New QSI upgrade chip - 6/30 update

[tstage]

Has anyone put in the QSI upgrade chip into their BLI 2-8-2 Mike yet and successfully fine tuned the start voltage?

First off, the entire chip replacement was very straightforward and took me less than 10 minutes to accomplish. QSI Solutions was kind enough to include an handy installation info sheet along with the new chip.

Secondly, the low end response of the new QSI chip is definitely an improvement over the older one. I can start right out at speed step 001; whereas, it took me till 007 or 008 on the older chip before my Mike would start out.

However, I have run into a couple of issues:

1. The difference in speed between speed step 001 and speed step 021 using the new chip is nil. In other words, the Mike starts right out at speed step 001 but maintains that same exact speed up to speed step 021. It's only when I get past 021 that I begin to see the speed actually increase. I guess this might be a CV adjustment issue but it's still pretty odd.

2. I've followed the directions on the info sheet for adjusting or fine tuning the Start Voltage (CV2) but it's not going exactly like they describe it.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone else has had any troubles initially.

Tom

[NZRMac]

Tom, are you using 128 steps on your throttle? maybe the loco is set to 28? Just a thought.

Ken.

Edit That can't be it cause the loco won't move if the speed steps aren't the same.

[tstage]

Ken,

Nope. it's set at 128.

Tom

[scubaterry]

Tom - I noticed the same thing wiith my Hudson upgrade It creeps right along but it needs lots of throttle to start accellerating. I haven't had the chance to play with the CV's yet. Did you notice any change in the sound as far as quality? Where did you purchase your 2-8-2 upgrade?
Terry[8D]

[simon1966]

Is this a speed curve issue? I don't yet have my upgrade chip, so I can't look at it myself. But it reads as if the first several steps of a speed curve are set at close to zero?

[DigitalGriffin]

Tom,

I don't know if they changed the CVs or not, but if adjusting the speed curves doesn't help, try checking to see if there is a Mid Voltage CV.

Let us know how it goes. I have two on order for my BLI T1 2-10-4, and LL 2-8-8-2

[tstage]

Terry,

I got mine from Tony's Train Exchange. Yes, I initially noticed a couple of changes:

1. The headlight powers down much quicker - i.e. 1-2 seconds vs. 15-20
2. When you make CV changes, the "dispatcher" informs you verbally which CV you changed and what value you changed it to. Kinda' cool.

Terry, I'm sure there's others but I haven't had the chance to see them yet.


Simon and Don,

I was wonderin' the same thing myself so you may be right about the speed curve and Mid Voltage. I will try and fiddle with it again this evening to see if I can't make some improvements to it. In either case, I think it's still worth the extra few $$$ for the low end response and the additional features. [:)]

And, I also just noticed that QSI has a one-year guarantee on the chip from the original date of purchase and will replace it FREE if it is defective for any reason. [:)][tup]

Tom

P.S. Simon, I sent you a copy of the document you requested late last night. I should be sitting in your mailbox. Let me know if you have any problems with it.

[sledgehammer]

I know you guys a talking about steam engines. but I do have a question.
My atlas 8-40c does everything that you guys said was an improvement to your locos after you put the chip. I look through the list and it shows a chip for mine. I checked the number and they are different from the one in my loco.

Im beging to think that I have a upgraded chip in mine already. from the lists of improvements my loco does all the features now. I,m not dhure i can download any of the sounds when they get that part of it done.

when you change your cv values do you have to stop the train for them to take effect. I have to stop mine for them to work. the voice only talks when it is stoped to tell me the cv change. But it will tell me how fast im going when i pu***he F10 button in movement.
Im not 100% shure Imgoing to get the chip at this time I need to do some more reaserch.

[selector]

Tom, I had to return the Niagara tender two months ago when it kept shorting the track. They returned it this week with a new chip, new pickups, and undid the inadvertent scamble on the axles that I made when taking it apart to see if I could find the fault.

They stand behind their product, I am pleased to say.

I think these decoder upgrades will need a more "educated" user, Tom, users who get into the manual considerably longer to get the most out of the chip. I, too, suspect mid -range voltage and/or speed step matters.

-Crandell

[tstage]

Derrick,

The upgrade was just released so yours should be the older chip. The big thing is that there are over 53 additional "improvements" added to the new QSI upgrade chip. They should list them on either Tony's or QSI Solutions web site.

Tom

P.S. Derrick, you're KILLIN' me with that picture of your daughter. She's just adorable.

[scubaterry]

Tom - I am not using a preset speed table with my Hudson?? Maybe I will get a chance to play with it this week. Preparing for Hurricane season is time consuming and eating up lots of RR time.

