Question About ESU LokProgrammer

[JimL]

If I buy a new locomotive from Atlas (with the factory installed ESU decoder), can I use a LokProgrammer to change the prime mover sound to the sound of a different model prime mover?

Or, can the prime mover only be changed on aftermarket ESU decoders that we install ourselves.

Thanks.

[tstage]

Jim,

What specific Gold Series diesel are you interested in?

I checked two of the Atlas products pages (the MP15DC & HH660) and both of them are outfitted with the Loksound Select decoder.  Assuming that it's not a pared down version of the OEM's decoder, it should be programmable either via the LokProgrammer or your DCC system's throttle.  For changing to a different prime mover sound file though you'll need the LokProgrammer.

Tom

[crusader27529]

Yes, you can change the sound file in the LOK Sound Select decoder, but you'll need the LOK Programmer to do it.

OTHER programming can certainly be done with any DCC system, but I recomend that you use JMRI to program any locomotive, especially newer sound decoders. The newer decoders have many more CVs than the 255 supported by NMRI specs, and the sequence to do that isn't easy to do, and many mistakes happen. JMRI takes care of all those details, and it's FREE. You only need some way to connect to your DCC system.

 

[rrinker]

 Some of the OEM Loksound Select projects omit the multipel prime movers and horns, one of the standard projects typically has multiple prome mover optiosn as well as horn and bell selections that are changed by a single CV. But to totally reprogram the whole thign with different sounds, you need the Lokprogrammer - keep in mind a Select does not allow changing individual parts of the sound program, only the whole thing, even with the Lokprogrammer.

 All those CVs are really just a big table for doing function mapping - Loksound is the ONLY decoder that allows 100% freedom in mappign what sounds happen when what button is pressed under what conditions such as movign forward, stopped, slowing, accelerating, if another function is also turned on, etc. JMRI with an interfce to your DCC system can read and set the whole table, but it can be tedious and take a long time. Standard DCC protocls weren;t meant to transfer large chunks of data. The Lokprogrammer will help with this as well, using the same proprietary communications used to laod the sound files, it can read and write all the CVs in a very short time, very reliably. Not worth it for just oen loco, but I no longer use any sound decoder except Loksound so it was a no brainer for me. 

                          --Randy