Model Railroading > Decoders and # of Functions

When a decoder has 2 functions, is one of those functions for the headlights, or are the headlights separate?

THe reason I ask, the other evening a was playing around with a Digitrax DH123 to try and set it up for alternating ditchlights. I set up the CV's per another message I got and everything worked as expected except that afterwards i noticed that I had managed to let the magic smoke out of the decoder. (My guess is that I had a short across one of the lights as I only twisted them together and had not soldered and heat-shrinked them yet.)

Anyway, tonight I finished soldering all of the connections to the bulbs, plugged in another DH123 decoder that I had, and I couldn't get the ditch lights to work. Same CV's, same everything as the other night (except for the magic smoke). Since I also had a DH163 decoder handy, I plugged it in, programmed the CV's and ol and behold, I was back to flashing ditchlights.

So, why did one DH123, which is a two function decoder work, and a different one didn't?

Charles

Each headlight (front and back) requires a function, unless you have them both
wired up to come on at the same time. Flashing ditchlights and 2 separate headlights
would require at least a 4 function decoder. If you don't use flashing ditchlights,
and skip the rear headlight (for example, if you only plan on using your engine to
run short hood forward), you could get away with 2 functions.

Correct, since each ditchlight needs to flash seperately, the need one function each. Plus one for the headlight.

But, unless I dreamed it, I know that it was a two function decoder (Digitrax DH123) that I had set up for flashing ditchlights. The only guess that I have is that I got a DH163 in a DH123 package. But I can't check as that decoder left in the mail his morning to get repaired.

Charles

Are we have fun yet ????????? Hummmmmmmmmmm...........
Andy