Sledgehammer - I have a LL GP-9 with most of the updates all ready however the chip that is in it now is not programable. To get the slow speed ops and the ability to download new sounds, version updates etc requires the new upgrade chip. just the low speed operation with this new upgrade makes it worth thrity bucks to me anyway.
Terry[8D]

[sledgehammer]

Thanks fellas on the input.
I looked for the page for the updates but i still havent found it yet I must be looking in the wrong place. I will probably invest in the new chip just to be able to dowlaod new updates on the net .

Tom thanks we think she is pretty cute too and loves trains as well

[BigBlueConrail]

Anyone put a QSI upgrade chip in a diesel?

[tstage]

Derrick,

Try these links:

http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/qsi-upgrade-chip.htm

http://www.qsisolutions.com/products/q-chip-upgrade.html


BigBlueConrail,

These links my answer some of your questions:

http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/qsi-upgrade-chip-r1.htm

http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/qsi-upgrade-chip-r2.htm

Tom

[tstage]

This has been interesting. I decided to check the speed table settings of my new QSI chip this evening to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. I double-checked the first five data points (CV 67-71) and each one of them was set to the factory default. (I didn't even bother to check the rest; assuming that they were correctly set, as well.)

I also found out perusing through the QSI 3.0 manual that V-Start (CV2) and V-High (CV5) are supported by QSI but V-Mid (CV6) isn't. Why is that? CV6 doesn't even have a page listed in the manual.

In Programming Mode, CV6 isn't accessible. (All you get is a message stating that the throttle is "unable to read CV.") However, in OPS mode it IS accessible - and set to the value of "2". That would flatten things out, wouldn't it?

So...should I try and increase CV6 to see what happens? Or, do you think that will make much of a difference?

Thanks for the input. [:)]

Tom

[sledgehammer]

thanks tom
Im my manual for my dash 8 there is no cv6 so Id say go for it to see what happends

[rolleiman]

Maybe I missed it, Tom, but have you figured out why your loco speed doesn't change from step 1 to step 21? I have the light mike and the hudson and am waiting to hear a great report before upgrading.

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rolleiman

Maybe I missed it, Tom, but have you figured out why your loco speed doesn't change from step 1 to step 21? I have the light mike and the hudson and am waiting to hear a great report before upgrading.

Jeff,

No, not yet. If you read a couple of posts up, I shared what I learned "poking around the manual" last night. I'm going to play with V-Mid (CV6) tonight to see what difference that makes. It's set a "2" so I can easily switch it back if that doesn't help out matters.

Jeff, I'd still have to say - even though I'm only scratching the surface...AND still have a number of things yet to learn about CVs and adjusting them - that the low-end response has been worth the amount paid for the upgrade.

Tom

[davekelly]

This is a very interesting thread. Fiddling with things like this is a good example of the advantages one can get by having a PC interface with a DCC system.

Tom,

Did you ever in your wildest dreams think you'd get this into DCC/sound when you got the Bachmann system? I know I put off the DCC thing for quite awhile - but the minute I put my first BLI on the track I was hooked!

[tstage]

Dave,

Yea, I sorta expected it but I didn't think I was going to be doing as much troubleshooting as I have been. (Not that DCC is trouble-shooting intensive. Merely, that I had - and still have - some things to learn about DCC.) Still, the journey has been fun. [:)]

I agree with you on the PC interface. I'm looking forward to when NCE finally brings out the USB port so that I can hook up my Power Cab to my old 300 MHz PC to it and use JMRI DecoderPro software to document and program my decoders.

Tom

[tstage]

Hi Everyone!

I was home this morning for a little while so I decided to go ahead and try and alter V-Mid (CV6). I used both the programming track option and the Mainline OPS to accompli***his.

As I mentioned previously, according to the QSI 3.0 Manual (Feb 2005), V-Mid (or CV6) is NOT supported by QSI. When my command station tries to read it, the LCD display on my Power Cab says, "CAN NOT READ CV". If you press ENTER the CV6 screen does comes up. Even so, my suspicion is that CV6 still isn't accessible because, even after supposedly modifying the default, you do not get a "verbal" acknowledgment from the chip.

I attempted to change CV6 from the default of "2" to another number. I arbitrarily chose 70, 120, and 150 and noticed very little to no change in performance. My guess is that my attempts to change CV6 didn't happen.

Do any of you DCC gurus know that if a manual states that a particular CV is not "supported", this is another way of saying you don't have access to it and/or you can't alter the default? Unless someone has a better suggestion, I think I'm going to present my issue before the QSI Solutions help desk to see what they have to say about the matter. I'll let you know what I hear from them.

