ESU Lokprogrammer Question

[JimL]

My question concerns changing the prime mover in an engine. Such as changing the locomotive's prime mover from an ALCO 244 to an ALCO 539T ... using the sound files on ESU's website.

If I buy a new Atlas engine with the factory installed decoder, can I use the lokprogrammer to perform this prime mover swap?

Or, does the lokprogrammer only perform this task on their aftermarket decoders, that I buy and install myself?

Thanks

[tstage]

Jim,

You should be able to re-program the prime mover of a Loksound decoder in either case with the Lokprogrammer; granted that the factory installed decoder is not an OEM* decoder specifically designed for a particular locomotive.

*[Sometimes those can be stripped-down versions of a full-feature decoder and that could limit what you can install.]

Does the Atlas website state that it's a Loksound "Select" or "5"?

Tom

[BigDaddy]

JimL

If I buy a new Atlas engine with the factory installed decoder, can I use the lokprogrammer to perform this prime mover swap?

Yes, it has to be a loksound decoder, of course.  Their current models are loksound select.

[rrinker]

 Yes, so far all but I think one brief release by one manufacturer have used full Loksound decoders, no cut down "economy" versions with limited features.

 The Atlas ones are Select, so you need to download an approriate project for Select - yoou can't change just one sound, you have to load the entire sound project. However, many of them contain multiple prime movers which can be selected simply by changing a CV - check to make sure the 244 decoder doesn;t already have a 539T sound in it.

 This goes back at least to the v3.5, which is what is in my two PCM Reading T1s. Someone I know recorded a real T1 on the American Freedom Train and created a sound file that has the real bell, whistle (though not the whistle I need since my locos are in service ones) and air pump. My two were upgraded, and I did the same for someone at the club.  I got a v4.0, not Select, for my Atlas RS3s, the Select 244 sound project does not have an M3RT1 horn in it, but the Loksound sound library does have that hoorn - so it was an easy task to take the 244 project for the v4.0 and swap out the horn for the one in Loksound's library so I can have an accurate sound.

 Just note that some who have custome files name, like Rapido and Scale Trains, if you replace the sound project with a different one, you may have a hard time getting it back, since those proprietary custom sound projects are not available to download on the Loksound site. I am not aware of Atlas using custom sounds not available elsewhere.

 The other thing, if the decoder is older and doesn't have the Drive Hold feature, you can update the firmware and gain that feature in the existing decoder.

                                         --Randy

[JimL]

Very much appreciate the help, guys. Model Railroader is such a great resource. I backordered one at Tony's Trains.