LOKSOUND decoder help!


meanjean

meanjean

Member
I have an Athearn SD40 RTR with V3.5 decoder (HO)

I have read the manual and cant figure this out.
1. I want to remap the F buttons to match other locos I have. (F4= Dynamic brakes, F3= Short horn and so on) I cant figure it out with all the tables in the manual and so on.

2. I have F4 controlling Aux 1 output and is set to a Gyra light. I figured out how to adjust the brightness but I dont want the light to cycle off completly, more dim then bright, dim then bright..so on. Can you do this?

3. Last one, I set my locos to start at notch one, this loco does but after a considerable delay. The Acc rate is set to 0. There is still the delay. My Tsunami starts moving before the loco revs up and I know its more prototypical to rev then move but it makes consisting engines a pain.

So with that said what is the best way to get the answers? LOKSOUND dealer to help? Answering here would me a post about 2 pages long im sure. Any experts out there willing to let me call and share the knowledge?


Thanks
Chad
 
Thanks for the replies but if you note I did read the manual and still I dont understand. I noticed the 1 page from Tonys and it didnt help. The manual on LOKsounds web site is around 52 pages. I dont understand it after reading it (several times)

I also noticed that the trains normal direction of travel (NDOT) is oposite of what it displays. My controller says its running backwards and the loco runs forward and vice versa. I was looking for a hobby shop or someone to call who is able and willing to help even though I didnt buy the decoder from them. The engine was purchased from a private party with the decoder installed.
Thanks
 
I'd start by resetting the decoder to default CV8=8. and seeing if the direction is still backwards. If so then you can set CV29 bit 0 to 1 for reverse travel. Here's a cv29 calculator if needed. Click on the things you want and it tells you what to enter.
http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29 calculator.htm

Then pick one function at a time and experiment. It'll take an afternoon but it's a great learning experience and in the end you'll know the decoder inside and out. Don't forget to take notes as you go along.
 
Perfect, That will help out a ton. Are there more of these cool calculators or programs around to tell me what values to enter? I know there are programs to hook your DCC system to a computer but I don’t want the extra expense of the components to purchase.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I called LOKsound and they were a great help. The CV29 Cal worked great and fixed the direction issue. I also figured out with much trial and error how to remap the F-buttons. There are some other things I dont like as much as my Tsunami but its still a great decoder and has good sound.
 
Chad: Forgive me for laughing, but I know what you are going through with manuals. I have been reading/using tech manuals for over 45 years and I still have to read this hobbies manuals two or three times, scratch my head twice (and other places:D) before I figure out what they are trying to tell me. The Loksound manual is one of the worse. Hang in there; it will come to you. ;)
 
I'm with you there. The scarry thing is that after a while DCC manuals start making sense. Whatever you do take notes on your settings, so that if you have to reset the decoder in a year or so for whatever reason, you won't have to figure it out again. ;)
 
meanjean said:
Perfect, That will help out a ton. Are there more of these cool calculators or programs around to tell me what values to enter? I know there are programs to hook your DCC system to a computer but I don’t want the extra expense of the components to purchase.
Click to expand...

Although designed to work with a command station connection, you can run JMRI without a connection. You can use it to help determine some of the CV values, and then program them by hand.
 
Robert, I was going to mention the same thing. Just download JMRI, which includes Decoder Pro. Set Decoder Pro to Loconet Simulator and then choose your decoder. Just make the changes in plain English and note what change was made to what CV. Make the same change on your DCC controller. Make your changes one at a time and write them down, you you'll be able to remember what you did. You can also save the file and bring it back up any time. The changed CV's will show up in yellow as you make them. It's much easier to use it than explain it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top