Curiosity in Bachmann Decoders. Feature or Coincidence.

[Irbricksceo]

Okay, so, Function 0 is headlights. Well, I accidentally pressed the bell function on my NCE remote and it dimmed the Headlight. Testing the appropriate function (1) proved that it did indeed have this function. I'm wondering, is that intentional? It wasn't listed in the documentation. And if so, do the Tsunami's that come in the preinstalled Spectrums have a corresponding function?

[richg]

I cannot answer the question about the lights but be aware the onboard sound are technically not Tsunami's. Soundtraxx® Tsunami® sound technology terminology is used  but not what you would buy if you bought the decoder from SoundTraxx. The are essentially stripped down versions. The CV list for both spell it out.
A few people have "assumed" they are full Tsunami's and felt cheated by what they really got. They just did not read the "details" in the Bachmann advertising.

Rich

[rogertra]

Okay, so, Function 0 is headlights. Well, I accidentally pressed the bell function on my NCE remote and it dimmed the Headlight. Testing the appropriate function (1) proved that it did indeed have this function. I'm wondering, is that intentional? It wasn't listed in the documentation. And if so, do the Tsunami's that come in the preinstalled Spectrums have a corresponding function?

On my NCE, I just press "headlight" for the headlights.

However, you do get some strange combinations of headlights when using both the "headlight" button, the "0" button and the forward and reverse buttons.

Still trying to figure them out.  Using the "0" button will dim the front headlight if you select "reverse" and both headlight and back up light will be on dim but select forward and the headlight goes bright and the back up light goes out.  Anyway, it's taking a bit of experimenting to see what's really happening. 

I for one do not light the automatic selection of head light when you select forward and back up light when you select reverse as it's unrealistic.  When switching, I like to have both lights on dim as that's the way you switch when running a real locomotive so as not to dazzle the ground crew and so you don't blind yourself from the reflection of the light when you are coupled to a car, either at the pilot or behind the tender, on steam and ditto on diesel.

Cheers

Roger t.

[Irbricksceo]

Roger, could you explain a little more if you don't mind? I also use the headlight button, I just know that its mapped to function 0. I would love to have both on (maybe dim one or the other or both) I think that's more prototypical.

Shame that Bmann Headlights are so inconsistent.

My 2-10-0 is way to dim, the 4-4-0 is way too bright, the 2-8-0's and 2-8-4 are both fine when dimmed, though additional dimming from that would work.

[Hunt]

Irbricksceo,
What NCE DCC system and Cab(s) are you using?

I could not duplicate the headlight dim when pressing Bell key or F(1) key you describe using a basic Power Cab, version 1.65, with Bell button on Cab assigned to activate Function 1 . Refer to section ASSIGINING THE BELL FUNCTION in the NCE Power Cab System Reference Manual, Page 58 (printed), Page 60 (PDF online).

Bell is the default effect for Function 1, F(1),  for all the factory installed decoders made by SoundTraxx for Bachmann to date.


Technical Tip
Hyperlight CV value of 13 and 14, which is automatic directional light dim effect, is undocumented.  The automatic directional light dim effect is currently exclusive to the SoundTraxx Bachmann Sound Value decoders.  Hyperlight CV value of 13 and 14 produce a different effect in the SoundTraxx Tsunami  technology decoder used in the Bachmann Spectrum line and SoundTraxx aftermarket Tsunami decoder sold separately by SoundTraxx.

In a SoundTraxx Bachmann Sound Value decoder  -- When light Function F(0) is on
Hyperlight CV value 13 effect is light dim when forward direction selected, bright when reverse direction selected
Hyperlight CV value 14 effect is  light dim when reverse direction selected, bright when forward direction selected

[Hunt]

With a Bachmann HO Sound Value decoder equipped locomotive experiment programming
  CV 33 = 1
  CV 34 = 3

  CV 49 = 142 (this is Hyperlight CV value effect 128 + effect 14)
  CV 50 = 141

Then change

  CV 49 = 141
  CV 50 = 142

Notice the bright or dim light effect of each light as you select direction of travel.

Hyperlight CV value of 128 is LED Compensation - Improves lighting effect contrast when using LEDs instead of incandescent lamps.

For an on/off backup light
Program
CV 50 = 129

[Irbricksceo]

I'll try that later today.

My system is the basic NCE powercab 1.65

I've checked, I've observed Function 1 (both w/ func button and NCE throttle bell button on all my Locomotives w/ Bachmann Decoders. 5 with factory installed, 2 with ones I put in myself. Obviously this didn't occur on the 2-10-0 spectrum with Sound installed (probably just sound value decoder really)

This is really odd, Its neat, but I've never seen it documented.

For reference, here is the list of ones I tested:

2) 2-8-0's (Standard version, preintalled decoder)
1) 2-8-4, Preinstalled
1) Spectrum Baldwin 4-4-0, Preinstalled Decoder
1) 0-6-0 DCC Standard (preinstalled, came with the ez command I used to use)
1) Spectrum 2-8-2 SY, Installed Bachmann Decoder myself
1) Spectrum F-40 with decoder I installed myself

I guess its an undocumented feature or something. That or an awfully consistent bug.

Edit: Hunt, rereading showed what you meant. I was referiing to Non-Sound decoders exhibiting this feature. The Sound one does bell as it should. I mentioned it in case there is ALSO a dimming function on the sound installed ones.

[Hunt]

I did not notice you were asking about Bachmann non-sound decoder. I do not have a locomotive with a standard non-sound Bachmann decoder in it.

For HO locomotive with Bachmann non-sound decoder installed
Click Here for documentation.
Read about CV 51 and CV 52

Check your locomotive and see what value is in CV 51 and CV 52.
For Headlight to dim with either the  NCE Power Cab Bell key or  F1 key I would expect to find CV 51= 1 and CV 52 = some value above 0, likely the default  CV 52 = 64.

[Doneldon]

Shame that Bmann Headlights are so inconsistent. My 2-10-0 is way to dim, the 4-4-0 is way too bright, the 2-8-0's and 2-8-4 are both fine when dimmed, though additional dimming from that would work.

Irbrick-

I agree that the adventure of finding out what the lights will be like only after getting the thing home isn't desirable but I think there
is a valid reason: Recent years have seen more than the mere introduction of LEDs. There have also been many changes in the LEDs themselves.
Think of warm white, extra bright and surface-mount LEDs, just to mention a few. Toss in the use of light pipes in many locos and the fact that
Bill wants bright headlights but Sam wants dimmer, yellowish ones, and you can easily see why manufacturers, including Bachmann, handle
lighting in so many different ways. I predict that we'll start to see some uniformity in the net few years since most of the changes which affect
locomotive lighting seem to have been made.
                                                                        -- D

[Steve Magee]

Irbricksceo

Having been in DCC since I bought my first DCC system (Lenz) in 1994 I will share a secret with you.

What the manufacturer SAYS is in the CVs isn't what is actually IN the CVs. It has happened often enough that before programming a new decoder I do a full factory reset, to give me a known baseline. Off hand, I don't remember the correct CV/value to reset a Tsunami/OEMTsunami/BachmannTsunani, but it is easy to look up (I know, I'm lazy just now*).

So, before doing anything else, please try a reset to factory defaults. Let us know what happened then.

Steve Magee
Newcastle NSW Aust

*Oh alright, its entering 8 into CV8 - I'm really not that lazy - then rock the loco off the track for 15 secs or shut down power another way, again for minimum 15 seconds.