The company is sending me a new loco.
Also, there is a grey speaker casing inside the top rear of the loco. Which of course is empty.
Thanks for all your help guys. Let's hope the 2nd loco works and has all the parts as advertised.
Definitely a Lokpilot 4.0 decoder. Note there is also an unused white socket on the mother-board - no doubt where the speaker should be connected.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
It does look too short to be one of the Selects or V4 with the 21 pin connector. The position of the components looks like a Lokpilot V4 but not exactly. Still no idea how that could have happened, Intermoutnain does not sell them DCC only, it's either DC, or DCC/Sound.
I found a picture of one of the Intermountains with Tsunami with the shell off, no visible speaker, and it most definitely was a Tsunami sound decoder in the picture. I can only assume the speaker was in the fuel tank area.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
That looks to me like a LokPilot non-sound decoder with the new 21-pin connector on it. I doubt that a speaker would be in the bottom, since most manufacturers seem to be getting away from that.
Over the past several months I have purchased an Athearn Genesis, Kato Kobo, and Bowser Executive Line locomotive with either Tsunami or LokSound factory installed, and none of them put the speaker in the fuel tank.
Pretty sure the speake ris in the fuel tank on those. I found a picture of one with a Tsunami decoder and it clearly is the correct decoder but there is no speaker visible under the hood.
rrinker What are the numbers on that sticker ont he decoder? Also, along the edges of it, it should have an ESU part number. I can see on the side nearest the camera it says ESU and then something on the edge of the board. Sounds like it was new in the box, although that wouldn;t stop an unscrupulous seller from swapping parts and resealing. However, that vendor has a very high rating so I doubt they are doing any deliberate cheating. Could be you just got a bad one. Did they throw in any sort of cheat sheet with the functions? Most vendors have at least that much, so you know what button does what. It is entirely possible that Intermountain set up somethign other than F8 as the sound on/off - Loksound decodes are extremely customizable that way. Though I see he doesn;t always edit his auction text. The long descriptive paragraph says it's BNSF, but the lead sentence and the picture, and obviously the one you actually got, is the NS LV Heritage unit. --Randy
What are the numbers on that sticker ont he decoder? Also, along the edges of it, it should have an ESU part number. I can see on the side nearest the camera it says ESU and then something on the edge of the board.
Sounds like it was new in the box, although that wouldn;t stop an unscrupulous seller from swapping parts and resealing. However, that vendor has a very high rating so I doubt they are doing any deliberate cheating. Could be you just got a bad one. Did they throw in any sort of cheat sheet with the functions? Most vendors have at least that much, so you know what button does what. It is entirely possible that Intermountain set up somethign other than F8 as the sound on/off - Loksound decodes are extremely customizable that way.
Though I see he doesn;t always edit his auction text. The long descriptive paragraph says it's BNSF, but the lead sentence and the picture, and obviously the one you actually got, is the NS LV Heritage unit.
Here's the ebay auction where I bought it:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121224058691?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Here's what the box says:
49714S-01*
HO ES44AC LOCOMOTIVE WITH SOUND
LEHIGH VALLEY
Car no. 8104
That looks more like a LokPilot motor-only decoder. Not sure where Intermountain puts their speakers, might be in the fuel tank. Thing is, they only seel them non-sound (and no decoder at all) or sound, with Loksound.
It all depends on what you paid, MSRP on the sound ones is $289, non-sound is $189.
Also a big THANK YOU (first word NOT thank, but one not allowed here) to Intermountain for using the goofiest colored wires yet. Orange and yellow for the track pickups? Black and red to the LEDs? Would it REALLY have killed you to use NMRA standard wire colors?
So, am I complete idiot here or do I not see a speaker? I sent this pic to the seller who I have been in constant communication with since this happened. Let's hope this gets rectified soon. Last time I buy something like this on ebay.
I just noticed that you purchased the loco on e-Bay, so all bets are off on what type of decoder is really in it -- it may be a LokPilot (silent) decoder instead of sound. Was it advertised as a brand new product with factory installed sound, or is it used?
