If you get the Lokprogrammer, than yes, you need the Loksound Select Direct, and then you need to download the sound set I mentioned. On the Loksound web site, it's found under the OEM sounds, and if you scroll down there is an entry for the Kato SD40-2 which will be thr correct file. If you want to save on the cost of the Lokprogrammer for now, if you order the Select Direct you can spcify which sound set you'd like them to load for you. Tony's for sure lists it in their dropdown - 16-645E3 Turbo.
You do not need the Lokprogrammer to otherwise set CVs in the Select decoders. It does make things like remapping function assignments far faster than JMRI (and with the Lokprogrammer, you don't use JMRI, you use the software that comes with it), but programming standard stuff like the address a momentum and volumes works fine with pretty much any DCC system with no program track booster device. They do on my Zephyr and PR3.
--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 use the JMRI software, it gives me the entire list of CVs that have been setup. I decided to buy the V4.0 LocSound 54440 8 pin add to the light board. I also ordered a 28mm speaker which fits into the gas tank recess which is what it was built for. It is 8 ohm, but is for now a start. I am having Litchfield Station flash the sound file you mentioned which is #91463. I watched several you tube comparison videos Tsunami Vs Loksound V4 and they were interesting in that both decoders offered good sound effects and some not so good. I know Tsunami so I was curious about LokSound. Motor control on my Kato GP 35 with the Tsunami is good. Startup sounds good. Horns not bad. Bell ???. Loksound motor control looks very nice in the video. So we will see. The guy I spoke with at Litchfiels said the lights are a challenge to set up on Loksound, but otherwise okay.
My BLI SD7 black widow SP is suppose to have great slow momentum, hummmmnnnnnnn. My Katos in DC are better. Not happy with BLI.
I will let you know how this goes for me after getting it installed and running.
Have a great Holiday to you and your family!
Best Regards Marty
Marty www.pbase.com/Hejhog
you tube/martyHejhog1
Without the Lokprogrammer, you wasted the extra cost for the 4.0 decoder as opposed to the 73400 Select decoder.
The 4.0 allows you to modify the sound schedule yourself, and even add your own sounds - but you NEED the Lokprogrammer to do that. JMRI isn't capable. Without the Lokprogrammer, the extra cost is just a waste ....
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
HejhogMartyLoksound motor control looks very nice in the video. So we will see. The guy I spoke with at Litchfiels said the lights are a challenge to set up on Loksound, but otherwise okay.
After you've tried it out, Marty, I'll be curious about your impressions of the Loksound motor control, as compared to the Tsunami. As mentioned earlier it's great right out of the box - without any tweaking.
FWIW: While you're waiting for the arrival of your Loksound decoder, do yourself a favor and download their V.4.0 decoder manual. (You can either print it out, or just keep it on your laptop or tablet for reference.) That way you can get a head start on understanding what you're getting into and be more ready to tackle the install (and lighting effects) once it arrives.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Hi Mark,
Yes I understand. I am doing this project in stages. I will be getting the Locprogrammer early next year. I want to get started with what is programmed on the decoder as is first. As with my KT1000 Tsunami, I used the OEM programming on my GP-35 Kato and then started experimenting with the momentum functions and so forth. As with different loco MFGs the motors and their linkages have an effect on how software manages their movement, thus tweaking is the game we play. You guys know all that, I am pretty new with this so I don't mind spending a little more to get educated (frustrated LOL) with the V4 stuff. I appreciate your input in any case all inputs are valuable to me.
Well the best part of the Loksound motor control is that in addition to having a bunch of CVs to tweak it - they also have an automatic config mode. Just have enough clear track in front of the loco so it can run for a while and the decoder will auto-adjust operating parameters to match the motor. I haven't had to do this so far, all my my locos with Loksound run great just with the defaults.
I do think you should get a Select, not V4, the Select is actually MORE customizeable without the Lokprogrammer than the V4 is, because you cna swap between the included prime mover, bell, and horn selections just by setting a CV. Can't do that in a V4. All the function remapping is available in the Select. WITH a Lokprogrammer, the V4 is arguably more powerful, since you can alter individual sound segments as well as the entire internal scripts. I've done so, using the Loksound sound library to swap out the horn on a V4, but I have no desire to go out and record my own sounds and edit that all down. Well, more like I lack the equipment and technical skills to do that. And the railroad connections. It is probably a load of fun to crawl around on a live loco placing microphones and then running it through all the notches. I'll let people with audio editing skills take care of that though.
