Programming DCC engine problem

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net spake thus:
You may already have thought of this, but could you swap the known good DCC decoder into the swap-meet loco and see if it works? Sounds like a bad decoder to me.

Mike, Many (most?) sound decoders have higher current requirements, even for programming, than non-sound decoders. Often the DCC system will see this as a short and refuse to program them.
Even folks with top-of-the-line DCC systems sometimes buy add-on such as the PowerPax to enable the programming of sound decoders.
It may be that your Commander system just isn't up to the task.
My suggestion would be to find someone (friend, hobby shop, local club, etc.) who has successfully programmed sound decoders with their DCC system, and let them have a go at programming yours.
HTH&GL, Stevert