I recently received this ESU device to custom program some of my LOK Sound 5 decoder installed engines. Although right out of the box most of the LOK sound prototype decoders are programed to my liking, especially a couple of the new brass engines which I order professionally programmed. But i find that my Rapido RS11 is definately in need of re-programing, in particlur the sound volume levels for all of the functions, at a $300 retail price for a plastic engine you can bearly hear the prime mover, and I have tried to re-program on the main and on the progran track with assistanc by NCE & Lok customer service technitions, all to no avail ?
This said I bought the programmer mentioned above only now to find that our new Dell Lap Top with Microsoft installed Windows 11 is rejecting the ESU Driver Software? The ESU programming software uploaded OK, but without the Driver software I cannot get started with any custom programming on the LOK Sound engines.
I would like to know if anyone else has run into this probem with installing ESU Driver Software and Windows 11? Please advise me if so.
Bayway Terminal NJ
BT,
How is the overall sound level from your RS11? Adequate? Or, are the horn and bell soft like the primer mover?
Master volume is CV63. Read what it's set at with your Power Cab/ProCab throttle:
Factory default is "180". I usually set it to 50% or "90", which is plenty loud enough for me.
As far as Windows "rejecting the ESU driver software", are you getting a blue pop-up warning after you click the .exe file? If so, there should be an option on that pop-up to "ignore" and run the program.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Best place to get your answer would be to ask the question at the loksound@groups.io website.
Get rid of the stock Rapido speaker! Scale Sound Systems is the way to go.
Rapido RS11 Speaker solder by Edmund, on Flickr
It is actually designed for a Bowser engine but you simply clip the mounting ears off and it fits just fine.
Rapido RS11 Speaker SSS attached by Edmund, on Flickr
The stock speaker screws to the motherboard from underneath so you have to carefully move some wires out of the way to gain access to the serew heads:
Rapido RS11 Speaker OEM screws by Edmund, on Flickr
Rapido RS11 Speaker wired by Edmund, on Flickr
I'm not really enamored with the custom Rapido sound program so I may simply replace it with one of the ESU downloads. Plus I don't care for the supplied horns or bell and the choice is very limited.
Good Luck, Ed
maxman Best place to get your answer would be to ask the question at the loksound@groups.io website.
All of the RS11 sounds are set way too low for me, even the Rapido manual says their sound levels are purposly SET LOW for some unknown reason, otherwise the engine runs just fine, and i have tried all of the sound increase methods you recommeded mulitple times.
The ESU tech rep in PA sent me an email with several different ways to get Windows 11 to accept the ESU driver software, apparently there are micro chips in the USB cabel connection that have to be specifiaclly programed on the Windows 11 Lap Top's microsoft operating system, in order install the ESU programing set's (driver software), so we are going to make an attempt to follow his instructions which are quite invloved, and if we fail I will most likey have to pay a microsft programmer or IT person to successfully load both of the ESU software programs into our new Dell Lap Top. Thank you, Bayway Terminal NJ
Coincendently ED the NCE rep told me the same thing you did about the Rapido speaker, so i may have to go that route, but it still doesn't solve my ESU/Windows 11 software instalation problem, buts thanks for the speaker recommdation and instructions. Bayway Terminal NJ
Bayway TerminalAll of the RS11 sounds are set way too low for me, even the Rapido manual says their sound levels are purposly SET LOW for some unknown reason, otherwise the engine runs just fine, and i have tried all of the sound increase methods you recommeded mulitple times. The ESU tech rep in PA sent me an email with several different ways to get Windows 11 to accept the ESU driver software, apparently there are micro chips in the USB cabel connection that have to be specifiaclly programed on the Windows 11 Lap Top's microsoft operating system, in order install the ESU programing set's (driver software), so we are going to make an attempt to follow his instructions which are quite invloved, and if we fail I will most likey have to pay a microsft programmer or IT person to successfully load both of the ESU software programs into our new Dell Lap Top. Thank you, Bayway Terminal NJ
That's interesting, BT. I'm running the latest version of LokProgrammer (4.2.6?) on a Windows 11 Lenovo laptop with no issues. The laptop was upgraded from Win 10 to Win 11 less than a year ago and the LokProgrammer software worked fine on Win 10. I don't remember needing to add an addtional or upgraded ESU driver when I upgraded to Win 11. Maybe a fresh installation adds it's own complexity?
I concur with Ed about the SSS speakers. You'll be very impressed and pleased with how they sound.
Keep us posted...
Bayway TerminalAll of the RS11 sounds are set way too low for me, even the Rapido manual says their sound levels are purposly SET LOW for some unknown reason
In the early days of sound decoders, all sound settings were normally set to 100%. Virtually every review of a DCC-sound engine would say something like "the sounds are very good, but were set WAY to loud to be useable. Once I reduced the sound volumes, the sound was great!" So some companies now try to set the sound levels closer to what most people use.
As Tom pointed out, the master volume is CV 63. Default is 180, max 192. Note that it's a direct CV, you don't have to do anything with CV 32 first to change it, like you do with the various individual sound volumes.
If the RS11 uses sugarcube speakers, note that they generally aren't as loud as say a 1" speaker in the fuel tank. If you crank up a sugarcube's volume way up, I believe it can wreck the speaker. I've seen reviews of engines with sugarcubes (or articles about installing sound decoders / speakers) that talk about keeping the master volume low, like 50-60% of max.