I have committed to the V4 already, but going forward as you mentioned , like you I really don't want to create my own sound libraries. It sounds like fun but time is not allowing for that. I figured if I want to change a profile I can do that using the Lokprogrammer as needed. That is once I get one! I will want to change Horns , bells and prime movers down the road. So far I have just messed with speed variations some air horns. I have messed things up as well as part of my fun I guess! If this V4 looks good in my Kato SD 40-2 , I will look at select series for my other Kato GP-35. I intentionally bought several locos that are DCC ready rather than buy them DCC equipped. Must be my PC building experience kicking in here, LOL.
Just watch out for the pricing - most of the locos I buy are older out of production stuff (a -2 anything is far too new for my era) which, if it ever came in a DCC version, was just a motor decoder. On a current production unit, if it comes with a Loksound, the price differentce is often less than the cost of the non DCC version plus the sound decoder, speaker, and my time. Quite the opposite of building your own PC. If the factory sound version comes with other than a Loksound, I'd get the non sound one and add it myself. I did get a Bowser Baldwin with Loksound alreayd installed, I MAY attempt to replicate it to add sound to my other one which I just have a motor decoder in, although if I can get a cheap one with Loksound and some random road name cheap on eBay I will just swap shells, or maybe buy just the sound chassis. Of course then I have a very smooth running Canon motor chassis and nothing to put it in.
Randy
I got a call from Litchfield Station this morning. I guess the sound file I need the one you said I need can't be programmed on V4. So I said give me the select 8 pin decoder. So this is fine. Sounds like after discussing this with you guys, it is the way to go.
Randy,
If the V.4 decoder is supposed to be the more "powerful" decoder, it seems odd that that particular sound file cannot be installed on it.
The 16 cylinder 645 comes in three variations ....
File 91491 is the same file that comes in the factory Kato engines and uses the Select decoder.
File 73408 is the generic file that is used in the Select series decoders.
File 74408 is the file that is used in the V4.0 decoders.
The file IS available for the V4.0 decoders (see above). As for being "more powerful" - that is only true in regards to what you are able to do with them. All the specifications between the Select and the V4.0 are identical, the only difference is that the V4.0 allows you access to the internal workings of the sound schedule.
tstage Randy, If the V.4 decoder is supposed to be the more "powerful" decoder, it seems odd that that particular sound file cannot be installed on it. Tom
Mark explained it - the file number I provided was the one for a Select. Select files can't be loaded on a V4.
Thanks for the explanation, Mark. And, yes, I understand that about the V4.0 decoders. I only used the word "powerful" since that was the term that Randy used in an earlier response; hence why it was in quotation marks.
I used 'powerful' in the sense of what you can do. The select decoders, you can swap the entire sound file, and you can select between different bells, horns, and prime moves (if they are included in the sound set) with a CV.
On a V4, you can adjust every single sound slot individually - plug in some Blues tunes if you want. And you can edit the script - the conditionals that say "play sound slot x when the user pressed button 4 and the speed is not 0 and the direction forward kind of stuff. A completely blank canvas. Of course, you can just load prepared sound files in the V4 and not do any of that editing stuff and have a perfectly usable decoder. But V4's cost more than Selects, so if you aren;t going to mess around with that stuff, no sense paying more for the V4. Or need one of the other features - a V4 can work with Maerklin mfx protocol as well as NMRA DCC, but again, if you don;t have that - no sense paying for the feature.
rrinker [snip] ..... "play sound slot x when the user pressed button 4 and the speed is not 0 and the direction forward kind of stuff" .... --Randy
[snip] ..... "play sound slot x when the user pressed button 4 and the speed is not 0 and the direction forward kind of stuff" ....
Actually, you can do exactly what you stated with the Selects through the function mapping pane.
Mark R. rrinker [snip] ..... "play sound slot x when the user pressed button 4 and the speed is not 0 and the direction forward kind of stuff" .... --Randy Actually, you can do exactly what you stated with the Selects through the function mapping pane. Mark.
