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Mixing sound decoder manufactures

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Monday, April 22, 2019 7:28 AM

 CV21 and 22 control which functions are active in an advanced consist, using CV19. Generally you do not want to change these from the default when using NCE consisting. 

 This should have no effect on speed matching. What DOES is is one of the decoders is Digitrax. They have 2 different sets of BEMF control variables. One is used when running alone, or in any sort of consist that doesn;t use CV19, and one that applies when CV19 is used tooo consist the loco, such as manual CV19 consisting or when NCE consists the loco. By default, these are not the same number, so you might have the loco running perfectly fine running alone, but when you consist it, the performance changes greatly.

                                 --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by maxman on Monday, April 22, 2019 12:24 AM

There is another thing that no one has mentioned that can cause an issue with consisting locos with different manufacturers.  This has to do with CVs 21 and 22.  I can't thourghly explain it myself, but there was an article in MR not that long ago that went into some detail.  It had to do with the fact that even though different decoders might do the same thing, they had different ways of accomplishing that thing.  o when consisted they would not work well with each other.

Perhaps Randy can explain.

  • Member since
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  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
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Posted by wjstix on Sunday, April 21, 2019 11:05 PM

You should be able to speed match any two engines, regardles of the maker of the engine or the decoder. One thing when speed-matching - especially with different brands - is to make sure you're not using speed tables / speed curves. Both decoders should be set to straight line speed curves (if it can't just be turned off), and use CVs 2,3,4,5 and 6 to get the engines to start, run, and stop together. If one engine has been set (intentionally or otherwise) to a curved speed curve, you'll never really get them matched.

Stix
  • Member since
    February 2019
  • 28 posts
Posted by Davidarps on Saturday, April 20, 2019 7:38 AM

That’s another thing I was wondering about. I was hoping there was a cv for the tsunami 2 to rev up the motor sound before the locomotive moves. I tried to get information from the Soundtraxx users guide but I might as well try to read Tolstoy’s War in Peace. I talked to customer support about another problem and he sounded like I was being a bother to him so I really don’t want to deal with that .

  • Member since
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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Friday, April 19, 2019 4:34 PM

 TCS motor and Loksounbd sound ought to run pretty close out of the box, especially on the same loco.

 Close is good enough - and out of the box they both need some run time. All locos need a little break in time, with Loksound you should also do the auto-bemf tuning, and TCS also auto-tunes the BEMF while the loco runs. Loksound you need to set a CV thent he loco will appear to take off by itself for a short distance while it does the tuning.

 All my non-sound locos have TCS decoders - the first few feet after a new install, they run kind of rough until the BEMF tuning finishes, then they run great, start on step 1 with no additional settings, etc. 

                                  --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
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  • From: Flyover Country
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Posted by York1 on Friday, April 19, 2019 2:02 PM

RR_Mel
I believe consistency makes life easier in the long run.

After doing what I've done, I agree with you 100%.

I bought the E8 A unit from Kato with a factory installed Loksound decoder.  They had a B unit there also, but I decided that I didn't want to spend the extra money for a B unit with sound.

I bought the KATO B unit with a TCS decoder.

Big mistake!  I should have just paid extra for the sound B unit.  I spent literally hours trying to get the speeds matched.  I'm pretty close, but there are still times when I hear one of the locomotives running either faster or slower than the other.

Live and learn.

York1 John       

  • Member since
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  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
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Posted by RR_Mel on Friday, April 19, 2019 7:24 AM

The only locomotives I run in a consist are my SP Daylight Passenger diesels and they are paired A/B with matched motors.  I use a drawbar between the A&B locomotives so they never get separated, always paired the same.
 
I run dual mode, both DC and DCC.  The locomotives that I run in a consist on DCC have like decoders.  I don’t do the consist with the DCC Consist option, I use the same equipment number in both decoders (A unit address in both). 
 
Occasionally I run in DC mode with the same pairs by using DC adapter plugs.
 
I started out with MRC DCC early on and for the most of it I have continued with MRC decoders.  The MRC 1700 series decoders have really impressed me, the 1730 EMD567 decoder sounds and runs great for me.  I have four of the 1730 decoders in my E7s and two in my PA/PB, I’m not a rivet counter so the wrong engine sound doesn’t bother me.
 
I believe consistency makes life easier in the long run.  I do have several non MRC decoders for specialty locomotives but as I never run them in a consist I don’t have any problems with them.  I really like the Soundtrax SP Cab Forward sound and for no sound decoders I go with Digitrax for price, again no problems.
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
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  • From: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, April 19, 2019 3:23 AM

Life will be easier if you settle on one brand.  While there are standards for CV's there is also latitude for proprietary differences, like the loksound delayed start or the Tsunami Quiet Mode.

Not much of a problem now, with 2 locos, but they multiply like rabbits over time.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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  • From: Flyover Country
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Posted by York1 on Thursday, April 18, 2019 9:54 PM

Davidarps

So I have a tsunami 2 decoder installed in one of my locomotives. I’m putting an ESU Sound lok in another. I’m a little new with this but I don’t see a problem. Does anyone else. 

Being fairly new to the hobby, I had the same question a while back.

You can get the speeds to match, but it does take time.  It helped that I had a double mainline, so I could adjust each locomotive's speed compared to the other.  Even with that, it still took time.

My locomotives were an E8 A and B unit that I use in a consist.  They still aren't exactly matched, but they are close enough.  In the next day or two I will try to adjust their deceleration rates.

York1 John       

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Thursday, April 18, 2019 9:44 PM

Both have options for matching the speeds so that won't be a problem. The Loksound has a delay when you turn up the throttle that allows the prime mover to rev up a bit before the locomotive moves. You'll probably want to reduce or disable that.

Try CV 124 = 0 , I believe.

Otherwise, have fun.

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    February 2019
  • 28 posts
Mixing sound decoder manufactures
Posted by Davidarps on Thursday, April 18, 2019 9:15 PM

So I have a tsunami 2 decoder installed in one of my locomotives. I’m putting an ESU Sound lok in another. I’m a little new with this but I don’t see a problem. Does anyone else. 

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