Fiddling about with CV's


tootnkumin

tootnkumin

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Have been trying for a while to find a way to get Tsunami decoders to not start the sound up when placed on live track and also when the automatic horn sounds are enabled (forward, stop, reverse), to make the forward or reverse "honks" blow before the engine actually moves (speed step 1). Thought not by any conscious design, seem to have achieved this somewhat by accident (maybe someone has done this, but I couldn't find it).

Searching the web, on the 'tube, I came across another idiot from Aus (Fishplate Films) who likes Tsunamis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrB4MUrrbB4, and although not about either of those subjects, thought I'd try his recommendations out on my Genesis DDA40X. Set it up at home on my 2 lengths of flextrack (an NCE Pro-Cab-R 5amp system is I admit, a bit of an overkill) and took it down to my RMCQ club with the dedicated DCC layout to try with a 17 car train behind it. Their layout doesn't have much in the way of grades (few maybe 1% or so), seemed to be going well (although not until the 128 speed steps button on the cab had been selected) then I tried to stop it at a station. Rolled on for 40+' from 0 and would have gone further had I not hit the emergency stop.

Later at home I did some fiddling with the CV's. I turned off the momentum (CV3+4=0) and also CV2=0 and tried it out, acceleration and deceleration were smooth and easily controlled manually with the speed knob, could start and stop at a crawl, so I left the other CV's as they set. From there I went on to getting the automatic sounds working better. Had the horns working, but the preparing to move honks were not where I wanted them (before moving, not with). Went to the Miscellaneous Features section (page 52) in the Tsunami manual (downloaded and printed off) for Automatic Sound Functions. Decided to leave the Grade Crossing Airhorn Sensitivity to another time when I've grasped the intricacies of momentum. So, I wanted automatic bell, horn and brake squeal. For DCC, CV198 is used (for DC CV197) and a value of 14 is required (Table N, page 53) to be entered to set up those 3. For the bell start and stop (speed steps), CV193 to start, and CV194 to stop. After a bit of trial I chose for 193, V=4 and for 194, V=40, These seemed reasonable but can be adjusted later on the layout. Oddly the bell starts ringing at Spd step 3 and turns off at Spd step 39. I set the brake squeal (page54) CV196 =V4. This requires a quick reduction in speed steps of 4 to activate(maybe I should use 3 or 5 to get it away from the bells V4).

The first thing I noticed was that the engine didn't move at Spd step 1, but the horn honked in accordance with the direction selected (I did find that if I moved the knob past 0 too quickly this negated this). So, just moving from 0 to 1 gently and pausing, operated the warning, "about to move". Advancing to 3 (seems to almost skip 2, although there is a slight "rev-up" of the prime mover sound), the loco starts to move and the bell rings. Advance to 39, the bell stops. A quick deceleration (remember, this all takes place in 6') and brake squeal occurs (got'ta turn the volume down a bit). The other surprise is that when placing the loco on the live track it is silent . Advance to Spd step 1 and the motor sound starts. The only drawback is that the horn also sounds it's about to move sounds as well. I can live with that.

Here are the CV's that were changed from default
CV29 =V 50 unlocks speed table
CV25 =V 2 linear speed curve
CV66 =V 110 Max forward speed
CV95 =V 110 Max reverse speed
CV212 =V100 BMEF feed-back intensity
CV209 =V90 PID Kp Coefficient (don't ask me what that is, just following instructions)
CV10 =40 BEMF cutout

Now I just have to wait to try it on a layout.
 
I forgot to mention, on reducing speed slowly, the bell starts to ring at 39 and turns off at 3, so very nice, no having to look for the button.
 
That 'Fishplate Films' guy is a HOOT! I LOVE his 'Lord Stan'! LOL! TOO funny! His video's are great!
 
new guy said:
That 'Fishplate Films' guy is a HOOT! I LOVE his 'Lord Stan'! LOL! TOO funny! His video's are great!
Click to expand...

Yes, he keeps the interest going doesn't he, no mucking around for half the video to get to the subject and makes it fun.
 
Torsion said:
This should help, scroll down to page 47 and read up on the "Using the Quite mode" CV113.
I've done this to all my Tsunami's. This guide should help with all your needs.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/manuals/usersguide_diesel.pdf
Click to expand...

