into the Maerklin database manually. It does not matter who produced these decoders as long as they understand the format fx, (= MM 1), MM (= MM 2) or DCC.

After feeding the database, then of course they were known by Maerklin's CS 3 or MS 2 as long as you do not delete them.

By the way, if you were feeding a database in a CS 3 with the technical parameters of a non-mfx format decoder, then the digital address, which is already assigned to another decoder, remains in red. You have to go forward with the digital addresses still a black one occurs. In my opinion you do not need your Excel sheet any longer. The administration of all your locos inside a CS 3 are managed by the CS 3. And of course you always can look them up and alter the stored information.

regards

TEEWolf

The MS2 has an option to "Find" a loco address. It has to be the only loco on the layout and doesn't work for all types of loco, but it almost always works. I believe it does it by scanning through the addresses in order and sensing the current drawn by the loco when the lights come on in response to its correct address.

Is this option not available on the more "advanced" controllers?

Hi Silvano,

The "Find" function won't work if any other loco is on the track. Take the mfx locos off the track and try it again. You should find it works.

Hi, Ray:

As promised, I am reporting on the "Find" function. Unfortunately, I tried 3 different locos and it did not find any.

As a result, for me one additional reason to LOVE my wireless remote control set is to be able to set a new address (from the four allowed) WITHOUT knowing the loco's address.

Hi, Wolf:

Yes, I do forget addresses .

The locos I was talking about were Fx.

Re-entering MFX locos is a cinch. No problema. That is why I no longer buy Fx locos if I can help it.

Even the 30000 as part of a set is an MFX loco - but if you buy it individually, it's Fx. Who knows why.

Me too.



Hello Silvano,

good idea, if possible, but unfortunately not always actionable. Most of the decoders are only fx ones. Buying a non-Maerklin loco or decoder they are not able to recognize the mfx signal. So you have to enter them manually. Or if you use DCC, you always have to feed your MS 2 manually too. Doing a reset (as you did already and got the experience) you have to enter all data manually again.

For all this purposes Maerklin offers the loco card. This actually makes fx, DCC and other foreign decoders to a “manually mfx” decoder, once you have saved the data on the card. Beside this you always have a back-up for your loco data and perhaps once you have more than 11 locos running on your nice layout, it is an easy way changing the locos on your MS 2.

With a MS 2 you have a fine tool for handling these loco cards easily.

Ok, they cost some money
https://www.maerklin.de/...s/details/article/60135/

In a German MRR community a member reported about his tests with regular chip cards and they were also functioning, but much cheaper as the Maerklin ones. He recommended these cards

https://www.reichelt.de/...E=37024;GROUPID=;SID=313

regards

Wolfgang

The cards record more than just the address. When you add a loco to the MS2 from a loco card it will have the correct address, loco picture, function assignments and function pictograms. Many of my locos have their corresponding card so that I can use them straight away without having to make a new entry in the MS2.

The cards are most useful for non-Marklin locos and Marklin locos that have been converted to digital with non-mfx decoders.