Or like pretty much EVERY DCC decoder maker, they are smart enough not to print and ship a 50-100 page fully detailed with every last bit of information book with each and every decoder. Even if you only have a dozen locos, what are you going to do with 12 copies of the same giant manual?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Guessing that Bachman/Soundtraxx feel that if you are running a DCC layout you have and know how to use the internet.
Joe Staten Island West
Last I knew all the decoders are made in the USA. A few years ago I saw the machine they are made in.
They can modify the machine for different boards.
Documentation can be an issue with many companies.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
We all wish they were ,but they are a China copy with completely different firmware and electronics .Only thing is the same is th board itself. Aparently the reason neither Soundtraxx or Bachmann knows what is on them to get the documentation correct was lost in China and they did not give them even 1/4 of what a real Tsumani sound decoder has. They controll the motor good but just suport 8 prime mover notches 3 horns 1 bell ,dynamic brake on some and a couple lighting outputs with light effects.No brakes fans compressors,pop valves ,air releases,start up and shut down sequences ,12 more horns a 7 baND eq and a reverb eq. That is not missing some .It is missing practically everthing. Cheepest sound decoder made with the least functions. They sound good for what they have ,but after a wile they are as interesting as watching grass grow
Bachmann Sound Vaue decoders only share a couple of sound files for the bell horn and prime mover .Some have a dynamic brake sound with RPM change function that you can program. Some have a start up and shut down auto sound function,but otherwise nearly all the brake ,air releases,pop valves,compressors ,radiator fans,7 ban EQ's and Reverb sound functions re missing. They are not Tsumanis at all ,but only refere to the Soundtraxx Tsumani manual to save a buck so they do not have to make a actual manual for them and actually claim what they are and what they have functionally.
Right from the Bachmann site. Digital age.
I have a couple older Spectrum with onboard sound. Not sound value and those were stripped down but I knew that from watching the Bachmann forums and reading the CV list at the SoundTraxx site.
Yes stripped down versions of the Tsunami. Even Bachmann has said at times, Tsunami decoder. Been watching the site for some years,.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/images/Sound-Value-Decoder-Quick-Start-Guide.pdf
I think most of us are fairly good at searching. Finding info on the Bachman CV available values "for DCC Sound Value Equipment" is not as simple as you make it. I've tried programming using NMRA standards to my Bachmann 2-6-0 and they make no sense. The only thing that was programmable with ease was the road number. Which is pretty important. As one of your inquirer stated a little pamphlet along with the locomotive would really have helped. The problem is one does not know what can be changed, what CV values are legitimate.
One time purchase of a larger screen and never print this stuff, just read it on the computer. No need to waste trees. PDF files have a search, so you can even find what you need without paging through it all.
I would suggest downloading all manufactures manuals, print out and put into clear page holders and into a notebook for future ease of use. And you can always include notes for wuick reference ie: light effect settings, function remapping, etc.
That's a good idea. However the Tsunami manual is over 70 pages if I recall. So add 70 pages and a printer cartridge to the cost to print your own.
hobo9941 I was just programming a couple Athearn Genesis locos, and guess what. The Athearn Genesis locos come with a 22 page instructional manual, listing all the CVs, including the various sounds, the equalizer, etc, in a glossy color booklet. A big THANK YOU to Athearn!
I was just programming a couple Athearn Genesis locos, and guess what. The Athearn Genesis locos come with a 22 page instructional manual, listing all the CVs, including the various sounds, the equalizer, etc, in a glossy color booklet. A big THANK YOU to Athearn!
Comparing an Athearn Genesis to a Bachmann Sound Value loco is apples and oranges.
These kind of Apples $$$$$$ compared to
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
A question to the Bachmann forums where there are Bachmann reps is recommended. Some never think of asking there.
I enjoy reading how the experts say a couple more cents for more documentation.
This is the digital age. Deal with it.
I have to agree with you regarding the printing of manuals. I have actualy notebooks with the printout outs for each decoder manufacturer.
Broadway Limited Paragon actually does supply a list of all in the small booklet size manual so have to give them credit. Tsunami equipped Genesis includes a fairly detailed manual as well and does tell you how to program the ditch lights to flash with the horn button (F2).
maxman The full blown Tsunami does not support CVs 5 and 6, so I would be surprised that a Soundvalue would. If you look at the Tsunami diesel decoder manual starting around page 4 you'll see that it goes from CV 4 to CV 7: http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/tsunami_diesel_technical_reference_0213.pdf I understand that the new Soundtraxx motor-only decoders do support CVs 5 and 6, but that is a different animal.
The full blown Tsunami does not support CVs 5 and 6, so I would be surprised that a Soundvalue would. If you look at the Tsunami diesel decoder manual starting around page 4 you'll see that it goes from CV 4 to CV 7: http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/tsunami_diesel_technical_reference_0213.pdf I understand that the new Soundtraxx motor-only decoders do support CVs 5 and 6, but that is a different animal.
Except that Soundtraxx lists a lot of CVs in the Sound Value doc that aren't supported. If you have special knowledge that tells you certain ones aren't supported even though they're listed, great, you can one-up lots of guys. However, my point continues to be that a number of CVs -- and it's never been made clear which, anywhere -- on the Sound Value docs aren't supported. Even if a company spends, or doesn't spend, money to put hard copy doc in with the product, it doesn't help if the doc is inaccurate.
hobo9941Not everyone has Internet access, or is computer savvy.
