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ESU horn and bell

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  • Member since
    February 2019
  • 28 posts
ESU horn and bell
Posted by Davidarps on Monday, June 3, 2019 9:51 PM

Hey guys I installed an ESU 5 in a Kato SD70MAC. The horn and bell work at the same time. This wouldn’t be correct would it? I can’t figure out how to have them work separate. Any suggestions are appreciated 

  • Member since
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  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, June 3, 2019 11:45 PM

Davidarps
The horn and bell work at the same time.

They may have the default functions set so the bell does begin to ring as soon as the horn is pressed. (Sometimes that would start the ditch lights flashing, too)

Modern locomotives are set up this way. I guess the thought is, if you need the horn you should have the bell ringing, too. Then the engineer has to manually turn off the bell.

I use a Lokprogrammer and it is very easy to move around function assignments. None of my Loksound decoders have the horn/bell on the same function. I would have to look at what the default CV is and move it to another function (or, in the case of the bell, remove it from the horn function)

I see the horn is both in sound slot 3 and 31. That might be the link that turns on the bell. Try removing F1 from Sound slot 31 and see if that separates the bell from the horn.

Good Luck, Ed

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Posted by NS6770fan on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 5:44 AM

This is most certainly correct on modern road locomotives. The bell starts ringing as soon as the horn is pressed inside the cab. Usually, the engineer will turn it off, but it is sometimes left on depending on the situation. The locomotive’s ditchlights will also flash at the same time. This is a very realistic setting. You should be able to control the bell independently of the horn on DCC, which should be F1. The horn should be F2 if the decoder is set up like the 4.0s. This must be a new function in Loksound 5.0 because I have a Genesis SD70MAC with 4.0, and I have to program that myself if I want it.

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Posted by Davidarps on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 2:09 PM

Thanks guys. Speaking of flashing ditch lights I have ditch lights but they have never flashed. Is that something I should have wired up at from the decoder? Again I’m talking about the LokSound 5. There is also the issue with ”indexed cv’s”. In order to adjust the horn volume I’m supposed to set the indexed cv 31 to 16 and cv 32 to 1. Well that doesn’ t work. Geez I never though I would have this many problems with DCC

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 3:12 PM

Davidarps
the issue with ”indexed cv’s”. In order to adjust the horn volume I’m supposed to set the indexed cv 31 to 16 and cv 32 to 1. Well that doesn’ t work

Are you also changing the value of CV 275?  What was it before you changed it and how low did you lower it?

The manual is different that the older versions and I don't want to mislead you on the ditch lights.  But, if you didn't wire them into the decoder, then they aren't going to light at all.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 6:40 PM

 WHat road name is the loco? Not all railroads with ditch lights have them flash - Candian railroads in particular do not use flashing ditch lights, and I don't think BNSF does either. NS does. Not sure about CSX. It's insnae how accurate the model companies are getting with not only the physical details of the loco but the actual operation now.

As for indexed CVs - first you have to set the two index CVs to the correct values, and then you adjust a third CV which is the actual volume. So there should be THREE CVs to set to adjust the volume. There's an English V5 manual out now, at first there was only the one in German. My German is rather rusty so I could pick out a word here and there but an English version is most welcome. 

                                         --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 NS6770fan on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 6:56 PM

rrinker

 WHat road name is the loco? Not all railroads with ditch lights have them flash - Candian railroads in particular do not use flashing ditch lights, and I don't think BNSF does either. NS does. Not sure about CSX. It's insnae how accurate the model companies are getting with not only the physical details of the loco but the actual operation now.

 

                                      

 

CSX most defiantly uses flashing ditch lights, as does CN and NS. (I believe CP might, but I am not sure) You are correct that BNSF does not, but I also believe UP uses them along with certain Amtrak locomotive.

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Posted by Davidarps on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 7:01 PM

Well it is a BNSF SD70MAC. So I guess I’m sol on the flashing ditch lights. As for the index cv’s I’ll try to understand the manual. Thanks for everything.

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 7:57 PM

It's your railroad, you can make them flash if you want. Warren Buffet might sell the RR to Amazon for the right price.  Bezos is a flashy guy.

I had an issue that wasn't solved in this forum, but the Yahoo Loksound group was able to help me work through it.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    February 2019
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Posted by Davidarps on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 8:02 PM

Thanks for all the feedback 

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