Hi,
I have the Bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire N scale with sound. I run DCC. Everytime I turn the power on the sound of the engine is switched on automatically. I then press F8 to switch it off. I only want to have it switched on when I run it. Unfortunatelly next time I turn the power on it makes noises again. How can I reverse this? All of the other trains are silent when the power is turned on and only get loud when I press the corresponding F key.
Regards,
Stefan
You can’t as far as I know. It’s part of Bachmann’s “Sound Value” line of stripped down decoders from Soundtraxx. Sound on at power up seems to be the only way to go. I have one of their HO locomotives with this and it is destined to either have the decoder replaced, or the locomotive as a whole will be replaced. It drives me nuts.
Water Level Route may be correct but you can also ask at the Bachmann forums. There are many users there along with Bachmann reps. Below is a link to the HO forum.
Bachmann has all kinds of info about Bachmann products at the site also. Loco diagrams, parts page, CV list, repair page, etc.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/board,2.0.html
I have a couple with onboard sound and I could just unplug the decoder and plug in a different one. Unsoldering the speaker wires and soldering in the new speakers wires is all I would have to do.
The Sound Value might have a different PC board decoder install compared to my Spectrum with onboard sound.
Rich
I had a locomotive that would do that and I was able to change a CV so that the sound would NOT come on at start up. I think it was on a QSI sound decoder but, unfortunately, I do not recall the CV or the value. Someone on the Bachmann forum may know of a similar trick for your sound decoder.
Tom
Thanks for your answers. This doesn’t sound good but still gives me some hope. I’ll ask my question in the Bachmann forum.
Stefan
Full Tsunamis can be changed by setting some CVs, perhaps this feature is left off the SOund Value version. QSI - you shouldn;t have had to do anything, they won;t start up themselves if you’ve done the shutdown, that’s what always had so many people thinking their loco was broken, they’d put it in shutdown and then next time they tried to run it, it wouldn’t even move.
–Randy
I forget which locomotive it was, Randy. I know I don’t have any Tsunamis. Perhaps it was my PCM F3 with the Loksound decoder…
Tom
What I did is set the time sound off function. Even though the sound still comes on when I power up, it does not stay on the whole time.
How did you do that?
Cut one of the speaker wires.
The N scale Bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire with sound is factory equipped with a SoundTraxx OEM Bachmann Sound Value decoder. To date, the Sound Value family of decoders do not support CV 113 Quiet Mode Timeout Period feature that is present in some other SoundTraxx OEM Bachmann decoders.
Sound Value Function Key 8 default toggles all sounds Active as set/Mute. As you found out, F8 last setting is ignored on power up. Program CV 128 Master Volume Control to 0 value to have all sounds off.
RR Baron
Which decoder could I buy to replace the built-in decoder?
Me too!! My HO Sound Value 2-6-0 was not a value as I will swap the decoder to cure this annoyance. Maybe upcoming Bachmann locos will be different.
Ha! Is the exact one that drives me crazy too! I want sound when I run it, but having if fire up as soon as I turn on power is annoying as all get out. I had to pull it from the layout the other day as I was working on several locomotives on my programming track, then testing adjustments on the main line. After a few cycles of main line power with that engine hissing away automatically each time, it found a nice safe spot off the layout for it.
Stefan,
If you are seriously considering replacing the Sound Value decoder in the Bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire N scale. I suggest you live with using F8 Mute until you can evaluate the next offerings of decoders when revealed by the various decoder manufacturers this year.
RR Baron
You could always hit it with a hammer or throw it against a wall! Just kidding.
Make a note of the CV setting of the Master Volume then set it to Zero. then when you want sound just reset it to the previous setting.
I think that CV 128 is the master volume, set that to 0 for start up then reset for sound
Regards Colin
All you need to do is dedicate a track to park the loco on. Then cut a gap in one of the rails, and wire a switch between the power and that rail. Then park the loco, and flip the switch off.
Leave the track unpowered when you start up the layout, and when you get ready to run the engine, flip the switch on, problem solved. [:)]
I checked the manual online for a Bachmann 2-10-2 (there is no 2-8-4 manual online). Try CV113. I usually use a setting of ~50. If set to 0 there is no timeout period.
Hope this helps.
Another option might be to set all the background sound CV’s - like blowdown, steam hiss, generator whine, etc. - down to zero. Leave it so the only sounds not zero are chuff, whistle and bell. At least then when you power up the track, it won’t make any noise until it moves or you activate the bell or whistle.