OK, but what sound is in that slot is fixed in the Select and changeable in the V4
Okay my decoder # 73400 has shipped with #91463 sound file. I know you guys said 91491, this one is Kato also and was installed after Feb of 2014 according to the description. My loco was built before that I am guessing. I can always change it after I get a lokprogrammer. If nothing else I saved 30 bucks using this decoder over the V4 I originally was going to get.
That's the more updated version of the 16-645E3 turbo, so probably the better option anyway.
If you wonder where we get these project numbers:
http://www.esu.eu/en/downloads/sounds/loksound-select/loksound-select-oem/
I'll put in a good word for Brian at Streamlined Backshop.
There are 2 versions of the Lokprogrammer that I see on at the ESU website. 53451 and 53452. You said you have one correct? Is it the grey housing one? I see a blue version also. Although the 53452 says it is for USA , what makes the other one different ? Power in Europe is 220V so I am guessing that model is rigged with a power pack for them. I want to buy one today. I should be getting my decoder today from Litchfield.
Marty
Marty,
Here is what I found on one of the ESU web pages:
What is the difference between LokProgrammer 53451 und 53452?
The LokProgrammer set 53452 includes a US power supply 120VAC and is distributed only in USA. Otherwise everything else like LokProgrammer functions or set accessories are identical. The LokProgrammer set 53451 includes a European power supply for 240VAC. The software which comes with the both of the sets is in German and in English language as well. [Underscore by me]
So, it looks like the LokProgrammer 53452 is what you want...
Thanks Tom! I thought that may have been the main difference but I wanted to be sure I read their info correctly. I will get the US version of course!
Merry Christmas
You Tube/martyHejhog1
pbase.com/hejhog
C'mon, Marty! - Live daringly!
And Merry Christmas to you, as well.
Hi Tom,
Hope you had a great Christmas. I installed the #73400 6 Aux select programmed with #91463 EMD 16 645 turbo. I installed the 28 mm 4 ohm round speaker and installed in the fuel tank which was setup for it.
OKAY just fired it up. Very LOUD but not distorted. F8 starts and stops diesel. Bell sounds good. The slow speed is crazy good! I have to figure out how to have the ditch lights alternate on off operation. So far I like this decoder a lot. Getting late here so I will continue education on functions tomorrow. It took only maybe 10 minutes to do the install at most.
I just received a Lokprogrammer today, so I can play! Any suggestions to get the ditch lights to alternate?
Happy New Year!
One thing not mentioned as a plus for Loksound versus the competition I understand is that the Loksound decoder has more light functions--six to be exact. For example, on my Wabash GP7 that was one of the reasons I purchased a Loksound decoder (on its way). Here's how I'll use them: front headlight, rear headlight, clears Mars light, red Mars light (yes I know, it would normally come on in an emergency brake application), number board and truck lights as a combined function and finally to be able to turn the class light on (just clear for an extra train for my purposes).
Victor Baird
Fort Wayne, Indiana
tstageThe software which comes with the both of the sets is in German and in English language as well.
Mine came with no software, I had to download it from ESU. Maybe it was an oversight? The Lokprogrammer was new and sealed I bought from SBS about a year ago.
Ed
HejhogMartyOKAY just fired it up. Very LOUD but not distorted. F8 starts and stops diesel. Bell sounds good. The slow speed is crazy good! I have to figure out how to have the ditch lights alternate on off operation. So far I like this decoder a lot. Getting late here so I will continue education on functions tomorrow. It took only maybe 10 minutes to do the install at most. I just received a Lokprogrammer today, so I can play! Any suggestions to get the ditch lights to alternate?
First off, I'm glad to hear you are pleased with your Select decoder.
Secondly, you can adjust the overall master volume by changing CV63. The default value is 180; pick a value lower than that. For starters try a value between 100-120 and see how you like that. Also, you don't need the LokProgrammer to do that. It's probably faster to adjust it in programming mode using your DCC throttle.
For adjusting CVs overall, as well as understanding what else your Select decoder is capable of doing, it would be wise to download the Select manual from the ESU website. The lighting effects can be found on pgs. 62-65.
Read and re-read over the above section then give it whirl. If you really mess things up you can always reset the decoder to factor standard (CV8=8) and try it again.
Hope that helps...
Mine came with software but the version for download was somewhat newer.
There was a note in the box stating cd no longer added to kit, just go on line to get the latest version of software.