Glad to hear the Yellowstone is so good. As an iron-ore modeller I've gone back and forth about getting one.
One last thought - I would still advise on getting DecoderPro. If you're going to do 28 individual speed setting on a speed curve, it's a lot easier to just move a slider in Decoder Pro with all 28 showing at once than to try to adjust 28 individual CVs the usual way.
Also, since you like the way the Bowser engines work, you can read all their settings and then save them in the Decoder Pro programming. You could then try changing things, like doing to a straightline "curve" and seeing how that works (and how much easier it is to speed match). If you don't like the changes, use Decoder Pro to re-write the CVs (it's just one button to 'write all') back to what you saved. Also, once you get one of the Athearn engines matched to the Bowser engines, you can save those settings to Decoder Pro and use that to rewrite the CVs of the other Athearn ones all at once.
PRR8259 PS It seemed that at any minimum voltage setting at or above 1 that the Genesis units were starting just too fast.
PS It seemed that at any minimum voltage setting at or above 1 that the Genesis units were starting just too fast.
Yup. This is unfortunately the case with all of SoundTraxx's decoders, in my experience. Even setting CV 02 to 1 or 2 doesn't seem to slow them down enough. A workaround is to set an Exponential Speed Curve, but the decoders then have a habit of sending too low of a start voltage for the locomotive to start moving, or move smoothly.
I believe Bowser uses ESU decoders right? There's a reason ESU has such a good rep these days; their motor control at low speeds is just fantastic.
The throttle characteristics of SoundTraxx vs. ESU decoders are often too dissimilar to match them properly, in my experience (and believe me, I've really tried). They might match up well at low speeds, or more in the middle, or at high speeds, but then at all other speeds they're too dissimilar to run smoothly.
I am in the process of upgrading all of my Athearn locos to ESU decoders, for this reason. They just run much better that way, and all of my others locos have ESU from the factory.
mattyjoe--
I eventually gave up on the speed matching for a few reasons including what you talked about...one reason is my trains simply won't be long enough to require that many units.
John
PRR8259one reason is my trains simply won't be long enough to require that many units.
Same here.
My maximum train length looks like it will be 12 cars, with 8-10 being normal.
Short trains are good.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I'll repeat my technique in case readers think its impossible to speed match a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 with an ESU Loksound. This works for soundtraxx T2 and Econami only, because earlier soundtraxx sound decoders do not support CV215.
Change the T2 CV215 to 60 or between 60 and 90 to taste. This slows down the T2 at both starting speed and top end....throughout the linear curve.
Adjust CV2 start speed. A value of 1 may be too slow.
ESU: adjust CV5 to lower the top end speed to slow down the loco since the T2 will be topping out with its CV215 set to 60 or similar.
Both decoders: Adjust mid range, CV 6, and momentum CVs 3 and 4, trial and error method, to fine tune speed match. I find it easier to adjust the T2 to match the Lok, but OEM Loks seem to have a lot of momentum programmed in, and you may want to dial down momentum a bit to match the T2.
I've found that this provides very good speed matching. I don't run my locos past speed step 50, but I've noticed matched speed through speed step 90. Don't have a enough space to run them, nor do I care, above that speed.
No need for speed curves or tables.
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I'm double heading a lot of my locos these days. Modern railroads tend to be doing that regardless of the train length. And I like the look of doubleheading short switcher locomotives.
However, since T2 has an aftermarket 21 pin sound decoder, its also easy to upgrade the Lok to a T2 then sell the 21 pin Lok on the market. Then both locos have the same decoder. (But you have to remap the T2s the auxillary light functions if you plug a T2 decoder into a OEM PC light board designed for Lok. If the loco simply has headlights, no worries, if it has ditchlights and beacons, PITA)
- Douglas