Tom

[scubaterry]

Tom - I have also noted that with the upgrade my rear tender light flickers ever so slightly on my Hudson when in fwd, something it did not do prior. Have you noticed the same in your Mike? Tom could you do me a favor? I have most of my rolling stock packed away in prep for Hurricane season. Could you measure your BLI 2-8-2 and tell me the length from the front of the engine wheels to the rear of the tender wheels. I am going to buy a TT and want to know the smallest I can get away with. It will save me the hastle of digging thru my boxes. Tks.
Terry[8D]

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry
Tom could you do me a favor? I have most of my rolling stock packed away in prep for Hurricane season. Could you measure your BLI 2-8-2 and tell me the length from the front of the engine wheels to the rear of the tender wheels. I am going to buy a TT and want to know the smallest I can get away with.
Terry[8D]

Terry,

Just to clarify, you want me to measure from the leading truck on the Mike to the rear(est) truck wheel on the tender?

I know that the Mike is slightly under 12" long so a '90 turntable ought to work just fine for you. If you want to run anything larger than that hen you'll probably have to go with either 105' or 120'er.

At any rate, Terry, I'll measure it for sure when I get home tonight from work and get back to you.

Tom

[scubaterry]

Tom - I would like to clarify your request for clarifiction. Yes your measurement points are correct. I have two 90 ft Walthers TT so I should be good to go. I just ordered a Bowser 2-8-2 and next payday I am ordering the Challenger. So rather than getting new TT's I will have to do a wye or something to turn the Challenger. Tks for your help.
Terry[8D]

[davekelly]

Tom,

Quick question. How does the engine run with 28 steps and the new chip? In playing with my BLI Mike, I seem to prefer the 28 over the 128 step.

[tstage]

Dave,

Generally I like 128 but I'll try it and let you know.

Tom

[tstage]

Hi Everyone!

Well, I got a response back from American Hobby Distributors, parent company of QSI Solutions. They told me that altering CV2 should take care of the problem.

That's both good and bad news. Good, since the problem didn't seem to surprise AHD at all - unless that's AHD's pat answer when dealing with problems with their new QSI chip. It's also bad, since any subtle changes I've tried to alter CV2 have only resulted in degradation of performance rather than improvement of it. And, I'm not entirely sure that I'm even doing correctly.

Well, I guess I'll try again tonight. Hopefully I can report back with a breakthrough of some sort. Chime in if you've had some success with this.

Tom

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Tom - I would like to clarify your request for clarifiction. Yes your measurement points are correct. I have two 90 ft Walthers TT so I should be good to go. I just ordered a Bowser 2-8-2 and next payday I am ordering the Challenger. So rather than getting new TT's I will have to do a wye or something to turn the Challenger. Tks for your help.
Terry[8D]

Terry,

Measured wheel center to wheel center, as confirmed above: 10-1/4" or 74.4' - plenty of room on a 90' TT.

Tom

[tstage]

Next installment to the upgrade chip saga...

I attempted to "fine tune" the CV2 setting again last night according to the manufacturer's info sheet but it was all for naught. For the life of me, I just can't seem to make steps 3 and 4 work at all. I've read and reread the directions several times but the locomotive won't respond the way they indicate on the info sheet. I guess I'll just have to live with it the way it is for now until I can either somehow discover a solution or find someone who knows the answer.

As some of you are aware from reading the earlier posts, I e-mailed the parent company of QSI Solutions last night, describing to them the issues that I was experiencing with speed steps 001-021 and the problems I was having with implementing the CV2 adjustment.

The good news was that American Hobby Distributors (AHD) responded back quickly this morning. The bad news was that their answer to the problem...?

"...as stated on your installation instructions Pg-2 , program CV2 to remidy this."
Not exactly what I was looking for but an answer at least. I'm going to bounce the issue off of Tony's, since that's where I bought the upgrade chip from. I'll be curious what he has to say about it.

I also discovered another interesting phenomenon last night. I wanted to hear what the speed feedback sounded like. On my NCE Power Cab, you have to press SHIFT and PROG simultaneously to get F10.

The audible voice for the speed feedback was just barely audible. But the weird thing was, after I depressed the two buttons, none of the speed buttons responded after that. In other words, the locomotive maintained a constant speed - no matter what I did with the speed buttons.

The only way to stop the locomotive was to press the EMERGENCY STOP button. When I pressed the acceleration button to get the locomotive moving again, the speed step would visually change on the LCD display but the actual speed of the locomotive was constantly at speed step 001 and wouldn't budge any higher - whether the screen said 001 or 126. Weird.

If I shut off power to the track and turned it back on again, then everything was hunky dory again - like nothing had ever happened. I tried the whole scenario three or four times and each time the results were the same. I'm going to mention this one to Tony, too.

I'll keep you all up to date on what I find out. Hopefully I can get this resolved soon. Pressing on...

Tom

[selector]

Could it be, just possibly, that you are not actually getting the inputs to "take" by the decoder, Tom? Maybe you should try a programming track, another mode, whatever. It almost sounds like your controller is not communicating with the decoder properly.