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CV Manipulation for equalizing loco performance...............

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  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
CV Manipulation for equalizing loco performance...............
Posted by mobilman44 on Monday, May 12, 2014 1:54 PM

I've got a Stewart FT  ABBA consist that once was in sync, but is no longer.   The two A units are Stewart/Bowser with an NCE decoder added.   The two Bs are Stewart bodies with Bowser sound/motor chassis which I believe are Tsunami decoders.  Right now, the Bs are slow to start, and slow to stop (they coast).   They used to work fine together, now not nearly as good as they did.

As I recall, CV2 will adjust the start point, and CV3 will adjust acceleration so that they will all 4 start moving at the same time and rate.  

I assume CV4 will adjust deceleration in a like manner, but will this adjust the "coasting", or is this a separte situation?

 

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, May 12, 2014 5:06 PM

 Yes, adding to the value in CV4 will make it take longer for the loco to slow down. Startup and the very slowest speeds may be always out of sync as the Tsunami has BEMF and the NCE decoders do not, but you can adjust the 'dither' to tweak the slow speed on those NCE decoders. Off hand I forget which CV thatis, but it's in the instructions. The Tsunami also has a brake that makes them stop faster while 'coasting' on the deceleration momentum, which the NCE also does not have, so should you hit the brake (F7 I think is the default), the Tsunami units will slow down at a faster rate then programmed in CV4, but the NCE will do nothing and keep reducing speed at the slower rate. With 2 of each time coupled together, this might actually be an advantage as you would be working the brake against the motor in effect, as two try to slow and 2 try to keep pulling.As long as it isn;t so severe that the two are just spinning trying to move against the two already slowed down, or the two that are still rolling aren;t sliding the other two along the rails, it's not going ot hurt anything. I've seen people run one loco out of 4 in reverse as a track cleaner - don;t really recommend that, can overheat the motor and wear the heck out of the wheels. That's an extreme case. Slight amounts of slip and spin won;t hurt anything and if you have things tuned so that this is the case, I wouldn;t worry too much after that.

                         --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Southeast Texas
  • 5,449 posts
Posted by mobilman44 on Monday, May 12, 2014 5:28 PM

Thank you Randy!

You have always been a big help and I do appreciate your time and expertise.

Mobilman44

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, May 12, 2014 7:19 PM

 I will be working on all your (collective forum members) layouts for the forseeable future. Gonna be a long time before I am ready to build in my new house. Lots to rip out of the basement, walls need to be redone, fix up the drop ceiling, power run, all that good stuff. In between the normal work and such.

 First actual section of the old layout now ripped out. A while ago I took out the section across the entry, and the section across the space to get back to the workbench. Now I actually pulled out an entire section and took the legs off. Wouldn't you know it, I had a turnout right across the gaps. I wasn't planning on reusing any of the track anyway, but it made it that much more of a pain to cut with the Dremel. Cutoff wheels just scare the bejesus out of me, even though I am careful to move perpendicularly with them and haven't had one shatter on me yet. But hitting 4 rails at once and trying to also cut through the cork - not happening. I busted out a hand saw and just hacked it. Basically have a week and a half to get it all apart into sections. Hard to do with no working space. I did move several boxes of train stuff to the new house alread, and boxed up more. I took a small box up for my unbuilt kit repository - oops, not nearly big enough, had two more stacks behind some paint cans.

                --Randy

 

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 4:50 AM

Randy, you should start a thread on your move to the new house.  Interesting stuff.

Meanwhile, the OP will hopefully keep us posted on this CV programming issue.   Also interesting stuff.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 8:50 AM

richhotrain typed:

Randy, you should start a thread on your move to the new house.  Interesting stuff.

I agree.

I'll be retiring later this year, and then we'll move to more tax-friendly state.  I'll need all the help I can get.  (I'll buy the beer and pizza.)

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 1:15 PM

 I'll start a thread as I start demolishing the existing ugly stuff once I get moved in. Or restart my web site - hmm, current stuff, old stuff, and old-old stuff (since I have my current layout plus my old layout on there now).

Will be a while, won't have much in extra funds for a whle, after doing the work upstairs. Plus I plan to spend most of my summer free time in the pool.

             --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Shenandoah Valley The Home Of Patsy Cline
  • 1,842 posts
Posted by superbe on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 1:29 PM

Mobilman44.

If you have Video Plus Dana has done a series on DCC programing that is easy to follow.

Bob

 

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