Hello, I have a HO GP7 equipped with Micro-Tsunami TSU-750 (EMD 567) and every time I select it , the engine sound is already on idle.
I have a Digitrax system and would like to know if there would be a Tsunami CV value to modify this “Engine Idle” to “Engine Starting” sound.
Thank you.
Yes there is a CV for that. However, you will have to look in the manual for it as I don’t remember what the CV number is. (I use JMRI’s Decoder Pro for programming my decoders.) The manual can be downloaded from the Soundtraxx web site. Look for something like ‘engine starts up at speed step one’.
I have an NCE system and here is the way it usually works for me:
When the layout is turned on the loco is silent. When speed step one is reached on the throttle, the loco start up sound begins. (I have my locos programmed to start moving at speed step two.)
If the loco engine sound is in idle but stopped, if you press emergency stop, the loco engine shut down sound starts. Next time you crack the throttle, the start up sound starts again.
Try setting CV113 to a value other than zero, for instance a value of 1. When you stop the engine, turn off all functions (horn, bell, lights, etc). After a short period of time, the engine sounds should stop. At that point, according to the Tsunami Diesel Technical Reference ( http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/Tsunami%20Diesel%20Technical%20Reference_1.13.pdf ) the sounds should not re-start until the loco is addressed. What I don’t know is if the sounds start with the start-up sequence, or with the idle sound. If you try this, please let me know.
I have NCE. And I found that I could shut down the engine sounds by pressing the emergency stop key. At that point the engine would re-start with the start-up sequence when I selected one of the functions, for example turning on the headlight. It is my understanding that the Digitrax systems also have an ability to do the same process. Unfortunately I don’t know what that is.
Hello Elmer and Maxman,thank you for the infos, I will modify the CV related to the engine start; make a few tests and let you know the outcome.
Have a nice day.
My one Tsunami works on my Digitrax system the way Elmer described. When I power on my layout, it is silent. When I address it, it plays the startup sounds and goes to idle. I never fooled around with anythign other than address, volume, and reverb/equalizer settings. CV113 is the one to adjust though. Usually it’s the other systems that need this changed - Digitrax always sends packets to any active address, other systems sometimes only send packets if you change something, liek speed or a function, so the decoder stops seeing packets addressed to it and shuts off.
Using e-stop to shut it down is highly impractical, although you can configure your throttle to use only a local e-stop (stops only YOUR selected locos) - and the UT series throttles don’t have e-stop.
–Randy
Hello Randy, thank you for the additional infos.
I will give you an update as soon as I fiddle around with CV 113.
Randy, I’m curious why you say this. Other than the fact that the UT series doesn’t have e-stop, if the throttle can be configured to stop the selected loco I’m not sure what is impractical.
Hello everyone, I fiddled around with CV 113, and no changes other than the sound came on when the loco was throttled to go forwards or backwards.
Now I’ve created a problem, when I put the power back on the tracks (the loco which I tried to modify CV 113) the engine starts up automatically even if I didn’t select the loco… Only that loco none of the others on the tracks.
Any ideas how to correct this?
Thank you.
I thought that was what it was doing before. Change CV 113 back to zero and see if you go back to the original condition.
Well that’s the amin one - you simply can’t do it on the throttle commonly handed to regular operators. That’s Digitrax, not sure about other systems with less than the premium throttle, which is really something not needed by everyone running trains. I just find it odd that Soundtraxx decided to use the e-stop packets to do a shutdown, everyone else has an F-key for that. Maybe a background workign with many manufacrutering clients, where the term “e-stop” means shut it ALL down, not just, shut down what’s in front of me, has my internal interpretation of the term different than other people. On DT throttles, Digitrax lets you set it up either way, again not sure how configurable it is on other systems, but if any of them ONLY allow a global e-stop, then they can never shut down a Tsunami, else the entire layout will shut off. This is a minor nit to pick, really, since I rarely run the shutdown sequence, and it’s way down the list compared to lacking a CV6 mid CV so you don;t have to use speed tables all the time.
–Randy
Hello once again, update on the mysterious loco behavior.
I called Customer Service at Soundtrax and they had me change CV 116; that fixed the problem
CV 116 set at 07. (Engine starts up when throttle is activated 1 notch)
CV 113 set at 00. (no shut off delay)
So now when I put power on the tracks my loco is quiet until I select it and once I activate the throttle one notch the engine starts up and will run on idle until I mute it.
Hope this sheds a little light on the subject and thank you all for your help.
BTW: Excellent and friendly service at Soundtrax they took the time to explain the step by step procedures .
Have a nice day.
Thank you for the feed back.
Who would think that they’d hide that in a CV called engine exhaust control?
One of these days I’m going to figure out how they arrive at the value that gets put into a CV. That CV has 7 bits, and the auto-start enable is in bit 5. I always thought that they added up all the turned on bit values in a CV to get to the final value. So if bit 5 has a value of 32, if it is “turned on” and everything else is off, I would think that the value that went into CV 116 should be 32. I’m just not getting this.
