I posted the following request for help in the Loksound Group forum and did not receive any replies to my questions. Last week, I posted more or less the same questions through the ESU Loksound Technical Help email system, and have not received any response yet. Hopefully there are some folks on this forum that know how these decoders are programmed. I'd sure appreciate some guidance.
Here is the message I posted:
"I will be installing my first Loksound decoder in the subject loco, although this is by far not my first sound installation.Having skimmed the CD that comes with the decoder, I find the documentation to have a lot more detail about things I don't care about, or don't know about, than I am accustomed to from other manufacturers (Soundtraxx, etc.).My questions are these:
Do I need to change any of the default CVs for the various sound functions and for BEMF, other than the loco number?I am comfortable I know what to do with all the motor control and speed table CVs, and it seems pretty straight forward how to change sound volumes.Do the default CVs automatically assign headlight control, bell and whistle to the usual buttons?Is manual notching assigned to a button? If so, which one?Also, it appears this decoder (Ver. 3.5 micro) has a shunting mode assigned to F7. Is that a default?As to BEMF, do I need to change the reference voltage and whatever "I" and "K" are?"
I suppose I could have been a little more diplomatic in some of my wording. Maybe that is what has turned folks off.
I know how to install the decoder and the speaker. I use a decoder tester and DecoderPro to program all new decoders before installing them in the loco. It's a good way to check out a new decoder and it avoids some previous difficulties I've had programming sound decoders on a programming track with my Digitrax DB-150.
I am just confused by so many CVs with what to me are minimal descriptions of what they do.
In particular, there are a whole bunch of CVs labeled sound slots. The only explanation I can find is in the default CV table where I see them listed as "Phase A, B, etc. stop/run forward/reverse" with no explanations on what that means that I can find.
Also, the settings for BEMF confuse me as to what to change if the function doesn't work well with my locomotive. I was not able to find an explanation of what "parameters I and K" refer to and how to adjust them, or which way to go (up or down) with the mimimum voltage setting.
Scott,
I agree with David, try it first before adjustments. I am very satisfied with LokSound factory settings except volume which I typically turn down. As to too many CV's, what can you say.
I use the LokSound programmer and software and do not use Decoder Pro because my MRC DCC Control System does not support it. I believe the mystery of all the CV's goes away as you work with their software. I have no complaints, it is likewise the same for the new QSI programmer and software.
Chris