I’ve got a proto 2000 heritage 0-8-0 HO engine with factory sound. I’ve got the sound volume cranked down quite a bit. Yesterday while running it I was thinking that the whistle was too quiet compared with the other sounds - bell, chuff, etc. Today, I blew the whistle for a long grade crossing and discovered that when blow continuously the whistle periodically (every few seconds) changes from the too quiet level to what I would consider a normal level for a fraction of a second. Only the whistle is affected, all other sounds have a constant volume. This seems like a software issue that I never noticed before. Any suggestions? Do they all do this?
Except for prototype-specific sounds, QSI decoders should all be pretty much the same. I have a QSI-equipped SW8 from Walthers P2K, and I have never noticed this. I also have a Lionel Challenger and five BLI steamers with QSI, and none of them does this. Still, maybe this one whistle is meant to be sort of playable that way. Does the pitch change and become more shrill, or is it just louder?
It doesn’t seem to change pitch, and the change in volume does not sound intentional. Like I said, the first thing I noticed was that compared to the other sounds, the whistle sounded very quiet. I never have been able to get the dopler affect to do anything noticeable.
On the Doppler effect: In order to get the actual effect to happen, I’ve found on my BLI Mike that I usually have to be traveling at least ~40 SMPH*. Otherwise, it won’t work. I believe it’s F6 that engages the Doppler effect, while the whistle is blowing.
*[Somewhat aprototypcial for an 0-8-0, since most were used at slower speeds anyhow for switching.]
Consequently, I have found it easier to hold down the horn button for a couple of seconds, then “very quickly” lift up and depress again the horn button in order to engage the Doppler effect “effectively”. The fact that I can use one button instead of two to accomplish the same thing makes more sense to me.
Hmmm. I though that might be the case. I’m going to try a decoder reset and see what that get’s me, hoping some CV somewhere has lost it’s mind. Thanks!