I just picked up an N scale AC-8 off ebay with the Loksound Select Decoder. I think I have already screwed up. The steam chuff and whistle sounded great right out of the box but the airpump cycles almost constantly and the steam chuffs were not synchronized. Sounded like drivers slipping almost constantly. It also didn't have the horn programmed. Now here's the question, is there any way to program these sound without the Loksound Programming Software and Programmer? I'm almost afraid to hear the answer. Unfortunately, I think I have managed to reset the decoder and sound went to, well you know what I mean. The steam chuff sound is ultra hissy and the whistle is ok but it lost the quill effect. Help please.
Randy, I believe you can use JMRI. I have done sound adjustments on some of my ESU's using JMRI with my NCE Powercab and at the club with a Digitax throttle. Carl
I would not attempt to do anything but the minimal programming without, at least, JMRI. It can be done, but the ESU indexing for the higher CVs is difficult. Of more concern is the "sounds gone" after reset. That means that whoever loaded the sounds did not set them as the default in the LokProgrammer; allowing the reset to change ALL the CVs back to whatever they were before the current project was loaded. All is not completely lost, since the actual sounds are still all there, but one would need to know the sound project used to begin recreating the CVs. The LokProgrammer software is free, and can take a Select sound project and export the CVs into a file which JMRI can read. With JMRI, you can the write all the CVs back. Unfortunately, to set them as default, you need to use the LokProgrammer hardware.
Where do you live? There are folks in various parts of the country that have LokProgrammers and are willing to help other modelers. There is a list of these folks on the ESU Yahoo group site which I have attached to this message. If you live anywhere near central Illinois, I can help you. The AC-8 used an ESU LokSound Select Micro 73800 decoder with sound file #73409 (http://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/search?cat=2&q=73409). Virtually everything can be adjusted to your liking, and by default, the horn was programmed to F10, which some throttles can't access. In any event, you really need to find someone with a LokProgrammer to help you get the engine sounds where you want them. You CAN use JMRI, but not without following the procedure Rick has outlined in his message (e.g., download the Lokprogrammer software; download file #73409; do a CV export; load that into JMRI, and THEN use JMRI to adjust your sounds). John C.
Thanks for the information JD. I did get the unit to reset to factory setting I think. I can't imagine the factory chuff to represent slipping drivers and go in and out of time. But I have found a solution. One of our DCC Vendors here on the Board has moved relatively close to me and I am having him do a new sound download for me. I did compared Loksound vs Soundtraxx a bit and the programming was the only thing that kept me away from Loksound for a home installation. This unit got the same mechanical mods on the AC-12 I have, I filed the plow a little for clearance around Kato grade crossings and grade transitions plus changed out the wheel sets to a slightly taller wheel set to put more pressure on the lead truck spring so mechanically it runs like a Swiss Watch. Now to get the sound right.
Randy, when I got my ac12 a week or so ago, it was “customized”. I tried to de-customize it in JMRI, and screwed it up worse also. Since it is a factory sound install, I knew the sounds had been flashed correctly as default and I wants going to blank the ESU if I reset it. So I did, once I remembered that in JMRI you can’t reset cv8 directly, there is a reset option in the menu instead. Reset it, waited about 6-10 seconds, powered down the track for 6 seconds, and everything was back to stock, AND the prior owners customizations were gone to. Bone stock and works great. If yours is factory sound, don’t worry about doing a reset...
