All Broadway Limited Paragon 2 locomotives and Blueline Locomotives manufactured after October 2008 will respond to the NMRA analog horn commands. This means the whistle pitch can be shifted or "quilled" to produce a very unique and realistic sounding whistle. Digitrax DT400 and NCE Procab throttles are compatible with this feature, but the feature must be enabled.
To enable the quillable analog horn function using the Digitrax DT400.
Press the "OPTN" button, then press "enter" twice. The display should read "Option 3=XXX", where xxx is a number, x01 for example. Add 80 to that value by spinning the right throttle, to make it x81. Press "Exit".
The horn button is now pressure sensitive and will change the horn sound depending on how hard the button is pressed. Notice that the bar graph on the display now shows how hard the button is being pressed.
To enable the quillable analog horn function using the NCE Procab.
NOTE: The NCE system must have software dated March 2007 or later. To check, press "Prog" until "Set CMD Station" is displayed. Press "Enter". The software date will show. If you need to update, NCE will send a new chip to install in the system.
To enable, press "Prog" until "SET CAB PARAMS" is displayed. Press enter repeatedly until "ANALOG HORN CHANNEL" is displayed. Press "127, then "ENTER".
Press Enter until ANALOG BIAS is shown. Press 8, then ENTER. Press ESC.
Now, while pressing the horn button, the pitch can be changed by turning the throttle.
Bob Grubba
And for those who don't recognize the name, he's a member of the Broadway Limited Imports company team.
cacoleAnd for those who don't recognize the name, he's a member of the Broadway Limited Imports company team.
He also, in my opinion, left out an important fact:
grubbab If you need to update, NCE will send a new chip to install in the system. Bob Grubba
If you need to update, NCE will send a new chip to install in the system. Bob Grubba
That will only happen if you send them (NCE) $35. They won't just "send a new chip", but they're happy to sell you a new one.
Steve
Stevert That will only happen if you send them (NCE) $35. They won't just "send a new chip", but they're happy to sell you a new one.
I believe that it was a good thing that it was mentioned that the upgrade chip was needed for the NCE system to make his whistle do its thing. And yes, the chip is $35 and was offered as a system upgrade back in April last year. As such, it pre-dates the new BLI offering by quite some time.
And yes, Mr. Grubba did not state that the chip cost was $35, assuming he knew this. On the other hand, he also did not state that someone would have to shell out about $140 for a DT 400 either. Shall we criticise him for this too?
maxmanAnd yes, Mr. Grubba did not state that the chip cost was $35, assuming he knew this. On the other hand, he also did not state that someone would have to shell out about $140 for a DT 400 either. Shall we criticise him for this too?
No, not unless you also want to criticize him for leaving out that you have to shell out for an NCE command station to plug the replacement chip into, and an NCE throttle to twiddle the buttons on.
C'mon, maxman, it's pretty obvious that to use a particular feature of a cab, you have to, at a minimum, have that cab and the DCC system it works with.
But to simply say that "If you need to update, NCE will send a new chip to install in the system" doesn't make it obvious that there is a cost associated with that new chip.
I just wonder what OTHER tricks are hidden in the DT400. The pressure switch thing has been there from the beginning, except for a very few very early units - ie, if you stood in line and picked up a DT400 the say they were released it probably doesn;t have the pressure switch. But most of them have had it there all along - you just need to make the setting change to enable it. All BEFORE decoders with 'playable' whistles were released. No command station change needed, either. It will work with a Zephyr, Super Empire Builder, or Chief. This is another example of why I don;t like that line on comparison charts saying Digitrax is not upgradable at the command station. You don't HAVE to upgrade the command station to add features. It's a peer to peer network, not a polled system, and all the smarts do NOT have to be in one place. Not the best analogy, but in a corporate computer environment - you can upgrade individual workstations to make them faster without having to upgrade the server that they all connect to.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
We are using the NCE PowerPro Radio system on our HO scale club layout, and myself and one other club member have the PowerPro Radio system on our HO scale home layouts. All three support the Whistle Quill without needing to upgrade anything, so the need to upgrade must apply to systems older than ours, which are Version 1.5.
cacoleWe are using the NCE PowerPro Radio system on our HO scale club layout, and myself and one other club member have the PowerPro Radio system on our HO scale home layouts. All three support the Whistle Quill without needing to upgrade anything, so the need to upgrade must apply to systems older than ours, which are Version 1.5.
"Version 1.5" refers to the radio version. The playable whistle firmware is in the "March 2007" eprom for the command station. You may have needed/received the March 2007 eprom as part of the radio upgrade to 1.5, or if the Command Stations have been manufactured after March 2007 I would assume they would have the latest firmware version.