HI Guys - I recently picked up two CNJ BLI 2-8-2 Powerhouse HO Classics Steam engines and after doing some research have heard that these may or may not have stripped down QSI chips in them? How do I know what chip I have and what chip to buy as the upgrade? I am within a month of having a layout to run them on and want to get the full potential from them right out of the box. I went to the QSI web site but it seems confusing as to what I may have and how to identify it. Does anyone here have any experience swapping out the chips on these?
Thanks,
Scott
CVs 7 and 8 will tell you what brand and version of software is in your locomotives. CV8 is the Manufacturer identity number and CV7 is the software version number.
Once you have read these two decoder numbers, you can go to several DCC dealer sites which will tell you if there is an upgrade chip available.
Considering the age of these models, there probably is an upgrade, but whether you really need it is questionable.
ok so I need to put this on a program track and read back those two CVs right? I have an MRC Prodigy Advance which as far as I know has that capability.
Yes, that's what you need to do so you will know which software version you have. And keep in mind that the readout may be a 3 digit number with a missing decimal point. It may be something like 113, which really means software version 1.13. But, again, you need to find a reputable site such as Tony's Trains to read about the upgrade chip and determine if you really need one, because sometimes the upgrades made little difference in locomotive performance.
Great - thanks for the help!
If the locomotives operate normally on DCC rails, they have a decoder. As sold, the Powerhouse series were DC locomotives and were less detailed as I recall than the original Paragon locomotives.
Both definitely have QSI dcc/sound system from the factory - the instruction manual says QSI Quantum on it. I had heard that this was a basic set up due to some legal wrangling with MTH so I wanted to squeeze out what ever I could from an upgraded chip.
I just reviewed the 2005 catalog and by gosh, you are right! It clearly says premium quality (why that would be different from the Paragon is anybody's guess...) for those who want to run trains, not just showcase them, and that they have Quantum Sound. I don't know where I decided or concluded along the way that the Powerhouse series were just DC. Sorry for the misinformation. So much for my memory.
-Crandell
No worries! It took me a bit just to find any info on these engines - they seem to be the forgotten sybling of the Blue Line and Paragon engines. I did take a look at Tony's Trains and they have a pretty big section on the QSI upgrade chip - so I just need to get the chip make and model (buy using CV7 and some other convaluted process) and then I can order a new chip for each.
selector I just reviewed the 2005 catalog and by gosh, you are right! It clearly says premium quality (why that would be different from the Paragon is anybody's guess...) for those who want to run trains, not just showcase them, and that they have Quantum Sound. I don't know where I decided or concluded along the way that the Powerhouse series were just DC. Sorry for the misinformation. So much for my memory. -Crandell
Actually Crandell, there was a set of Powerhouse locomotives that were DC only. It was the Powerhouse series from Oriental Limited from more than a few years ago. These could be considered "Hybrids" as they all came with a superb brass mechanism from Samhongsa, but all the boilers and such were die cast and didn't have much better than basic detailing.
Carey
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scottso699 Both definitely have QSI dcc/sound system from the factory - the instruction manual says QSI Quantum on it. I had heard that this was a basic set up due to some legal wrangling with MTH so I wanted to squeeze out what ever I could from an upgraded chip.
So I wonder then what is really the benifit of upgrading the chips? I have looked at the feature upgrades and being new to DCC most of it is all greek to me... It says I can control the individual sound volumes like horn, bell, etc but that's not a good reason to spend $40 to me though. What is Back EMF? Is it something I want? I have a layout that is going to be 6 x 12 feet with a decent size yard - double track main line - would something like that be an advatage for me?
Back EMF (Electro-Motive Force) is similar to cruise control on a car or truck -- if you don't have grades on your layout, you probably don't need BEMF. The main purpose of BEMF in a decoder is to maintain a constant speed whether going uphill or downhill. On a level layout with no grades, BEMF would not be of any benefit.
The decoder that is already in your models can have the volume of each individual sound adjusted as desired, so that would be nothing new in the upgrade chip.
I purchased one of the first Lionel HO scale 4-6-6-4 Challenger models when the MTH lawsuit was ongoing and BEMF had been disabled in the QSI sound chip. Also, the whistle was horribly wrong in the QSI decoder.
When Tony's Trains announced that an upgrade QSI chip was available, I purchased one hoping that the whistle had also been corrected; unfortunatley, it is still horribly wrong and can't be changed short of removing the QSI decoder and putting a LokSound Select into it.
Once you determine the software version of the QSI decoder that is in your BLI models, you can download the correct Technical Reference Manual from BLI or QSI for that particular decoder, so you can then adjust the volumes as desired.
Be aware, though, that QSI uses "indexed CVs," which means that in order to reset a particular sound effect's volume, you have to set one or two other CVs before resetting the particular sound's CV.
If you want to set the volume of the bell, as an example, the Technical Reference may list it as CV 195.1.16. That means that before resetting CV195, you have to reset two other CVs that tell the decoder which sound slot to access. In this example, you might have to set CV 32=1; CV 34=16; then CV 195 to a higher volume number, with the Technical Reference telling you what the factory default setting is, and the range of acceptable settings.
I have four different versions of QSI decoders. In each case, adjusting sounds, right from Master Volume to the loudness of the injectors, consists of only two steps. First enter the primary CV, or 49, selecting the digital value of the secondary, and then entering (usually) CV51 and selecting the value from a range of 1-15. (Master volume is CV50)
So, to adjust the bell: Enter CV 49, enter the secondary value for bell control, which is "8" in CV 51. That is, when in CV49, I enter a value of "8". I then dial in CV51, and normally assign it a value of one-half the possible range, so in this case I round down and go "7". I exit, press F1, and the bell rings at a muted volume from factory setting. Aaahh..
I've found that adding the upgrade chip - even to engines that already had BEMF - makes their slow speed control better, and offers other options (alternate horn/bell etc.). It's not necessary (I have two BLI NW-2s that run fine without upgrades) but it can make a good engine operate better, and may make it easier to program.