Automating bell feature

[tstage]

Greetings,

I was running my NYC F3 A-B around the layout yesterday and had a thought, as I was pulling into the freight station.  Is it possible to program a decoder so that the bell automatically comes on when the locomotive speed lowers to - say, speed step 020, or turns off above speed step 020?  While turning the bell on and off is not that big a deal, I was just curious if it could be automated somehow.

Thanks for the help...

Tom

[wjstix]

I'm not aware of any decoders where going below a certain speed turns can be set to turn the bell on. I would think a decoder could be built to do that; shouldn't be any harder than building one that allows you to have the brake squeal turn on as the engine slows to a stop. QSI engines can be set up so the bell rings all the time when you're in reverse. A fun feature...for a while.

 

Seems to me someone makes a decoder where you can set it so the horn or whistle blows a grade crossing signal when you change speeds a certain amount or something(??)

[Graffen]

The Tsunami has a function for applying the bells under a certain user defined speedstep.

[Hamltnblue]

Correct

Here's a link to the manual. http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Tsunami%20Diesel%20Technical%20Reference_1.13.pdf

On page 82 you'll find the CV to select the speed step for the Bell to work or turn off

On page 86 you'll find the CV to set automatic bell.

You can also set up automatic grade crossing signal, automatic horn, and break squeal.

[Hamltnblue]

QSI doesn't trigger off of speed but will auto trigger on a horn blast.  QSI says it's prototypical that way.

Page 112 of the manual has the info.

http://www.qsisolutions.com/pdf/quantumdccrefmanual_4_6_0.pdf

[locoi1sa]

  Tom

 The new BLI Paragon 2 decoders have an automatic feature that mimics a complete run on a layout. I have not played with that feature yet so I can't comment on how well it works.

      Pete

[tstage]

Hey Pete,

Yea, I am aware of that Paragon2 feature.  I was really just curious about automating the bell feature rather than an entire operating sequence.

I would liken the BLI feature to the A->B button on a CD or DVD remote.  It would make for an interesting op session for a thru train on a strict timetable.

Tom

[Stevert]

With JMRI you can easily set up stuff like that, although not by using it to program the decoder. 

I'm assuming that you're using NCE's USB adapter, and that it echoes throttle commands so that JMRI can see and act on them.   

If you are and if it does, then just set up a listener and a script that will turn the bell on when it "sees" the speed step drop below 20 for that loco address, and turn it back off when it sees the step go back above 20.

And if you want to go a little further, add detection to your station tracks and update that script so it plays incoming and outgoing station announcements when the train arrives/departs.

 

[rrinker]

 Unfortunately,, no, only Digitrax echos throttle commands from all throttles back to JMRI. Otherwise, it would be fairly simply, If Address=xx and speed < y then F1=on. Of course you'd need a script for every loco, and if you ever change the address, the script would have to be changed.

 This echo thing is something I bring up nearly every time there is a comparison of systems. None of the other systems does this (except the ones that have Loconet, like Uhlenbrock). This is why absolute feedback isn;t really needed for turnouts - if anyone operates turnout #100 from their throttle, the dispatcher panel WILL reflect it - no cheating and hiding actions from the DS! I suppose the enterprising crew could hold the points over with a skewer and cheat that way..

 What you can do with NCE or others is use a detector to sense whent he loco is in the station area, although if you are just highballign through without making a stop it would tript eh bell too. Which may actually be prototypical. You need either one block detector for the entire length of the terminal or a pair of other type sensors like IR beams, one at the starrt and one at the end. With the script this would let you turn on the bell when entering from either directiona nd automatically kill it when leaving

                 

                                                             --Randy

 

 

[tstage]

Thanks for the input and information fellas.

Tom