Can anyone tell me how to program the Tsuinami decoder on my Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 consolidated so that the headlight is BRIGHT. It’s working now when F0 is pressed but it is very very dim. Do I go into a certain CV number and change it’s value?
Thanks
Jarrell
Jarrell,
I saw a Tsunami in action for the first time a week and a half ago and was told about its ability to have a bright and dim headlight. Yes, there should be a CV to change that. It’s not mentioned in your Tsunami manual?
Question for you, Jarrell. What’s the low-speed response of your 2-8-0 Spectrum with the Tsunami? I’m interested in maybe installing one in a Proto 2000 0-8-0 switcher. Also, what speaker did you end up getting? Did you use one or two? Thanks!
Tom
Tom, the engine came with it installed already, one speaker in the tender. MicroMark has it on sale for $142 and change. They can be a real pistol to program but the sound is great. There are so many individual sounds, it’s really nice. I couldn’t change the address with my little Digitrax Zephyr so I took it over to a friends layout who has the 5 amp system and we got it changed, but didn’t have time to work on change sound volume, lights etc. Bachmann says that you may need the PTB-100 booster (looks like a little circuit board) that’s wired between your track and whatever system you use.
I’ll recheck the instructions to see about that dimming bit.
Thanks!
Jarrell
Default for Dim=F7
As per a CV to change brightness, there isnt one. But there is a cv that lets you select LED or Incadecent Bulb. Try CV 49=143. That will set it up for LED. CV 49=15 is for a Incadecant bulb.
David B
Thats interesting because I also use a Digitrax Zephyr and was able to do all the programming I needed to; either on the programming track or on the main in Ops mode (best for making changes to the sound settings so you can hear what you have just done). I did not need one of those boosters which are frequently talked about. Maybe it depends on the power supply you use with the Zephyr - in the UK we obviously can’t use the Digitrax power supply (with our mains being 240v it would fry pdq) so I use a locally sourced power supply which delivers 14v and 2.5amps.
Don’t know what Bachman ship with their sound equipped engines, but with a standard Tsunami you have to download the manual from Soundtraxx’s website. Its about 80 pages and quite complicated - but to get the best out of the decoder you definitely have to make some changes to the factory defaults.
If I remember correctly the headlight in a Spectrum 2-8-0 is an incandescent bulb.
There is no CV to make the headlight brighter unless you have inadvertently activated Rule 17 lighting. Set CV49=0 and the headlight should be set to normal on/off function control.
As for the headlight being dim, remember the time period that Consolidations were built – they had dim headlights back in those days so your Spectrum probably has a reaslisticaly dim headlight on purpose.
You need to download the Tsunami Technical Reference Manual from the SoundTraxx web site if you need to adjust any of the sounds, because there are over 200 CVs that can be adjusted in the Tsunami.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/documents/manuals/tsutechreference.pdf
David, looking at the parts sheet, the bulb is listed as ledxxx and a number. I tried programming CV 49 to 143 and also to 15. Nothing changed. Strangely enough I can program all the CV’s that control individual sound volumes and that was nice to get them off their default values. I have the cd (came with the engine) that contains all the pertinent info on the locomotives decoder, the same one that is on line at their website. I’ve read it a thousand times, it seems and tried all programming modes to no avail.
How did you arrive at the 143/15 numbers?
Thanks for your suggestions,
Jarrell
Jim, it has me puzzled also that I’m able to easily program CV’s that control individual sounds, but this light thing has me stumped… so far.
Jarrell
Thanks for the suggestions. I have the cd that came with the loco, same info as online… and I’ve done everything it says to do. I’m able to change individual sounds volumes but I can’t do anything with the light. I’ve tried setting it to 0 but nothing has changed.
Thanks anyway for trying to help.
Jarrell
OK Jarrell I think this might help you - the headlight in the Spectrum 2-8-0 is quite dim anyway compared to many other locos - the head on shot of one of mine will give you an idea - I think this is because there is quite a long light-pipe from the bulb which is mounted in the smoke box. Although there is a Rule 17 dimming function on the Tsunami as indicated by other posters (default F7) I don’t think that is the cause of the problem.
I tried to open the smoke box to install a more bright LED. Is it fixed with glue?
Yes I think so - the only way you can get at it is dropping the mechanism and weight out - poor planning on Bachmann’s part. I only found this after I’d added loads of details and stuff which affects how far I can dissassemble it - poor planning on my part[D)] . I deceided to live with the dim headlight in the end.
Yup, change out that led with something a little brighter.
David B
Ok, thanks everybody. Boy… that’s the dimest headlight I’ve ever seen, the one on my engine I mean. Last night I turned off the lights in the layout room to see just how bright it was and the only way I knew it was on was when the engine was coming toward me. Looking at it from the side or rear, you just could tell a light was there. If I remember correctly, without going out to check, the F7 key on my throttle controls the coupler sound, not a dimming function. I guess if I enabled that function, then the 7 key would be a dimmer switch?
Jarrell
I thought F4 was coupler crash. It is on my BLI 2-8-2 with QSI. Guess it’s different on the Tsunami…
Tom
Every MFG has their own ‘standard’. Even within the same decoder line there are differences.
David B
David is absolutely right about each sound decoder being different.
As shipped the Tsunami is mapped as follows:
F0 Headlight/Backup Light/Dynamo
F1 Bell
F2 Whistle
F3 Short Whistle
F4 Steam Release
F5 FX5 Output
F6 FX6 Output
F7 Dimmer
F8 Mute the Sound
F9 Water Stop
F10 Injectors
F11 Brake Squeal/Release
F12 Coupler Clank
Direction Button - Johnson Bar
Throttle - Exhaust Chuff, Snifter Valve
On most (but not all) other sound decoders coupler crash is F3 - and is indicated as such with a coupler icon on Digitrax throttles. Unfortunately whilst you can remap sounds on the Tsunami to some extent they are grouped together (I’m guessing this is in relation to the sound channels) so for example coupler crash can only be assigned to F10, F11 or F12. This is the most annoying part of an otherwise excellent decoder.