Too many Functions

[C&O Fan]

Maybe it's just me but i wanted to find out how others feel

I Have problems remembering more than 6 functions

and using that same amount when operating

It doesn't help that the different Mfg have different mapping and different

Sounds

I like the short Whistle function that is on the Tsunami's  and also the water fill sound

but it's not offered on QSI

so it gets confusing when operating

 

I rarely use the Coupler sound  because i forget in the heat of the moment

 

I guess i'm just one of those people that has trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time

 

What say you Too Many ?

or Not enough ?

 

Would it help if the MFGs standardized all the different functions ?

[cacole]

Most sounds beyond the first 4 or 5 are just gimmicks that I never use even if they are supported by a decoder.

[jalajoie]

Even if my DCC system is capable of F0 to F28, I did not enable the capacity and will not.

[CSX Robert]

I can't imagine using more than a few functions on a regular basis when operating. I do, however, think there is a good use for the higher functions,and that is for adjusting decoder sounds. For example, if you want to change a whistle sound it's nice to be able to push a single button to cycle through the sounds until you hear one you like instead of programming a CV over and over again.

[locoworks]

i think the sounds should have standard buttons so they are the same number for the same sound on all your differing brands of loco.  that said, i have a couple of bachmann factory fitted sound equipped loco's, and they don't use the same numbers for the same functions themselves so what chance have we got of differing companies standardising??  i think they prioritise the clanks and buffer noise etc sounds, and go up the functions next to next, but if due to the type of loco it is missing a sound, the next sound is put there instead and so on and so on. digitrax seem to think bell is on 1, whistle on 2 and coupler on 3 going by the DT400 pictures on the function buttons, but my loco's don't match that!!

[rrinker]

 Which ones don't match bell on F1 and whistle on F2? Every sound loco I've come across has that set. It'd be tough to use the whistle if it was any other function, F2 is the one programmed by default to be momentary so it only sounds the whistle as long as you hold it down. The ones that vary are all the extras like radio chatter, station announcements, automatic whistle sequences (I guess we're too lazy to press F2 to make a grade crossing sequence), etc - in other words, the useless ones that have now made it a consumer demand that the systems support up to F28.

                                             --Randy

 

[locoworks]

the loco's are british outline, so there isn't a bell, they have whistles or horns except a very few loco's.

[1948PRR]

I regularly use the bell, and whistle/horn. if available, a short horn is nice, but not necessary IMO, and can get confusing remembering which have it nad which don't. I do regularly use the coupler/slack sound. I wish it was more standard, as different mfg operate different. I also wish they were seperate. I also use the brake squeal (typically) F7. I also wish this was more standard. I like how some mfg also use this to acctually reduce the speed, but wish this could be more standard. I also wish there was a more standard and simplified startup/shutdown, as I would like all of my locos to be silent until I select and start them, and to be able to "shut them down" with a function key. Not disable them like QSI, and not startup on step one like Tsunami, just a simple audio startup/shutdown sequence activated with one button.

I also agree that any functions that require a shif sequence probably won't get used that much.

I do like the previus posters idea to use these to slect "presets", and I'd like a few preset momentum values, without having to redo individual CVs. I think it would be neat to have 3 or 4 "presets" so you could say, actvate F12 for a "medium" train, which would change both acc and dec values to a preset number, and use F13 for a "heavy" train, which would add even more. This way you simply deselect which ever function is active if you uncouple for switching (puting you back to your base settings), then reactivte when you couple back to the train.

[Phoebe Vet]

There is no law that says you must use all available functions.  I use pretty much nothing but the lights, bells, and whistles, but if someone else wants to be able to flush the toilets or hear the engineer curse at the moron who drove around the gate, why should I care.  They can provide a thousand functions if they like.

[MisterBeasley]

I'd like the commonly-used functions to have the same buttons, too.  Everyone does use the bell on F1 and the whistle on F2, but after that confusion reigns.  I've been able to re-map some of the functions by playing with CVs, but the Tsunami can't map the coupler crash to any button lower than F6, while QSI uses F3 for that.

To make things worse, I've got a Bachmann Peter Witt trolley that uses F1 to dim the interior lights.  So, with a sound-only SFX decoder also installed there, the bell and lights work together.  Most folks don't notice the lights thing, but it is annoying that Bachmann would use F1 for a lighting function, and not make it re-mappable.