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Loksound brake squeal

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  • Member since
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  • From: Shenandoah Valley
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Loksound brake squeal
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, August 18, 2019 10:35 AM

At present, my layout is quite small, an 11' run.  Maybe it is that or my hearing is the problem, but I don't hear any from several loksound selects.  I am using the power cab.

CV 48, is one of the CVs that include other things, horns, prime mover, bell and squeal.

Am I correct in assuming that the squeal value of 0 or 128 is either or and not a range of values that can be used.

What is the difference between squeal with 0 and 128?

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by BNSF UP and others modeler on Sunday, August 18, 2019 10:51 AM

If its the same as Soundtraxx decoders, then the higher the cv number the more or less decrease in throttle is needed to trigger the squeal (I can't remember which). So, for example, say a higher number increases sensitivity. You program the cv to 100. It will take more of a decrease in throttle to trigger the squeal than say if you programmed it to 128, but less of a decrease than anything lower. I think the decrease is measured as a certain amount of speed steps decreased within a certain period of time. Don't quote me on any of this. I don't know if it applies to Loksound as well. Big Smile

I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, August 18, 2019 11:13 AM

Mel Henry,

Looking at pg. 33 of the Loksound Select manual, it's either/or: "0" activates brake squeal #1 and "128" activates brake squeal #2.

If you are having a hard time hearing it, make sure that CV459 is set to "128".  Otherwise, you'll need to raise your master volume.  (Note: Remember to change CV32 to "1" first - pg. 35)

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by rrinker on Sunday, August 18, 2019 2:26 PM

 You may also have to run your trains a little 'rough' on a small layout to get brake squeal. You generally don't get brake squeal with every stop, only when the rate of speed change is above a certain threshold. If yoou have enough room to not run a loco off the end of the layout, try going > half speed then suddenly shutting the throttle off.

                                           --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 BigDaddy on Sunday, August 18, 2019 5:47 PM

tstage
Mel, Looking at pg. 33 of the Loksound Select manual, it's either/or: "0" activates brake squeal #1 and "128" activates brake squeal #2. If you are having a hard time hearing it, make sure that CV459 is set to "128". Otherwise, you'll need to raise your master volume. (Note: Remember to change CV32 to "1" first - pg. 35)

It's Henry, not Mel, no problem, but just don't call me late for dinner.

Did all that, tried both break squeals and heard nothing.  Today's loco is a Bowser VO-1000. 

I downloaded the sound project from ESU and reloaded it and started from scratch changing all the above parameters.  Still nothing.

Power cab has 4 ways to decrease speed, the thumb wheel, a decrease fast button, the "option" button which cuts the speed to 0 but allows momentum deceleration and Emergency Stop, which is a panic button and brings the loco to an abrupt halt.  I tried all of those and I hear nothing.  I don't really think it's my hearing, that was supposed to be a joke. 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by tstage on Sunday, August 18, 2019 6:39 PM

BigDaddy
tstage
Mel, Looking at pg. 33 of the Loksound Select manual, it's either/or: "0" activates brake squeal #1 and "128" activates brake squeal #2. If you are having a hard time hearing it, make sure that CV459 is set to "128". Otherwise, you'll need to raise your master volume. (Note: Remember to change CV32 to "1" first - pg. 35)

It's Henry, not Mel, no problem, but just don't call me late for dinner.

Sorry about that, Henry. Embarrassed  And dinner will be at 6:00 pronto tomorrow night...

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by cowman on Sunday, August 18, 2019 7:15 PM

I have hearing difficulties too.  I do not hear high pitched voices etc very well without my hearing aides.  Have someone else listen and see  if they can hear the sounds you are missing.

If they don't hear them either, then make sure you have the right decoder information to set volumes.  It is a bit of a pain that all the sounds on all brands isn't the same, but ....  The do have a lot of things set to standards.

Good luck,

Richard

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, August 18, 2019 11:54 PM

tstage
If you are having a hard time hearing it, make sure that CV459 is set to "128".

I just read back a few of my Loksound CVs and agree with Tom on the brake squeal volume. A few of mine were at 50 and the sound was barely perceptable. I kicked it up to 100 (128 is max) and that made a noticable difference, but not too overbearing.

tstage
Looking at pg. 33 of the Loksound Select manual, it's either/or: "0" activates brake squeal #1 and "128" activates brake squeal #2.

The version #1 or #2 brake squeal choice is part of the prime mover CV Default being #1 at CV 0. If you want to choose the other (#2) add 128 to whatever value you have in CV 48

Hope that helps, Ed

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Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, August 19, 2019 2:11 PM

I found one more relevant CV.  CV 64 is brake sound threshold.  A higher number makes the brakes squeal happen sooner and the Lokprogrammer also calls this the switch on threshold.  The default was 8 and I changed it to 128

There is also a switch off threshold.  There was no information on what CV that is or in which directon things change with a higher CV.  I did not change it.

I had no luck with the Bowser V1000 factory loksound or a Proto GP9 with a home installed loksound.  I did have success with a Atlas S2, factory loksound and a Stewart F-3 home installed loksound using Tom's recommendations and raising CV 64 to 128.

All the relevant CV's are the same, except for some different horns in CV 48.   I have a lokprogramer so making and verifying changes are not difficult.   On the engines without squeal, I tried squeal #1 and #2.  It seems unlikely to me that some sound packages would have it and others would not.

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by rrinker on Monday, August 19, 2019 6:40 PM

 Hmm, I replaced the chassis on on of my Bowser Baldwins with the factory equipped Loksound chassis, and it definitely has brake squeal - and I didn't change a thing other than the address. 

 I don't hear it often, at switching speeds and slowing down to gently couple cars, it's not enough speed differential to trigger it. Perhaps a threshold adjustment is in order, but slow stops shouldn't squeal that much. 

                             --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: Shenandoah Valley
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Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, August 19, 2019 8:37 PM

I'll have to make a video.  I looked on youtube and didn't see one, but apparently the new Loksound 5 has flange squeal.  Brake squeal is different and not hard to hear, as I feared.

I can get the F3 to do it on a single piece of Atlas re-railer track that I use with the Lokprogramer, going from 2 to 0 on the "Cab throttle".

If I was responding to this thread, I would say "you must be doing something wrong"   Maybe, but I don't see it yet.

 

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    February 2002
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, August 19, 2019 11:17 PM

 I guess that's the problem? The Bowser Sound Chassis has a v4/Select - brake squeal but no flange squeal. The sound prooject may have enough space to add it, if you have a good recording of some flange squeal. But you'll have to process the audio into an approriate formate for the Lokprogrammer. That's the hard part - after that it's not a big deal to add it to a sound slot and set up either a rando action or tie it to an F key.

 The Loksound 3.5's in my PCM steam locos have brake squeal. 

                                      --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
    December 2007
  • 993 posts
Posted by hobo9941 on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 9:55 PM

I know the MRC decoders are frowned upon here, but they have manual brake squeal on F5, and sounds very real. It also sounds a lot like flange squeal, and is useful when going around curves.

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