Hi!
On my earlier post concerning acceleration and deceleration I got educated on CVs 2, 3, and 4. I actually determined what values work for me and implemented them on several power units.
In the process I bumped up against CV 5 and CV6. It is my understanding that 5 is "high voltage" and 6 is "mid voltage". I THINK this means that a setting will allow you so much of available voltage in total at max speed step, and so much voltage at the middle speed step.
Assuming this is true, what setting for the two CVs would one want to allow total available voltage at max speed step, and 1/2 available voltage at the middle speed step?
And after thinking more on the subject, why would anyone want any different settings?
BTW, I'm running Digitrax Super Chief with DT400 controllers with a second 5 amp booster on an HO layout.
Thank you!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Content removed due to a completely frak'ed up and incompetent Kalmbach customer service.
I do a lot of messing around with CV 5 and 6, but I don't think of it at all in terms of "voltage." It's about speed control - what do I want throttle response to be? I like to set relatively low values (range of about 100-140 for 5 and 50-70 for 6) so that my locomotives simply won't run fast, and find it more enjoyable than dealing with momentum.
Rob Spangler
Ron,
You gave me the settings you prefer, but what would be an "extreme" example in each direction - and what performance would one get from their locos?
Sorry if I'm a little slow on the pick-up here, but I'm going as fast as I can - with caution.
Actually the Digitrax decoder manual has a coupel of curve examplesof what happens with CV2, 6, and 5. But you do have to refer to individual decoder manuals as the values permitted aren;t always standard.
An extreme example: CV2=0, CV6=30, CV5=255. This loco will start slow and up until the speed shows 50 on your throttle, accelerate very slowly, just a tiny bit per click of the knob. Once you get past 50, each click will result in a BIG change of speed, up to full speed.
Opposite extreme: CV2=0, CV6=200,CV5=255. This thing will rocket away from a stop but once above 50 percent each click will result in very little change in speed.
The way I set this stuff is to use Ops Mode. Set the throttle on speed step 1, and adjust CV2 untilt he loco moves at the slowest sustainable speed. Next open the throttle up to full and adjust CV5 until the speed is what you want for a top speed. You cna only slow down the loco, you can;t make it go any faster - if the top speed is already too slow, that's what it is, unless you remotor or regear. But most model locos go far too fast for our layouts - notice I said for out layouts, before the complainers jump in that their Proto E units only go 60mph at full throttle.
FInally, set the throttle to mid speed, the display will show 50 on a Digitrax DT40x throttle. Adjust CV6 for your desired mid point speed. The value in CV6 should be bigger than CV2 but smaller than CV5. Soem decoders will accept otherwise, but the behavior may be really wierd. As for choices, it depends on the loco and how it is used. A passenger loco that spends most of its time at high speeds will use a larger value of CV6 than a switcher.
The best thing to do here is experiment. You won;t hurt anything, and the defaults for all 3 CVs is 0, so if the loco starts acting wierd because you put in some odd numbers, just set them all to 0 and start again.
Not all decoders support CV6 for mid speed, which forces you to go to the more complex speed tables. There are really too many CVs to set by hand, this is where JMRI comes in handy. SiIly Soundtraxx again, no CV6.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
One example where you might not want to have CV 6 being exactly half of CV 5 would be as a way to allow all your engines to run together - at least at slow speeds. Let's say you have a 4-8-2 that often runs on passenger trains and has a top speed of 60 MPH, and a 2-10-2 freight engine whose top speed is only about 40 MPH. You could set both engines so that at 50% throttle both of them are going say 25 MPH - plenty fast for a long freight drag where the 4-8-2 might be used as a helper. Between 50% power and full power the 4-8-2 would increase from 25 MPH to 60 MPH, so it would still be able to go very fast when needed. However the 2-10-2 would only speed up from 25 to 40, which is about as fast as a low drivered freight engine would really go.
Using Randy's example, is it correct to say that if CV2 was zero, CV 6 was 126, and CV 5 was 255, then I would get the same amount of speed change with each throttle step.
Is that a good assumption?
Pretty much, but this is also the same response you'd get if all 3 were left at 0.
Randy,
I won't pretend I fully understand the "why" of the thing, but I like your answer. For now, I'll just make certain my locos are at zero for CV 2, 5, and 6.
