Spectrum and Tsunami don't see eye-to-eye


Selector

Selector

Well-Known Member
I have a Tsunami heavy steam installed in a Spectrum J Class 4-8-4. I have left the engine to run around my layout for a couple of hours now while I do other things hoping to break it in. From a dead stop, when I dial in speed steps between 1 and about 20, the engine takes off without any intertia even though I have it set for inertia. Then the chuff rate will climb until it is a machine-gun like staccato, but the engine won't speed up until I give it speed step 25 or thirty at which point it will accelerate and match the chuffs.

It does this mostly on 30" curve and a slight grade, say 2%, and it is far worse if I have a train behind it.

What gives? Why will it take so long to get up to speed, or maybe my question should be why is it not more responsive when the chuff rate from the Tsunami is indicating the engine is doing 60 mph? How can the two be mismatched?

-Crandell
 
Crandell, have you set the DC mode to disabled? I've found that having the dual detection mode on screws up sound sync and leads to those jackrabbit starts.
 
Crandall
Jim is right. Leaving the DC mode on can cause issues at times.

I've also has a few Tsunami's that had a wierd speed curve preset in the decoder. Usually a full reset on decoder pro works for that.

The other problem here may lie in the Spectrum board. Best practice it to remove it completely and toss it. I've seen engines do all kind of wacky stuff because of the capacitor(s) in the board in the tender. Some folks recommend just clipping the capacitors, but since Bachmann can't seem to build the same board twice (my 3 consols were all different) I just yank them out as part of the decoder install.
Besides, removing the board mean more room for a speaker!!!!!:D
 
I would disable DC just to be safe. Also As Karl said. the speed tables and forward trim settings can cause the chuff to go out of wack.

Most times I just reset the speed settings, acc/dec rates, V start etc... and I can fin tune it again. and I also agree about the fatory boards in the Spectrums. I had to hard wire the decoder in just to get the head light to work properly.
 
Thanks fellas!!

I had this decoder installed by a friend who has been playing with trains and doing decoder installs for donkey's years. I'll have to ask him if the tossed the light board and stuff. I think he usually does, but I'll find out.

I did do a full reset...it is my practice after reading Randy Rinker's Dictum posted on MR several times in response to others who can't seem to make new decoders take.

I seem to recall setting CV29 to 34, but maybe I'll do that again...takes 6 seconds with my DT400.

Thanks again. It runs like a deer when it is up to speed, and I think the Tsunami does a darned fine job of the cadence and heavy chuff for that one model. :D

Well, back to work.

-Crandell
 
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