Put the locomotive on a programming track and read CV 8. If it's an ESU product, the value should be 151.
If nothing you try can get the sound to work, the only way you're going to know for sure what is in it is to take the shell off and see if there's a speaker.
cacole You seem to be confusing things when you say the PowerCab only shows 6 functions -- regardless of what the screen shows, if you press the number 8 button on the PowerCab or any other controller, that should turn the sound on and off with the LokSound decoder. You can set the decoder so sound comes on automatically as soon as track power is turned on, by setting the following sequence of CV values: CV32 = 2CV403 = 32CV13 = 0 Remove power by tipping the loco to one side, wait a few seconds , then set it back on the track. From now on the sound will always come on as soon as power is applied and you won't need to use F8 to turn it on or off.
You seem to be confusing things when you say the PowerCab only shows 6 functions -- regardless of what the screen shows, if you press the number 8 button on the PowerCab or any other controller, that should turn the sound on and off with the LokSound decoder.
You can set the decoder so sound comes on automatically as soon as track power is turned on, by setting the following sequence of CV values:
CV32 = 2CV403 = 32CV13 = 0
Remove power by tipping the loco to one side, wait a few seconds , then set it back on the track. From now on the sound will always come on as soon as power is applied and you won't need to use F8 to turn it on or off.
Thanks for the settings. I'll try them tomorrow if there is nothing wrong with the decoder. But I was pushing 8 and nothing was happening. Made sure the master volume was set accordingly as well.
hon30critter robkoz Your volume should be fine set at 96. I don't think that is the problem. Even if the speaker cone was damaged you would still expect to get some noise out of it at that level. My Power Cab only shows functions 1 - 6 on the screen but function 8 does turn the sound on and off for Locsound Decoders. I would start with the basics, i.e. is there a loose lead to the speaker? The wire harness connections to the decoder are a bit delicate but give the speaker wires a gentle pull or better yet, put a meter on the solder tabs on the decoder and the speaker and make sure you have a circuit. The speaker wires may also have been pinched when the shell was put back on so make sure there is no damage on the wires. Dave
robkoz
Your volume should be fine set at 96. I don't think that is the problem. Even if the speaker cone was damaged you would still expect to get some noise out of it at that level.
My Power Cab only shows functions 1 - 6 on the screen but function 8 does turn the sound on and off for Locsound Decoders.
I would start with the basics, i.e. is there a loose lead to the speaker? The wire harness connections to the decoder are a bit delicate but give the speaker wires a gentle pull or better yet, put a meter on the solder tabs on the decoder and the speaker and make sure you have a circuit. The speaker wires may also have been pinched when the shell was put back on so make sure there is no damage on the wires.
Dave
Thanks. Will pull the cab off tomorrow. This is what I get for ordering from ebay before Xmas and not checking it. But then again I wasn't able too because I had to send my NCE controller back due to a defective LCD screen. All bad luck.
MarkR
There is a shift key but it is not used to access F8. It only comes into play for selecting F10-12 or for selecting the alternate functions for keys 1-9.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Isn't there a shift key on the NCE controller to access the higher functions ?
Weird. F8 will not show up on the NCE screen. And I've been pushing that according to the instructions. The functions only show up to 6 which are the ditch lights.
According to the instructions the Master Volume Control is CV 63 and the default is 96 with a range of 0-192. Should I set it higher?
Hit F8 will start up the sounds. Loksound uses F8 to silence and activate the decoders.
I bought an HO scale Inter Mountain ES44AC Lehigh Valley loco with DCC and sound on ebay. My son and I cannot figure out how to enable the sound. It has DCC, that we figured out. Just can't figure out how to get the sounds to work.
We are using the NCE Pwer Cab. Also, when using JMRI we selected "Read type from decoder" and multiple selections have come up. In fact 5 different ESU LokSound decoders come up. Do I have to pick the right one to enable sound?
Thanks.