While I typically do check mfg's websites for docs, updates and other product info, I agree with you that such basic info as the CV list should be included in the package. While the web is a great resource, it's notoriuosly fickle. And it's gotten rather trackless. Search is a game of chance as much as skill anymore. Websites go dark, pages get lost or delinked, and companies go out of business. Doubt the last will be an issue for Bachmann, but it's just a good idea to have a handy copy around. And if the accountant needs a justification to spend the penny on extra printing, the consumer is much more likely to keep a printed sheet or other product with such info AND a GREAT BIG LOGO within reach and in easy sight if needed than they are a box, etc,. It's just good marketing.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I've just gotten used to going online for stuff like this. I've bookmarked the NMRA DCC Standards page, too, and Google takes me to pretty much everything else.
I have too. But as I said, it would only cost them a penny or two to add a page to the user manual with the CVs. Not everyone has Internet access, or is computer savvy. I finally found what I was looking for, but a lot of the links were dead ends at the "store" or general descriptions. Several Google hits just took me to the Soundtraxx website, but nothing Bachmann specific. I was curious about the bell and horn in the B unit, if I ever wanted to switch the shell for an A unit. I found the bell and horn were just turned down to 0 volume on the B unit FYI. Anyway, thanks for the replies!
JOHN BRUCE III More searching brings up another reference to the Sound Value CVs 5 and 6 issue -- looks like someone else recently found that these don't seem to work on Sound Value, but the documentation is at best inconsistent. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,28311.0.html
More searching brings up another reference to the Sound Value CVs 5 and 6 issue -- looks like someone else recently found that these don't seem to work on Sound Value, but the documentation is at best inconsistent. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,28311.0.html
Well, your original comment was that the Soundvalue did not support speed tables. That is a little different than not supporting CVs 5 and 6.
No answer on the Bachmann board.
The point I was making above was that the Soundtraxx doc is incorrect or completely unclear in several cases. The most recent example of this is at http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/20046 -- the list of CVs in the GG1 doc at http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM_pages/bachmann/ho_gg1_sv.pdf lists variables like "exhaust volume control" that pretty clearly don't correspond to any Soundtraxx GG1 sounds, and the doc doesn't provide any clear answer to the poster's question as to whether the motor sounds are included or not. I've seen references on other forums, possibly the Bachmann, to the fact that the FA2 doc includes a reference to CV 132, air compressor volume, when trial and error by various users has shown that the Sound Value package does not include any air compressor sounds.
My own experiments have shown that trying to adjust CVs 5 and 6 on the Sound Value F7 (vmin and vmid) produces no effect, although these values are listed on the F7 doc at http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM_pages/bachmann/ho_f7a_sv.pdf I discussed this on the former Whistle Post forum, which is now gone. I may have made some sort of mistake in this, and my point is that there so far is no good central point for resolving these issues.
Calling or e-mailing the supplier has inconsistent or unpredictable results. I've gotten two different answers from two different people (or even the same guy on different days) when trying to do this. But even if I get a right answer, there's no good central point for reporting it. That's my point.
What's yours?
JOHN BRUCE IIIFor instance, although the on line documentation refers to speed curve support, this apparently isn't actually available. I've seen reference to this in forums, and my own experiments seem to bear this out.
Not to interject myself unnecessarily, but the documentation for the FA2 unit, found here on the Soundtraxx website: http://soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM_pages/bachmann/ho_fa2_sv.pdf, indicates that the CVs necessary for speed table support, CVs 67 through 94, are supported by the Soundvalue decoder.
If you have references to where it has been found that these are not supported, it probably would be helpful to supply a link. Also, I don't know what experimention you have done, but it would probably be helpful if you described that.
And if all else failed, I had a question regarding a Soundvalue decoder and it was answered with a call to Soundtraxx.
Actually, I think the OP has a valid point. It's gradually come out on various forums that not all the CVs listed in the Sound Value documentation are actually installed on Sound Value decoders, so even the on line documentation that people are pointing to is not correct. The problem is that people are having to find this out via trial and error, and in fact neither Bachmann nor Soundtraxx is supporting the product as it's sold.
For instance, although the on line documentation refers to speed curve support, this apparently isn't actually available. I've seen reference to this in forums, and my own experiments seem to bear this out.
I'm sorry there's no central exchange for this kind of thing, and those who want to shame the folks who are actually correct in pointing this out aren't doing anyone any favors.
B units don't have a horn or bell. Joe
ANd then there's the rest of us - my printer ran out of ink (well, actually, it all dried up due to non-use - I will NEVER buy an inkjet printer ever again) almost 2 years ago, and I haven't missed it. With a large screen, the text can be far BIGGER than it appears on the printed page - even on not such a large screen, although it means more scrolling. So, I just read these things on my computer after I download them, I don;t waste trees and print things. ANd since the most common format is the ubiquitous PDF format, I can transfer them to my tablet if I need a portable copy. Back when I was first getting in to DCC, I printed out various DIgitrax manuals as well as the various NMRA DCC standards and RPs, and other technical data. My iPad weighs a mere fraction of that HUGE thick 3-ring binder full of manuals, yet contains all f those documents plus tons of other newer ones plus many issues of magazines and many, many books.
See, the key to modifying people's behavior (in this cas, waste less paper, saving tress, and all that flows from that) is to provide a more convenient alternative. If the alternative is a PITA to use, no one will use it.
hobo9941 It would only cost them a penny or two to include the list of CVs in the package! An extra page on the Quick Start Guide would have been a big help!
It would only cost them a penny or two to include the list of CVs in the package! An extra page on the Quick Start Guide would have been a big help!
For me, the option is that or "Where did I put that CV list they gave me?" I'm better off with having it online.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I finally found what I was looking for, but it wasn't easy. Thanks