I just discovered TCS decoders by accident because I have several sets of Genesis F units that need decoders and the A6X was suggested due to the 1.5 volt common pad. I like the looks of the Miniatronics bulbs in them so I tried them and man do I like them. They seem a lot easier to consist than any of the other decoders. I may convert my others over to TCS.
Thanks Again
Steve B
rrinker Are those TCS old ones without BEMF? They should run great together. I've found it's mostly a myth that two locos with BEMF that get consisted together fight each other, at least with TCS decoders, Mine all have BEMF enabled and I MU them together for trains that run fro hours at the club with no problems. I've also MUed a TCS loco with others that have BEMF, such as Tsunami, with no bucking for adverse operation, the TCS decoders seem to adjust themselves to the other decoder. If you have BEMF off, turn it on, or make sure the QSI is using the correct settings - there are multiple options, plain BEMF, the cruise control mode where it runs a set speed per speed step (which likely will not easily match with another loco with a different decoder), and a plain mode with no special motor control. --Randy
Are those TCS old ones without BEMF? They should run great together. I've found it's mostly a myth that two locos with BEMF that get consisted together fight each other, at least with TCS decoders, Mine all have BEMF enabled and I MU them together for trains that run fro hours at the club with no problems. I've also MUed a TCS loco with others that have BEMF, such as Tsunami, with no bucking for adverse operation, the TCS decoders seem to adjust themselves to the other decoder. If you have BEMF off, turn it on, or make sure the QSI is using the correct settings - there are multiple options, plain BEMF, the cruise control mode where it runs a set speed per speed step (which likely will not easily match with another loco with a different decoder), and a plain mode with no special motor control.
--Randy
My standard decoder is TCS with BEMF. An Atlas unit gets no speed table adjustments. Athearn and clones get slowed down to match.
The QSI implementation of BEMF is poor, I feel.
A TCS decoder and a Zimo or Lok-Pilot look pretty similar on the board; something like 1 capacitor and 1 resistor to do the BEMF. The QSI board has a bunch of extra stuff on it to do the BEMF, and it doesn't work as well.
I only have the 1 QSI unit, so it runs by itself fairly often. I do have some older non-sound drives I could retrofit, but the sound unit is a passenger GP9 with the bigger tank, and it won't swap over to the older frame. Newer ones screw on, older ones are held on by tape.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
Yup, clip it all together liek it would be permanently soldered int eh loco, connect to the track, program it, test it, then do the actual install once you know the effect is workign on the F key you want and on the same address as the QSI decoder.
Dependign on what function you use to activate it, you might need to reprogram the function on the QSI first, if for example you don;t want an air letoff every time you turn the gyralite on and off. If you just want the gyralite to come on with the headlight, or don't care if there is a sound generated when turnign it on and off, you can just leave the QSI alone.
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy,
OOps yes I do plan on using the TCS don't know where the TL1 came from. You are right TCS decoders do have awesome lighting effects. Since I am using a Powercab to program I will try the seperate method first.
If I am understanding right ,I should go ahead and hook up the LED to the green and blue common first before I program. Then add the address and program the Gyralight affects using the red and black wires clipped to the programming tracks? The LEDS I use already have a resistor. I have used them many times with success. So hopefully I won't have any glitches.
ThanksSteve B
If you are planning to use an LED, I highly recommend the TCS FL2 instead of the Digitrax TL1. Digitrax decoders don't do LED effects very well.
You can probably program the decoder simply by connecting the track wires, but you may not be able to read values without something to place a load on the decoder. I didn;t see anythign about a capacitor in the TL1 instructions, nor in the FL2 instructions. Usually it would be a resistor, but neither says to add anything. It's not a huge hassle - get yourself a pack or two of clip leads. Clip the track wires tot eh program track, clip the function leads to a resistor and LED, and you cna program it, then move the leads to the track somewhere, and test it out before you ever install anything.
Thanks for the replys guys. Right now I am thinking of adding a TL1 function only for the Gyralight. If I can figure out the programming and addressing.
They say to address the FL1 with a programming track just by hooking up the red and black wires directly to the track. The instructions also say to wire a capacitor between the function leads and the blue common. Sounds like a lot of trouble.
Could I set up the B30-7 to a two digit address that is different from the TL1,then add the TL1 to the loco and change its two digit address from the 03 to something else? What would happen if I then gave the pair the same four digit address?
Are those TCS old ones withotu BEMF? They should run great together. I've found it's mostly a myth that two locos with BEMF that get consisted together fight eah other, at lease with TCS decoders, Mine all have BEMF enabled and I MU them togehter for trains that run fro hours at the club with no problems. I've also MUed a TCS loco with others that have BEMF, such as Tsunami, with no bucking for adverse operation, the TCS decoders seem to adjust themselves to the other decoder. If you have BEMF off, turn it on, or make sure the QSI is using the correct settings - there are multiple options, plain BEMF, the cruise control mode where it runs a set speed per speed step (which likely will not easily match with another loco with a different decoder), and a plain mode with no special motor control.
The QSI board can have only one dim-able light function, and there might be only two light functions to start with. The Gyralight would need the dim-able function, which means the rest of the lights would be a simple on-off, no dimming available.
For reduced frustration, adding a function-only decoder to handle the lights might be the way to go, or use a A6X so it runs with other stuff, using the QSI board for only sound. I have a QSI board on a P2K GP9, and I have a rough time getting it to run with the rest of my TCS-equipped fleet.
Good luck.
Hello,
I have acquired an Atlas Gold Frisco B30-7 and it needs to have a gyralight added to the nose. Can one add this effect to the existing QSI Quantum decoder. I have been reading through the manuals on the QSI website and it seems it can be done but I am having trouble understanding their method. I am familiar with adding lights and effects programming on TCS A6X decoders but the programming here seems a little different or maybe I am not reading the online manual right.
Can anyone help?
Thanks
SB