Oh OK. I was thinking you knew something I didn't. You we just asking if these decoders are low frills (or poor) like some of the others. Anyway, if you were asking ESU opinions.... I am also one who thinks ESU decoders are some of the best. People brag about the extensive motor control variables. However, if you did not know, in order to get the best use of them (especially the sound decoders), you may need to make an extra purchase. The ESU Lokprogrammer and a Windows computer (not sure if it software for Mac- I use Linux and have to either use an old Windows laptop or a virtual Windows environment- I use the former now). https://www.esu.eu/en/products/lokprogrammer/ If you don't make any changes to the decoder (or only simple changes) then you may not need it. But if you had the LokProgrammer, then with a sound loco, you could save the programming variables with any changes you make as a file (and be able to re-load it), and you could install all kinds of files to test out what they sound like. And here's a hint- modern diesels are not all that exciting (their sound is slightly un-varying), but oh my gosh, to hear a sound equipped 1st gen EMD or an GE U-boat and that "chugging" sound is amazing.
Hello Ron, I do have the LokProgrammer and it is all setup and running. I fine tune the decoders on the LokProgrammer, and then import that into JMRI as a backup. I mostly buy ScaleTrains Rivet Counter locomotives, they seem to have a very good sound to them, the SD40's sound nothing like the GE AC4400CW locomotives.
I put on my optivisor and sure enough there was a nub on the front truck side frame. Nub is now gone and problem solved!
Thank you for somebody else finding this! Since I have never seen anybody else comment about it; I never brought it up as I thought I was the only one. It drove me nuts until I found the same issue. I believe that I had the same problem with two of their SD35's. They would derail at a few wooden RR crossing where none of my other locos (all of my other locos) never had any issues. The truck side frames had very little clearance and had a molding nub that lifted the truck, slightly, causing a derailment - optivisor is a good friend of mine! Brian
An update on my dead gold SD9. I did a factory reset again using direct mode then paged mode on my DCS210+ using a DT602. Darn thing fired right up. A couple friends suggested cycling the power which I did many times when I first had issues with no success. The only differences were using Paged mode and the amount of time it sat with no power to it. Fingers crossed I'm golden going forward.
Recently got a Gold Series RS-3. Runs smooth, sound is great (tho comes set LOUD), I'm impressed. Wires run to the trucks but seem to be attached to the lower center part of the axle-point contact plates. This would seem likely to cut down on the amount of flexing that occurs when wires are soldered to tabs that stick up at the top of the truck. My friend who does DCC installations says LokSound decoders are excellent.
I've been buying many Gold locomotives over the past year- My experience has mostly been positive. I have 2 SD-9's that are workhorses, they run really smooth and the sound is great. They pull quite a bit too. Just got in some of the RS-3's and RSD4/5's, these come super loud from the factory and sound awesome, you may have to dial that back a bit. So far no issues, but these mechanisms don't seem to be any more quiet than the previous split frames IMHO. Pulling power seems to be slightly less, but not terrible. And on super-elevated KATO curves it is worse. They are smooth runners as well, very responsive and the slow speed creep is great. The only disappointment has been the Trainmaster- the one I got seemed to bind up alot. The whole mechanism leaned sideways whenever it got moving like it was torqued to the max, and the mechanism sounded terrible. The sound was good though. I know a warranty claim option was on the table, but just chose to return it instead and move on. So, 1 dud in 6 ain't bad. When you add up the cost, these are a super bargain too. You get a factory / sound locomotive RTR for almost less than purchasing a DC model and decoder separately, then trying to do it yourself. Trying to do an RS3-4/5 sound conversion seems to be a nightmare to me as is. I'm glad these new models are saving that trouble. Just hate that we won't know when the next production run will be for other desirable railroads. I'm doing some shell swaps in the meantime. Hope this helps to anyone else looking to pull the trigger on these, I'd recommend it. Also, having a LokProgrammer is a lifesaver for programming.
So far my experience isn't the greatest. I got 2 new RSD4/5 locos.........they ran great out of the box, but no sound (and no documentation in the box). Put them on the programing track (separately ) and set everything to my usual specs.......put them back on the track and they would barely move (maybe speed step two at full throttle). Did a full factory reset and they ran fine again and got SOME sound back (horn, and other operator controlled sounds, but still no engine sounds). Put them back on the programming track and set ONLY the numbers, and they worked fine for a few days in consist with each other, and then one stopped working entirely.......cleared the consist thinking that might be the issue, but one unit runs fine, the other is dead. I haven't had the initiative to delve into the dead one beyond trying another factory reset, which didn't help. The other still runs fine, but I haven't been able to set any parameters (acceleratio, momentum , start voltage, ect) . I've been doing all this with an MRC prodigy using the menu on the controller......I haven't tried setting anything using the CVs, but this is the first time the menu has failed to program a loco. I've had similar issues with older (non-ESU) factory decoders in Atlas locos as well. And it's usually odd stuff......for example I had 4 SD7/9 locos that had road number issues. I run Milwaukee Road, so the road numbers on the locos ran from 501 to 512. 501 and 509 took their numbers just fine, but 510 and 512 would not.......509 was the highest number they would take. Had issues with some GP9s as well. Atlas locos that I've installed aftermarket decoders in seem to do fine, so it isn't the locos, it's the decoders Atlas is using.
With ESU decoders you need to set CV32=1 and CV31=16 before you set the CV for any sound effects. Doing that and setting CV403 will set the docoder to power up sound as soon as you put it on powered track. Might have to do the CV31/32 set-up to change any performance CVs.
Thanks......like I said I haven't gone online looking for documentation/instructions (no instructions came in the box). Is CV403 the volume, or the on/off for sound, and what setting? I got around to playing some more.....did ANOTHER reset on the dead loco and got it running again using cab #3, so I tried resetting to the actual loco # (575) and it went back to dead.
Tried running the "good" RSD....today and more mixed results. It seemed to have a lot of hesitation and also still no motor sounds. At one point it stalled on a turnout .........I gave it a little nudge and it started moving again AND suddenly the motor sounds started working.......for about 10 seconds and then silence again. The more I play with these, the less impressed I am. Problems seem to come and go with no predicability......... and 2 identical units both have issues, but not the SAME issues.