Once again, you all helped me out!
Thank you,
Mobilman:
When CVs 2,5 and 6 are all set to zero the decoder uses the default programming which is a straight line from zero to full speed.
Joe
Joe,
Thanks to you and Randy for the confirmation. I confess I really like "straight lines".
It's just one fo the weaknesses in the NMRA specs that resulted from afterthought, so the CV for the MIDDLE is the highest CV, and the CV for the HIGHEST is the middle one.
Since it's hard to braw an evenly sloped line in text, I'll make it straight. But remember, with CV2,5, and 6 all set to zero, the line is a straight 45 degree curve from 0-99 (I don;t want to enter the confusion of speed steps because there aren;lt 128 steps in 128SS mode, some are reserved, etc. 0-99 is the percentage you see ont he Digitrax throttle regardless of how many speed steps is being used)
|------------------|----------------|
CV2 CV6 CV5
Hopefully that lines up, I'm using quick reply so no preview mode. So picture the three CVs in question as strings attached ot the rope that is the line from speed 0 to full throttle. By adjusting those three CVs you can pull up or push down on the part of the rope around the beginning, middle, or end. It's securely tied to the ends, CV2 and CV5, so when you adjust CV6 is deflects the rope into a different shape curve.
I'm running out of analogies to use. Hpefulyl this makes sense.
Yup, I actually do understand - thanks to you all - the CVs 2,3,4,5,and 6. And, I adjusted my locos accordingly.
I'm still not clear on adjusting the Tsunami (lower all sounds, raise certain ones like horn/bell/etc) and did print out the 66 page manual and will try to make sense of it. The QSI manual (for BLI locos) was not too difficult for me to follow the steps. The Tsunami - to me - is more difficult and complicated with the equalzer, etc.
Ha, if only it had a page that said....... "to lower or raise overall volume do this..........." and "to raise or lower this particular sound, do this".........
Sounds like a "Tsunami for Dummies" thing, but it would work for me.
Hey, thanks again........If nothing else, I am persistant...................
Well the graphic equalizer is like what you probably have on your stereo system. Since most model trains have small speakers, they often have a hard time with the lower registers (or "bass"). The equalizer allows you to boost the bass side. But you can leave it "flat" and not worry about it, same for the reverb.
The Tsunami can be complicated, but printing out the page that has what each CV does is a great help. Normally it's pretty basic - one CV picks say what kind of horn you want, another picks the rate, and a third the volume for it. Same with whistle/horn, brake squeal etc. (Setting the automagic brake squeal can be a little tricky though as there are several to choose from.)
I found it MUCH easier to get the Tsunami working the way I wanted it to when I got Decoder Pro and a Digitrax PR3.
hello mobilman 44 i also use the digitrax super chief and it works very well....
i have approx 90 locomotives that i have programmed the cv 5 and 6 to suit my layout the best advise i can tell you is to RECORD EVERYTHING i use a note book and each locomotive is recorded on a different page... for example i would put all of the kato locos next to each other( different page ).. then each type of loco example....sd70 etc
the second best advise is USE A CONTROL LOCO... by this i mean set the values for 5 and 6 as well as other cv,s and write them down.... so your control loco ( mine CP ac6000) now runs nice and slow at top speed 60 mph and 20 mph at mid speed
when its time to programme another new loco... gp38...loco i go to my note book look up a similar loco example proto gp38 i set ALL MY CV,S to the same values then i put it on the track and run it behind the control loco and FINE TUNE the cvs .... all locos are not the same and the cv,s need to be fine tuned
by using a control loco i can set all my locos so that they can all be run together and by using a note book to record the cv values i have something to refer to ..... hope this helps peter
Tsunami's don't program using the same method. They only have a Vstart.
Luckily they have good documentation. The best would be the users guide which uses plain english
You can find it here:
http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals.php
Springfield PA
Thanks,
I've accessed the site the other day and printed out the diesel manual. It is a definite help.
mobilman44 Ha, if only it had a page that said....... "to lower or raise overall volume do this..........." and "to raise or lower this particular sound, do this".........
This is where decoderpro comes in handy. You just go to the sound tab in the program and you find that all the user adjustable are listed. Each one has what looks like a slider control (if I remember correctly) and all you have to do is slide to the right to increase the volume, and to the left to decrease.