BigDaddy
Rather than switch decoders, the OP could turn off the startup delay
13.2. Prime mover startup delay
Usually, when the sound is idling and you turn up the throttle,
the locomotives begins to move only after the Diesel engine has
reached notch 1. A steam loco will even release its brakes first and
fill the cylinders. Although this behavior is very prototypically, one
might not like it because it causes some delay.
You can disable this startup delay by simply deleting bit 3 of CV
124. This will cause the LokSound decoder to immediately start
moving when the throttle is turned up. However, the start up
sound will not be synchonized with the motion anymore.
Delete bit 3. Now isn't that helpful? As best I can tell from the Lokprogrammer software for a EMD 567 it means changing CV 124 to 16.
Delete bit 3 means subtract 8 fromt he current value. With bit mapped CVs like this (and like CV29) you really can't say "just make it XX" (although CV29 only has a limited number of values that actually make sense). Easiest way to do this if you've forgotten other base math from somewhere around middle school, or were never taught it, is to use the Windows calculator in programmer mode. Read the CV, get the current value. Put it in the calculator in decimal. In programmer mode it also shows hex, octal, and binary. Look at the binary. Bits are counted from the right, starting with 0, so bit 3 is the 4th bit from the right. If you switch to binary in the calculator, you can enter the same number, using just 1 and 0, excpt instead of entering a 1 for bit 3, enter a 0. In decimal it will show the new value to put in the CV.
That works for ANY CV where they say "turn bit x on (or off)" rather than assuming a certain value is in there and changing it to some absolute that may enable or disable other features along with the one you are actually trying to control.
Or you can remember the decimal value of every bit, and add up all the values where the bit is set to 1. Since 0 is 0. That's also really quite easy, simple addition, really, though to determine the value for a bit it's exponents.
The value of a given bit is simple 2 to the power of whatever bit it is. So bit 0 has a value of 1. Bit 3 has a value of 2^3, 2x2x2 = 8. CVs are only 8 bit, so you only have bits 0-7 - bit 7 is 2^7 or 2x2x2x2x2x2x2 or 128.
Example: suppose reading the documentation says, for the optiosn you want, you need to set or enable bits 2, 5 and 7. So that looks like 10100100 in binary, Or really, you can skip the binary representations. The total value to put in the CV would be 2^2 + 2^5 + 2^7 or 2x2 + 2x2x2x2x2 + 2x2x2x2x2x2x2 or 4 + 32 + 128 = 164. Just take the bit number, multiple 2 that many times itself for each bit. Then add the total.
Homework: I want to enable features on my decoder that say to set CV193 bit 6 on, bit 4 on, bit 2 on, and bit 1 on. What is the value for the CV? Correct answer posted after I see some replies.
Do this once or twice and it will be real easy to figure out next time.
--Randy