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MTH HO PS3 speed matching

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  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Baden, PA
  • 96 posts
MTH HO PS3 speed matching
Posted by wm #734 on Monday, June 15, 2015 7:21 PM

Hello. I'm relatively new to DCC but not the hobby.

Currently I only have an MTH GP35 with PS3 and a BLI Paragon2 E7.

I use the NCE PowerCab and my question is: can I speed match the BLI loco to the MTH? I understand that MTH engines use sMPH speed steps, which is what the problem currently is.

       

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,878 posts
Posted by maxman on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 3:35 PM

I don't know anything about MTH locos, but there is a video here that shows how someone speed matched an Athearn SD60 to a MTH loco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pLx2OyOlao

My impression from the video is that MTH does not support speed curves.  But that is a 2010 video and things may have changed.  However, the Tsunami in the Athearn does, so the individual in the video was able to speed match the Athearn to the MTH.  I checked the BLI website and according to the Paragon 2 manual the BLI decoder supports three point speed matching (CVs 2, 5, and 6) as well as user generated speed curves.

So I think you can speed match all your locos to the MTH unit, but you can't change anything in the MTH unit to match it to anything else.

I'm sure more intelligent responses will follow.

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • 257 posts
Posted by RR Baron on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 5:19 PM

Do not speed match by adjusting the speed of one locomotive to another locomotive using the commonly used locomotive chasing another locomotive method.   

Adjust each locomotive to same scale mph speed at same speed step.   This is a better speed matching technique particularly when each locomotive has a different make decoder installed.
 
RR Baron 

 

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Baden, PA
  • 96 posts
Posted by wm #734 on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 7:08 PM

That video doesn't really help me since I have a Paragon2 engine.

Hopefully someone with first hand experience with this can chime in.

       

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,878 posts
Posted by maxman on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 7:25 PM

wm #734
That video doesn't really help me since I have a Paragon2 engine. Hopefully someone with first hand experience with this can chime in.

I didn't watch the entire video.  However, if he is using speed tables to match the Athearn to the MTH, that would be the same process you would use to match the BLI to the MTH.

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