We have a new Dell lap top with Wndows 11. The ESU Programming Software installed without a probelm, its the ESU Driver Software that keeps getting rejected, initially i tried to load the programs using my Lenovo company Lap Top, but the LOK Sound driver sofware was rejected due to main security, according to our company IT person. So we are going to try to follow the ESU Reps instructions on how to overcome this problem using the Dell home Lap Top, otherwise i will have to pay someone to do it for me. I am strongly considering replacing the Repido speaker as recommended. The RS 11 is my first Rapido engine, and i'm disapoint with all the LOK sound 5 sounds, buts its a smooth running engine. I have 3 Scale Train diesels, one Bowser switcher, a Walters Proto GP9, a Division Point NW3, and a DP 2-6-2 logging Mallet, all with LOK sound 5 decoders installed and they all run and sound amazing right out of the box witout me having to re-set CV sound levels? Bayway Terminal NJ
i have tried every which way, CV 63, and following the instructions for CV31 & CV32 , all to no avail. If i run the RS 11 and recall any of my other diesels on layout they blast the RS away, not to be heard at all. Regardless of the outcome on the ESU Windows 11 problem, I will follw your advise on the 1" speaker. Thanks, Bayway Terminal NJ
Some HO diesels use a 1" speaker located in the fuel tank, facing down with holes in the bottom of the tank to allow the sound out. I don't know that the Rapido RS11 has that option? Depending on how it's designed, you might be able to fit one in there and drill some holes yourself. I only mentioned the 1" speaker to explain that an engine with a properly enclosed 1" speaker is going to sound louder than an engine with tiny "sugarcube" speakers. Trying to crank to much volume out of a sugarcube speaker can damage it.
Stix, I don't know that I can agree with your assessment, though you most certainly could be absolutely correct. I would be interested in other people's opinions. In my experience all of the sugar cube speakers I've had installed sound as good as, and in most cases, better than the speakers they replaced. That said, most of those were probably 10-20 years old, and current non- sugar cube speakers may very well be superior than older ones. I just wouldn't want to dismiss sugar cube speakers, especially if someone is trying to add sound (i.e. find space for a speaker) to a loco that didn't come from the factory with a speaker.
But to your point, if it's just a matter of decibels In an absolute measurement than you are we'll may be correct.
Regards, Chris
Is it possible to post a step-by-step synopsis of the 'recommended' steps?
That may help with both the quality and effectiveness of any solutions or advice we might provide.
I started a thread on this after I got a new laptop with a new version of windows a few months ag. Don't give up. And please don't listen to some of the guys on here that tell you "you shouldn't have updated your pc, you just need to get an old pc with Windows 95 and blah blah blah".......Technology moves forward and the software should keep up. End of story.
The driver that ended up working was CDM212364. I think I got it off the FTDI site but honestly I downloaded 5 different version of this driver before one stuck. So hopefully that helps. I never heard back from ESU but they did have some info on their forum about this and if it's answered in a forum ESU won't respond.
I also have it set to run as admin but that didn't really change or help anything at all either. It was 100% all the driver. So give it a shot. I don't really know what the difference is between the drivers I downloaded but like I said, it took 5 downloads before one stuck and now it works perfectly on the laptop running the latest version of windows. :)
Hope that helps,Mike
Thanks Mike, we printed the instructions sent to me driectly from ESU tech support, just need to try which method will work, as the rep sent several different ways to load the Drivers, once i fiind out which method Windows 11 accepts i will try to post it on this web site, BT NJ
The problem is not necessarily any LokProgrammer drivers. I had to get a new computer because my old Windows 7 PC, now running Windows 10 would no longer boot to the Desktop with the latest Windows 10 update.
After installing the new Windows 11 computer I ran into the same problem trying to get LokProgrammer to work.
Windows 11 apparently is much more integrated with the computer's memory (RAM) and CPU, for security reasons. As one tech support responder put it, "unless you're working at Lockheed Martin you probably don't have to worry about any security issues."
There is a (new?) Setting that has to be disabled.
I don't recall what the Setting was at the moment but I'll check tomorrow and try to retrace my steps and post it here.
Also of note, "IF" you are also using another Programming interface, such as DigiTrax PR3, you should probably disconnect its USB cable from the computer. Shut the computer down, and do a cold boot without the other programming interface connected. I found that if I didn't do this, LokProgrammer would try and default to the same USB port (COM3) that the PR3 was connected to. After disconnecting the PR3 USB connection and rebooting, LokProgrammer was able to find the different available USB port it is connected to, in my instance, COM4.
After the above is done, you can reconnect the PR3 (for instance) to the USB port you originally had it connected to.
To correct the issue with the LokProgrammer drivers on a Windows 11 PC:
1. Click on the Windows icon in the Task Bar at the bottom of your display.
2. Select "Settings"
3. Make sure you're on the "Home" page
4. On the right side of your display you should see an area called "Recommended Settings"
5. Under "Recommended Settings", select "Windows Security"
6. Then select "Device Security"
7. Select "Core Isolation"
8. Under "Core Isolation", set "Memory Integrity" to "OFF" using the slider switch
9. Shut down the PC.
10. Reboot PC
LokProgrammer should work after performing the above.
As I mentioned in my previous post, "IF" you were using another programming track interface (for instance, Digitrax PR3 with JMRI - as I do), you'll probably have to shut down the PC, disconnect the PR3 or other interface, reboot with LokProgrammer USB connected (to a different USB port than the PR3 was connected to), and then select the USB port that LokProgrammer has found in its Settings (in my case, this was COM4). Otherwise, LokProgrammer seems to only see the other USB com port that the PR3 was connected to.
Hope this helps.
PS: This issue is also probably why my old PC would no longer update to the latest Windows 10 version. I suspected MS may have made changes to the OS that require hardware such as motherboard, cpu, memory, etc to be more integrated with the OS to improve security. But apparently some older PC don't support this level of hardware/OS integration. For the normal user this is probably overkill. For me, this PC is used only for the model railroad. Ocassionally I might use a browser to access websites like this one. No Email. Just LocoNet, JMRI and my home's LAN.