I picked up one of these units in my LHS today on a lark. He had one running with a steam diorama and it caught my 'ear.
I bought the diesel unit - hooked it up as per instructions to my Control Master 20 and find it somewhat interesting enough. I am running DC analog.
(My 8 year old winces and/or jumps whenever he hears the “coupling sound” particularly. Sounds like an auto wreck.)
We ran an operating session together - each taking turns with the throttle and sound controls.
So the question - The programming of the sound or synchronization of the acceleration or deceleration of loco speed is not explained well enough in the instructions to program. Anyone have one and can explain it to me. The steam version worked so well in the store.
I have one of those units. I found the acceleration and deceleration work best for me if I set my power pack to zero and press the brake and coupler lift bar buttons at the same time to program the setting. My locomotive almost always starts moving at almost the same time as the acceleration sound picks up.
The instructions state what you’ve mentioned J-W. But it seems (the acceleration sound waits until I get half throttle and then decreases). I was hoping there was more fine tuning to play around with.
The diesel unit includes 9 prime mover samples. Eight baseline samples corresponding to eight notches in the throttle, and a transitional sample which kicks in for a second or two when you change throttle settings.
A throttle setting of 100% should correspond to the eigth notch sample, this is not programmable on the diesel unit. Programming is limited to the start-up voltage, where the idle sample yields to the first notch sample. I usually find the throttle setting where the loco first starts to creep, and set the start up setting a whisker below that. Using an MRC 220, with momentum enabled, there seems to be a slight reduction in applied track voltage for any given throttle setting, as compared to the output with momentum off. If you plan to run with momentum enabled, you’ll need to set your start voltage a little higher to make sure the sound ramps up just before the loco begins to move.
On the steam unit, there is an additional programming option, you can set the chuff rate for a throttle setting of 100%, but the diesel unti does not have this option.
Also, on both of my sound units, reversing polarity at the power pack disables all prime mover synchronized sounds except idle. No matter what happens with the throttle, sound stays at idle levels. If I reverse track polarity “downstream” from the MRC Synchro feed, the sound functions properly at any throttle setting, but if the polarity to the MRC unit changes, idle is all I hear.
Hope that answers your question, if not, re-state it and I will try again.
The ‘idle and random air relases’ is constant. It is not until I crank up the throttle to 3/4’s that the idle increases (transitional sample I’m guessing) - albeit for a couple of seconds and then it powers down again.
Perhaps a reverse of the polarity from the transformer will help. I will give it a try.
I am still however stymied by the programming of this particular feature. I can get it to vocalize the progaming mode but how do I advance the samples.
I don’t ever use my momentum feature or my nudge feature on my power unit.
Yes on this Product can I just wire it too the Power Pack and the Speaker I want too use it on something I made.And then just plug in the Power Pack too my Wall Outlet without Wiring it too the Track.I do not want too use it n my Model Trains.Also is it a Continuouse play as you Press & Hold Down the Horn for teh Diesel Box.