Maybe Randy can explain.
Anyway, thanks again.
Regards
Setting CV116=7 means they gave bit 5 a value of 0 but they kept bit 0,1 and 2 active wich control throttle notching.They could have also set bit 4 to 1 wich should prevent the loco from moving before the engine is started.Then the CV value would be 23.
Thanks for that part of the explanation. But I do have additional questions. The manual has the following information concerning bits 0 through 3 for that C:
Bits 0-3: AN0:AN3, Engine Notch Rate
0 = Manual Notching, engine RPMs are increased/ decreased with functions F9 and F10 respectively.
1-15 = Engine RPMs increase every 1-15 speed steps per setting
They have the first 4 bits labled AN0, AN1, AN2, and AN3. So to get a total CV value of 7 then bits 0 through 2 have to be active as you say. But that 1-15 speed steps per setting has me confused. Sounds like this is variable, but I don’t see what number you’d put into the CV to get the variation, unless that’s describe elsewhere.
In addition, I don’t see how bit 0 and bits 1 and 2 can be active at the same time, s that would seem to lead to a contradiction.
Any asistance to help me understand is appreciated!
Thanks
It sounds like you have the issue sorted out. I personally prefer the use of F functions to start up and shut down. With a large engine yard i find it annoying to have every locomotive start up the instant the power is turned on. If you were really concerned I would suggest Loksound decoders. They use F8 for start up and shut down and the sound quality is very good. On my layout I only install loksound decoders although if the locomotive comes with a tsunami in it I am currently leaving that in.
Bits refers to a binary digit. with 3 bits, you cna have values from 0-7. With 4 b4 bits, 0-15
0000 = 0
0001 = 1
0010 = 2
0011 = 3
0100 = 4
1000 = 8
1111 = 15
I skipped some, but it’s the same pattern. Any combination is valid.
–Randy
Thanks guys for the extra infos on Bits and things; I’m sorry but I didn’t understand a single thing. I’m a hands on person and every step of the way has to be clearly explained to me, that’s why I called Soundtrax so they can guide me trough.
Maybe one day if I meet a fellow model train hobbyist who is DCC savvy, he can give me a crash course on the subject of Bits and Steps, and so on.
Thank you.
I’m only starting to understand how CV’s get configured and it has added a few gray hairs amongst the ones I have left,but I find it challenging and a lot of fun too.One has to go back to the beginning of the Soundtraxx manual to have a full explanation on how bits are figured out.
The way I understand it,a feature may use only one bit but in some cases may use more,especially when the featured function is a user setting.In this case,CV116,bits 0 through 3 can be used to set throttle notching at either of four different settings.In this particular case they stopped at level 3,one short of maximum.
Bit 0=1,bit1=1 and bit 2=1 so that one gets these respective totals of 1+2+4=7.If they had elected to set bit3=1,they would have had a total of 8 to add to the previous total meaning 7+8=15.
My steamers don’t have this “throttle notching” feature so I haven’t tested it but I understand that with diesels,you can increase or decrease throttle with F9&F10 on top of the throttle knob and CV116 sets the increments by wich the loco react to either F9 or F10.If I’m wrong,please someone correct me.
Re: the gray hairs…me too.
Concerning the bits, I think I sort of follow you on that also. But to get to the total of 7 it would mean that bits 0, 1, and 2 are active as you say. But bit 0, which is AN0 according to the manual, is for manual notching with the function keys. Bits 1 and 2 seem to be for automatic notching based on speed steps. So I don’t see how bit 0 can be active with either bit 1 or 2 active, unless it means that the auto notching will occur but can be over ridden by the function keys.
The engine rpms increase every 1-15 speed steps per setting also has me confused.
Finally, the OPs original issue was that the loco would " start automatically". The correction to this would seem to involve bit 5. But bit 5 cannot be active since the total value in the CV is 7.
I do see according to the manual the the default value for CV 116 is 39, which means that bits 0, 1, 2, and 4 should initially be active if I’ve done the math correctly.
Like I said, just trying to understand!!!
Regards
My interpretation of the manual is different. The way I see it, CV116 Bits 0 to 3 inclusive determine the behavior of “Notching” The range being 0 to 15.
A value of CV116=0 means Manual notching is enable. (Bit 0 to 3 are off). Here i skip bit 4 to 7 for clarity.
For automatic notching the range of CV116 is 1 to 15. A value of CV116=1 means bit 0 only is on. A value of CV116=2 means only bit 1 is on. A value of CV116=3 means only bit 1 and bit 0 are on and so on, till you reach a value of CV116=15 where all bits from 0 to 3 are on.
The default value of CV116 is 39. This means automatic notching is set to 7 and the prime mover starts up when power is supplied to the track. Bits 0 - 1 - 2 and 5 are on, Bits 3 - 4- 6 and 7 are off.