When my steam locos derail or short for a second(still testing turn outs and runs on an a-building layout) the previously turned off sound comes on, usually full blast even if I'd set the CVs for lower volume.
Sometimes muting with button 8 (BLI, Spectrum) or 0 (Athearn) doesn't mute at all. I even tried pushing the power or emergency stop button on a DT400 but that sometimes doesn't work either.
Is there something I can do to prevent them from sounding off in these instances? My trackwork is good, but still am going to have to experiment with weighting on pilot and trailing trucks to get rid of any/all derails.
I like to run trains at night, but our bedroom (and my sleeping wife) is just on the other side of the wall.
When the above happens, she's no longer sleeping and that aint good...
Thanks for any advice.
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Capt.
Those little voltage spikes and shorts can really scramble a decoder. You may try this but I doubt it will stay after a short. Set your master volume to 0. Set CV15=1 and CV16=2. This should lock the decoder from CV changes but no guaranty.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Depends on the decoder. Some power on when the power comes on, others wait for a command before starting the sounds. Sometimes this is configurable. good reason for power districts, so a short on the main won't affect he engines parked in the yard.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The LokSounds, if muted prior to last shut-down of the layout power, will initially make a sound and then remain silent as they were last directed. The QSI's sometimes do the same, and then fall silent, or they will remain making noise. They need a CV adjustment if you don't want them to have to be muted once again. I don't know what that is.
The Tsunamis also need a CV value changed if you want them to remain silent when the layout is next powered-up. Otherwise they will begin making sounds and stay that way until you mute them or find the right CV and modify its programmed value.
Crandell
Interesting, mine are just the opposite. My new Tsunami Stewart FT stays silent when I power my layout up, and only after I send a command does it run through the startup sounds and start idling. I don;t think I adjusted anything related to startup sounds - in fact I at one point did a complete reset and only altered the mixer and reverb settings. My Loksound 3.5 steamers, if muted with F8, come back up in full sound when I turn the track power back on. At least it forced me to reset the volume - the one on the track now was still at factory default levels and was WAY too loud.
rrinker Interesting, mine are just the opposite. My new Tsunami Stewart FT stays silent when I power my layout up, and only after I send a command does it run through the startup sounds and start idling. I don;t think I adjusted anything related to startup sounds - in fact I at one point did a complete reset and only altered the mixer and reverb settings.
Interesting, mine are just the opposite. My new Tsunami Stewart FT stays silent when I power my layout up, and only after I send a command does it run through the startup sounds and start idling. I don;t think I adjusted anything related to startup sounds - in fact I at one point did a complete reset and only altered the mixer and reverb settings.
I don't know if the Tsunami which comes in the FT has all the same features as the aftermarket replacement Tsunami. However, the aftermarket Tsunami comes with a feature called "quiet mode". This is controlled by CV113 and is discussed on page 65 of the Diesel Technical Reference: http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Tsunami%20Diesel%20Technical%20Reference_1.13.pdf. There is also an explanation on page 46 of the Diesel Users Guide: http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Users%20Guide%20Diesel.pdf. I had to read both articles to understand what is supposed to happen.
As I understand it, "when the quiet mode is active the decoder will remain quiet when it is first powered up and then automatically turn on the audio whenever it receives a non-zero speed command or any function is turned on (except mute). It will automatically mute the audio when the locomotive speed is returned to zero, all functions are turned off, and the time set in CV113 has elapsed".
The tecnical reference states that the default value of CV113 is zero. I found with experimentation that with a value of zero in CV113, the engine would remain quiet on start up, and would also remain quiet if there were a power interruption.
For non-zero values of CV113, if the engine is running and there is a short the sound will automatically start when power is restored (or the short is corrected).
It's a full Tsunami, Bowser doesn't use a limited aftermarket one like Bachmann and Athearn. It would appear to be in quiet mode and I want it to stay that way. No timeout is fine, although you cna shut the sounds off by pressing the emergency stop. Not my favorite key to use for such a function, but as long as all the throttles are set to local stop only, it won't cause a problem (Digitrax allows the e-stop to unction either on the entire layout or just the locos you are running on your throttle).
Bottom line is this behavior is the factory default for Tsunami, but the OP seems to indicate his are working the opposite way. It's been a while since I had any QSI decoders around so I forget how they work, although I am pretty sure that if you do a shutdown they STAY shut down - thus all the people posting that their loco stopped working, which is almost always fixed by following the startup procedure. I have to review my Loksound manual to see what settings are available, I've not modified anythign except address and volume so it seems the factory default is to start making noise as soon as the power comes up.
Wow, this is more confusing than I'd hoped for. Sounds like (pun intended) that different brands of decoders behave differently. That complicates things a tad. My BLI Cab Forward has its' own proprietary sound system so not sure how that will apply yet... The Bachmann has their version of Tsunami/Soundtraxx and the Athearn Challenger and Big Boys have MRC decoders (which so far have behaved themselves-I think.) I'll experiment with CV 113 and peruse the manuals.
This SHOULD be much simpler and more universal methinks?
I agree, it is hard to keep on top of this feature. For examples:
My early Lionel HO Challenger with an early QSI will operate normally. Then I park it, but no shut-down using the double-tapped F9...I just stop using it and go on to another engine. I power down at the end of the session, and come back next day and power up. All Tsunami's that don't have the quiet mode activated, will start their pumps, and so will some of the QSI's. But as the Lionel was one of my first three engines, I noticed that it would not make sounds unless I acquired its address on my DT400 throttle. As soon as I dialed it in, and depressed the encoder throttle knob, that is the first time it would power up and run its pumps, etc. I have to say I really like that feature.
Now, on to the new Paragon 2 decoders, included in their Hybrids, from BLI. I have a P2 decoder in my latest Hybrid, the Q2. Consistently, upon power-up of the layout, the others not silenced will do their things, but not the Q2. As with the Lionel, I must engage it by address on the encoder knob, but unlike the QSI's it won't make any sounds when the throtle has it active. Instead, the P2's only activate their amplifiers when the first speed step is assigned to the decoder.
Again, it is different, but I can't say I don't like the feature. For one thing, it keeps noise down, and God knows a whole bunch of HO decoders, no matter how good or well installed, are going to rain on one's operating session. But the other thing is that it is good for controlling inrush amperage throughput at the base unit because only some of the decoders will make sounds on start-up.
Thanks Crandell. I really had no idea that things varied so much from brand to brand. Pete, I'll try your CV too, when I get done with a bit more track laying. So...there really is no "cure" ultimately, is what I'm getting from this discussion? I'm still somewhat mystified why hitting mute doesn't always kill the sound. Sometimes it does, sometimes not.
I'll bet the DC folks are smiling sagely at the moment ;-)