Do we know what brand of decoder is in the loco ? is it a less than best Tsunami or ESU ? I noticed in the video that when changing direction the headlight blinked and something clicked several times before it moved in the new direction. Is that the decoder or was that typical of the 1:1 version ? You can tell I know nothing about railroads other then the western roads. Good looking model ! Carl
Carl, Bachmann says it is a Sound Value SoundTraxx(R) steam package. I would think that it is a value version of a Tsunami. In the video I think the clicking was the dcc throttle changing speed steps at leas my dt402d makes the same sound. It (sound) can be disabled in throttle settings. Doug
I echo some other statements here. It seems like the posted video was in DC, which was jackrabbit start/stops. If that was DCC either the momentum settings were not set right or the engine needs to be broken in. I did not like the jackrabbit starts.
Oldrk advertised he runs dc and posted dc video. None of my other newere bmann steamers ( i have at least ne of each) starts like a jackrabbit in dc. Hope mine gets here before i leave on vacation.
Lets be patient to see how these new Spectrum 2-8-4's run using DCC. I completely agree with John's assessment of the chuff rate. In my estimation the speaker won't have to be replaced by a Digi-Key speaker or Zimo cube speakers. I have two NKP 2-8-4's on order. Will probably receive then in about 10 days. Shades
I hire TSU-750 heavy steam dcc installation in two Kato n-scale GS-4 locomotives based on viewing John Colombo's videos, I elected to use Digikey speakers. Hope the 2-8-4 has equivalent or better sound and function.
What CVs did you guys adjust to slow the slow-speed performance of the 2-8-4 Berkshire? I'm talking CVs 209-214.
Try these: CV 209 = 30 CV 210 = 150 CV 212 = 180 CV 213 = 1 CV 214 = 4 If that seems to improve things, then also try using the same values in CV 212, 213 and 214, but changing CV209 to 230 and CV 210 to 30. John C.
Happened before, and was called then "Quasinami". Horrible things...and when run on DC, eight volts starting voltage. Those of us using all the other stuff than dcc (like, analog track power or radio/battery) ripped them out. (Oh....like can't adjust volume full stop with a program track..fail. The one I had would only run one way..even though headlights changed directions, until I swapped the motor leads, which should have made zero difference. Then it blew up. And is now landfill in Durango) Can't wait to see how this version of OEM stuff works. Watching. Dave
Well, let me know if they help. They did on mine, but every engine is a bit different. It would be nice to have a sort of database of folks that have found these CV's helpful. John
They control the various parameters for the back-electro-motive-force (BEMF) motor-control circuits. To oversimplify, BEMF is a way for the electronics in the decoder to measure motor speed and load, and to instantaneously adjust current/voltage delivery to keep the motor turning at the exact speed selected. In the "old days" we used DC powerpacks that had "pulse" in order to overcome inertia when starting and to keep the motor moving when it encountered friction. Today's DCC decoders use their computer circuitry to do this much more precisely. The result should be an engine that can creep along smoothly at very slow speed, accelerate and decelerate smoothly, and not lose speed upgrade or gain speed downgrade (this latter behavior, by the way, clearly is not prototypical; real trains lose speed going upgrade, which is why you see UP and BNSF trains in the Rockies creeping along at 10 mph, and gain speed downgrade, which is why you hear these same trains with the dynamics howling on downgrades; but we can mimic this behavior via throttle control if we want). The CV's listed control various parameters of those electronics for the Tsunami dcc board in the Bachmann Berk, such as how quickly the decoder responds to a decrease/increase in speed; how often the circuit checks the motor speed (we're talking milliseconds, here) and makes adjustments; and so forth. Since all motors are somewhat different in how they respond to loads (and all mechanisms have varying degrees of friction and other slop), most DCC decoders have ways to adjust the BEMF circuitry for best match with the particular motor/mechanism in question (TCS decoders are an exception; they do not have a way to adjust BEMF parameters). These adjustments, however, need to be done manually while observing the engine in motion. Most of the time, the stock settings for the BEMF circuit are good enough that messing around with the adjustments isn't worth it. I've almost never done this kind of adjustment with a standard split-frame diesel, for example. But with steam, the added complication of the friction from all the moving parts means that more often than not, I'm doing SOME adjustment to the BEMF parameters. In the case of the Bachmann Berk, the slow speed performance from the factory is horrible; so I started adjusting these parameters to see if I could do better. The values I posted are where I ended up, and the engine did much better at slow speeds with these values (though still not as good as I'd like, or that I get from the Walthers/LifeLike Berk). There are on-line resources that explain BEMF much more thoroughly, and a bunch of on-line resources that talk specifically about adjusting the Tsunami's BEMF circuitry. If you do an internet search for "Tsunami BEMF adjustment" you'll find this stuff. John C.
Dcc and sound become more enjoyable in a locomotive once one learns how to adjust them to their personal satisfaction. Some of the sound qualities are a matter of personal preference. I set my whistle and bells volume a bit higher than some might wish. Trying to set sound to scale = 1/160th of its actual decimal level would most likely make it inaudible especially for those of us who wear the most sophisticated hearing aids with all the latest technology.
Does this mean that if I change to a TCS sound decoder I will loose the ability to adjust the slow speed performance ?
After playing with a standard Soundtraxx decoder you realize just how much these striped down decoders are limited . Thinking of replacing mine with standard Tsunamis .
Smart move. The bad thing is, Botchman wants to sell all their stuff with their decoders, and you pay the PRC premium for the privilege of ripping it out and putting something better in it's place. Any manufacturer that mandates I have to use their electronics..that I have no choice...I refuse to buy. But, sheeple just continue buying it, so they keep doing it that way.
If some people are ok with what the manufacturer offers, that doesn't make them "sheeple", that makes them satisfied customers.