Thanks for that reference Torsion, there's so much reading in that manual and to remember, it's easy to miss stuff like that. I've no idea why it's worked out the way it has on mine, maybe something to do with the BEMF. I also want to set-up Manual Notching, so the motor sound can be "revved-up and down" independent of speed (F9 to notch up, F10 down). I need to do some more research to find out if it's necessary to hold the shift button down while accessing F10, which is also the Prog/Esc button, or now that I have some of the sounds automated, I can reconfigure another button to operate the "down" steps. There's an awful lot in these sections on sound to get the head around.
 
tootnkumin said:
Yes, he keeps the interest going doesn't he, no mucking around for half the video to get to the subject and makes it fun.
Click to expand...

LOL! He is very nearly the ONLY one who does NOT start his videos with that standard ANNOYING "OKAY", musta heard that a MILLION times looking around doing research! C'mon guys you can do better. I should put a paper bag on my head and be the "Unknown Railer"! Have some FUN with it!

Put a little FUN in the video action!
 
The ones I love to hate are the "reviewers" that take half (or more) of the vid, just getting the model out of the box, whilst droning on with Um's and Arrr's.

You could always do it like Mr Wilson behind the fence on "Home Improvements", where you never saw his mouth.
 
tootnkumin said:
Thanks for that reference Torsion, there's so much reading in that manual and to remember, it's easy to miss stuff like that. I've no idea why it's worked out the way it has on mine, maybe something to do with the BEMF. I also want to set-up Manual Notching, so the motor sound can be "revved-up and down" independent of speed (F9 to notch up, F10 down). I need to do some more research to find out if it's necessary to hold the shift button down while accessing F10, which is also the Prog/Esc button, or now that I have some of the sounds automated, I can reconfigure another button to operate the "down" steps. There's an awful lot in these sections on sound to get the head around.
Click to expand...


Toot...its too bad I'm on the road cuz a few weeks ago I did a number of these CV changes and I offered to walk you through them but you weren't ready at that point( not critisizing just refreshing memory). As far as F10 and above....I can't remember if you are using the NCE units...if you are you push the "Option" button once for F10-f19 and push it twice for F-20 and above..... So push Option once then push key# for the F....ie:0=F10, 1=F11, 2=F12 etc
 
I programmed one of my Genesis 'ACe's with the same CV settings as the DD40 and found that I needed to reduce the 66 + 95 settings down to 70 to approximate what the DD40 appeared to be doing speed-wise. The AMRA club was having it's AGM last night (Thursday) with a BBQ nosh-up, so took the Ace with me to try it on the track afterwards. I had got a bit of reading in about the momentum control available with the Pro-cab's buttons, but didn't try it at home, figured 6' just ain't enough to give much of a true indication of the effect.

After the meeting had adjourned, there were a few setting trains up to run, so I picked a track and put the loco on. After a bit of a hiccup with having to press the 28/128 button on the cab again to enable 128 steps, it ran in the same manner as the DD40, notably with this one though the motor sound did come on straight away with live track contact. Otherwise all the automatic sounds behaved the same at the same spd steps. Tried out the momentum button and adjusting the levels via the 1-9 settings. That was a lot easier than trying to work it out by changing the CV's themselves. Somewhere in the middle ranges gave the most satisfactory responses. The brake squeal was also activated in a better manner by using the Decrease Fast spd button than scrolling the wheel back. In one instance of having to reduce speed quickly, the use of that button repeatedly, caused that sound to persist through-out the whole movement with not much "run-on" past 00 (momentum set at 6 that time).
 
Next move in this sequence (now I'm more comfortable with momentum) is to enable the automatic grade crossing signal, which requires an upward "spike" in power to trigger, and then onto the Manual Notching.

Was also talking to another member as well, who also has restrictions vis-à-vis a home layout and programs via JMRI on 1 piece of flextrack (luxury, I have 2) and does his speed matching on that. My wife needs a new computer with a bigger CPU for her games. The 2 core isn't coping. If that happens, I would then get her old one to use out in the garage where I would be out of sight and sound and could dedicate it to JMRI.
 
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