Manual notching (CV 116) on Sound Value RS-3

[drm227]

The Soundtraxx documentation for the Bachmann Sound Value RS-3 says that CV 116 is the "exhaust control" and has default value 39.  (http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM_pages/bachmann/ho_alco_rs3_sv.pdf)

I found a more detailed description of the Sound Value CV's for diesel locomotives here:

    http://jmri.sourceforge.net/xml/XSLT/pages/SoundTraxx_Bachmann_SndVal_Dsl.xml.html

It says that changing CV 116 to 32  will enable "Manual notching, engine RPM controlled by F9/F10".  This is consistent with what the Sountraxx Tsunami User Guide says about CV 116 and manual notching.

So I set CV 116 to 32 using my NCE PowerCab.  Sure enough, the engine sound no longer changed as I advanced the throttle.  But F9 and F10 have no effect on the engine sound!

Does the Sound Value RS-3 not support manual notching, or do I have a defective decoder?

What I really want to do is have the locomotive sound different when it accelerating than when it is moving at a constant speed.  I have the momentum (CV 3) set relatively high, so when the throttle changes from 0 to 12 (out of 28), it takes a while for the locomotive to get up to speed.  I would like the engine to sound like it is working harder while accelerating, and though I could achieve that using manual notching.

Thanks,
Dennis

[Hunt]

Realize the Bachmann Sound Value decoder is not a Tsunami decoder but where a feature is the same you can use (with some drawbacks) available Tsunami documentation.


Click Here for Tsunami Diesel Sound User's Guide see Page 43. Notice how to use F9 and F10

Now what to do for manual notching to work:
Program
CV 3 = 0
CV 4 = 0
Once you see what the manual notching control does; then go back and set CV 3 and CV 4 to the value you want.

CV 116 = 48
CV 43 = 8
CV 44 = 32



Background
Click Here for Tsunami Diesel Technical Reference

Ref: Tsunami Diesel Technical Reference, Page 61
    CV 116 - Engine Exhaust Control program to 48  (48=16 + 32)
     16 = LOCK, Engine RPM Interlock
             When manual engine control is enabled, locomotive will not move until engine starts.
     32 =   ASE, Auto Start Enable
               Prime mover starts up when power is supplied to track.

Ref: Ref: Tsunami Diesel Technical Reference, Page 27
    F9, CV 43 – Program to 8
   F10, CV 44 – Program to 32 



Programming CV 8 with 8 and cycling power to the decoder will reset all CVs to their factory default setting.  Ref: Tsunami Diesel Sound User's Guide, page 12

[Br 98.75]

That is completely different from what my tsunami sound guide says, it says turn cv116 to 0 to turn off auto notching or set
cv116 to 1-15 for  the number of speed steps before the engine notches up again.  it was that easy to program my class 03 manual notching.

[MilwaukeeRoadfan261]

Br98.75, I have tried the settings with my Sound-Value ALCO S4 and they work. The setting of 16 is so that engine interlock is active with manual notching so that you can't turn the engine (prime mover sounds) off while the train is in motion so you could only turn it down to idle while moving and off ONLY when the train is stopped. However the engine start doesn't work with the Sound-Value style decoder, but to activate that on a full Soundtraxx decoder like what you would buy separate from the locomotive you add 32 to what ever CV value you want. For example as with what Hunt pointed out from the Soundtraxx Diesel Users Manual you take whatever CV value you wish to put in, for example the mentioned value of 16 (manual notching with engine interlock active) and to activate engine auto start you add 32 so you end up with 16+32=48 (manual notching with engine interlock and engine auto start active).

[Hunt]

. . . the engine start doesn't work with the Sound-Value style decoder . . .

A diesel Sound Value decoder by design does not contain the engine startup sequence sounds. The Sound Value decoder engine sound begins with engine idle and has the sounds for eight engine RPM notches.

Other sounds are also not included with the Sound Value although their CVs are present.

[drm227]

It turns out that the issue was with F9 and F12.  These function keys are not mapped in the default settings for the Soundtraxx OEM decoder in the Bachmann Sound Value locomotive.  You have to map them by setting CV 43 to 8 and CV 44 to 32 (as Hunt mentioned in his reply).  There is a technical bulletin describing this here:
http://tonystrains.com/technews/sndtrax_program_oem_locos.htm

After making these CV changes, and setting CV 116 to 32, I can manually control the engine sound with F9 and F10.  But on my PowerCab I have to press F9 twice to notch up one, and F10 twice to notch down one.  Not sure why.

[Hunt]

Some wrong conclusions seem to have been reached using the Tony's Trains Exchange Tech Bulletin.

The Tony's Trains Exchange Tech Bulletin is how to program some Bachmann OEM Tsunami decoders to work like an aftermarket SoundTraxx Tsunami decoder. It is referring to the SoundTraxx Bachmann OEM Tsunami decoder found in the sound equipped Bachmann Spectrum line at the time the Tech Bulletin was written. It is not for use with the Sound Value decoder. Sound Value decoder is not a Tsunami and has a different feature set and firmware.

[Hunt]

. . .
After making these CV changes, and setting CV 116 to 32, I can manually control the engine sound with F9 and F10.  But on my PowerCab I have to press F9 twice to notch up one, and F10 twice to notch down one.  Not sure why.

Yes, you do have to press F9 or F10 twice for each notch. Reason, the way the Sound Value firmware is written.