I'm about to build a new HO layout that will use DCC, and I expect to use locos with sound. I have no experience with this at all, so I have a question. My track plan includes a hidden reverse loop for a bit of staging right behind the backdrop. Pardon my ignorance, but will I be able to silence a locomotive when it enters a tunnel and goes offstage? More to the point, will I be able to switch the sound off with one button press and then switch it back on again when the loco re-enters the layout proper?
Yes. However, you will have to do it manually. You could do it automatically if your layout were run by a clever chip and you had detection devices installed at the entrances/exits to the tunnel, and the chip were programmed to silence all locomotives inside the tunnel.
On your throttle for your DCC system, there will be a mute button, probably F8. Note that if you have QSI decoders installed, those can be programmed to reduce their volume setting by something between half-volume as currently set in the Master Volume CV and zero...no sound. I usually mute mine all the way down to about 15% so that there is still some ambient 'yard' sound for idling engines, but not full silence. I can never stand having more than two locos making my usual 50% Master Volume level at the same time while they compete for my happiness. The rest are fully muted, partially muted, or in a coma...which you can do to QSI's by three double-presses of F9. To get out of the coma, double-press F6.
Crandell
Yes, sound decoders have a "mute" feature which you control either on a command station or a hand held device. On a digitrax controller, you can either hit FUNCTION 8 or the MUTE button. You can also program some sound decoders (soundtraxx tsunami) to "time out" after none use and shut-down the sound.
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Yes. All you'll need to do is press F8 or "8" on your DCC throttle and the sound will go off/come back on.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
What sound decoders do you have? QSI and Tsunami can be muted with a button press (F8 for QSI and I believe Tsunami). I'm not sure about Loksound.
Joe
Joe,
Although I have never used a Tsunami, all other sound decoders will mute by pressing F8.
I could be wrong, but the MUTE feature is not decoder/manufacturer specific and is controlled by the Command Station. I have only operated Bachmann E-Z Command and Digitrax Zephyr Xtra, and F8 on each controls mute. I don't think the command station cares what brand decoder you're using.
The use of F8 for mute IS decoder specific. The command station has no idea what a fiven function command will do to a given decoder, it simply sends the command to the addressed decoder. When it comes to "making stuff happen", the brains are on the loco, in the decoder.
F8 has sort of become a de-facto standard for muting sound decoders, but there is no requirement or recommendation that makes it have to be F8. In fact, on many decoders, while F8 might be the default mute function, it can be changed to a different one. Say you still use one of the early DCC systems that only has F0-F3. You could remap the mute function to F3 so you would have headlight, bell, whistle, and mute control.
To automatically mute when entering a certain section of the layout, you'd need to have some sort of train tracking so you cna tell what loco is entering or exiting the area, and issue an F8 or whatever mute command is used to that loco when it gets detected entering or leaving that area. It's possible, but not exactly easy or inexpensive. JMRI is free and can track trains, but requires scripting knowledge to write the code for this. RR&CO has train tracking, but is not inexpensive. Both require block detection hardware to be able to work. Not inexpensive. Other detection methods could be used, like RFID or Uhlenbrok's LiSSY to spot detect that loco XYZ has entered the area, and that is has left the area. Once you had the hardware for this approach, JMRI could easily be coded to send a mute command to the address as it was detected.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I think there is one brand that doesn't use F8 for mute...but I can't think who it is right now. But F0 (lights) F1 (bell) F2 (whistle/horn) and F8 (mute) are pretty much universal.