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consisting question

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consisting question
Posted by johngriffey18ca1 on Friday, August 6, 2010 9:46 PM

I've just purchased a Broadway Limited E9ABA set with DCC/sound.  I use MRC prodigy advance squared system but in universal consist and old style consist I can't get all three units to blow thier horns in unison.  I thought there was a way to do get all three horns to blow with the push of one horn button (F2) on the controller, but I can't do it.  Any ideas?

 P.S. Yes, all 3 units have a horn sound that is functioning seperately.

Tags: Consisting
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Posted by Hamltnblue on Friday, August 6, 2010 9:53 PM

Are they bluelines or Paragon 2's?  You could read up on the consisting options. You might be able to do what you want through advanced consisting.

Springfield PA

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Posted by johngriffey18ca1 on Friday, August 6, 2010 9:56 PM

original paragon (not paragon 2, not blueline..) thanks!  I've looked it up in both the dcc controller instruction booklet and the BLI booklet with no luck

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Posted by spidge on Friday, August 6, 2010 10:00 PM

One of the guys in our club assigned the same address and they all worked in unisen from the get go. Now if they would just run reliably.

John

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Posted by johngriffey18ca1 on Friday, August 6, 2010 10:14 PM

But if I have all of them as the same address the trailing A unit in the ABA consist will not run backwards as there is no way to change it's direction with the other two working forward.

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Posted by cudaken on Friday, August 6, 2010 10:48 PM

  I don't have the CV handy, but it can be done. I did it with a ABBA PK 1000 using DH 123's.

I hate Rust

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Posted by spidge on Friday, August 6, 2010 11:50 PM

johngriffey18ca1

But if I have all of them as the same address the trailing A unit in the ABA consist will not run backwards as there is no way to change it's direction with the other two working forward.

I am not sure of the CV value as I run NCE and its likely a value within CV 29. If your Prodigy system is set up at all like NCE when you go to program a loco and add the address it will ask you which way is forward, thus giving you the option to run long hood or short hood forward if you were running an RS or the like.

Give it a go and let us know.

John

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Posted by johngriffey18ca1 on Saturday, August 7, 2010 12:35 AM

Spidge,

Your idea worked great!  I changed all the addresses to 3 and it worked like a champ.  I just had to take the trailing unit's CV29 value and changed it to 1 which allows it to run backwards.  Now, all three units sound off loud and it sounds great.  Tomorrow I am going to try another address for all 3 (like 951 the cab number of the front unit) and see if that works as well.  Thanks for all your help!

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Posted by jalajoie on Saturday, August 7, 2010 7:22 AM

Good for you, but in a consist only the lead unit should blow the horn and ring the bell.

But it is your railroad.

Jack W.

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Saturday, August 7, 2010 8:40 AM

I'd like some working railroader to tell me if it's even possible for the engineer to blow the horn of a trailing unit.  I know I've never heard it...

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by jrbernier on Saturday, August 7, 2010 9:10 AM

  IIRC, when UP was still using their non-standard dual MU(17/21 point) receptacles, they had all the units in the consist blow their horns.  With the current 'standard' 28 point receptacle, I suspect only the lead unit will blow it's horn.

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

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Posted by johngriffey18ca1 on Saturday, August 7, 2010 10:21 AM

I wasn't too concerned about being prototypical I just noticed that all three units (ABA) had the sounds and they sounded awesome by themselves.  I wanted to know how awesome they would sound in unison.  When it comes to running my videos on youtube, I stick with prototypical sounds.  Thanks!

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Posted by spidge on Sunday, August 8, 2010 12:05 AM

I cannot confirm one way or the other if you are correct, but if at a train show with all the noise having all three would be needed in order to hear most sound effects. Especially from any N scale units.

John

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