jerkey 4-8-2

[breezy8]

I just received a replacement (under warrentee) of a 4-8-2- Lt mountain. I added a soundtraxx "economi" sound decoder and it works great ( the decoder)...My question is:  on speed steps 1-2-3  the engine JERKS wildly...I have to get to speed step 4 and above for it to run smooth ( NO JERKING)..   HOW DO I CORRECT THIS..?...Thanks in advance....TONY

[Trainman203]

http://www.trainweb.org/gnw/BEMF%20Tuning.htm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9hFJuDMSbM

[Hunt]

Whoa! The SoundTaxx Econami is a different decoder than the Tsunami  so be careful if using information written about using a Tsunami.

Click Here for PDF of the Econami Digital Sound Decoder, Steam User's Guide. The CV 211, Adjust Low-Speed Operation info is on page45.

[Trainman203]

It's all the same idea.  For some reason soundtraxx changed a bunch of cv numbers from tsunami  for no real reason that I can see.

[breezy8]

trainman 203.....I followed the link you sent to a "t"....now I don't have
ANY slow speed.....at speed step 1   it runs like speed step 4 or5...am I doing something wrong..?Thanks   reezy8

[Trainman203]

Read your econonami iinstructions/ users guide and find out how to reset your decoder to factory default.  It will be a certain cv with a specific setting. The guide should be on sountraxx's web site.  Then you are where you started and can begin again.

I know how to make an engine with a regular Tsunami decoder crawl like an ant.  All of my engines used to jerk, got tsunamis, and now they all crawl.   

What I need are the econonami equivalents of tsunami cv's 2,  3, 4, 116, 209, 210 , 211, and 212.  Those are the ones in a tsunami that are involved.  Why the econonami cv numbers for the same functions were changed, cannot imagine.

[Trainman203]

This engine "did" run smoothly before you installed the  econonami, right?  If it didn't this may be a losing battle before you start.  I have a light mountain and it is one of my best engines.

I looked at the econonami user's guide, page 59, and it appears that the econonami Cv's needed to get your engine smoothly are the same as the tsunami except for one. So here goes......

Reset your decoder to factory default as per page 14 of the econonami steam users guide.

Set cv 2 , 3, 4, 209 and 210 to 0.  Turn your throttle to step 1.  Increase 210 settings until the engine just barely starts  to move.  It will jerk a lot.  Then you hunt for the 209 setting that will smooth it out.  It WILL get smooth I guarantee unless there is a physical bind in the running gear somewhere.

You'll need to jump around the cv settings in multiples of 10 or more to get in the neighborhood.  Then you tweak closer.

This will take a while and some practice, be patient.  It took me a few tries to get better at it.  But the engine performance in the end is worth it, my friend.

The chuff will now be very wrong.  To fix it, you will reset cv 114.  If you got 209/210 right , a value around 150 while running at step 10 of 128 ought to be in the neighborhood of 4 chuffs per driver revolution.  Step 10 is a good switching speed.  Above that you can't count the chuffs very well anyway, and down  below 10 most of my engines appear close enough to 4 chuffs per turn.  If the chuff is too fast or slow at 150, tweak accordingly.

As you may see, all of this is basically a big balancing act.  Changing CV's 2, 209, and 210 affect each other and the chuff as well.

When you finally get all of that done, set the momentum CV's 3 and 4 to suit.

When it's perfect, write down all of these CV settings in a record book so if the engine needs a reset you can put them right back in.

I've done this to over 30 engines and they are smooth crawling ants.

Try it and let us know how it came out.

[breezy8]

Thanks trainman...I will give it a try and let you know....Thanks again....

[Trainman203]

I forgot to say one thing.  Do all of this programming " on the main". You can adjust the CV's while the engine is in motion, and see immediate results.  You can do it on a program track, but there is a both physical and mental disconnect going back and forth.

If all of this doesn't work for you I won't know what to say.  It's worked for me, on tsunami decoders, more than 30 times.  I've fixed most of them on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

[breezy8]

trainman 203.... Just one question before I start.  As I read the instructions you sent, after I set CV 2,3,4,209 & 210 to ZERO....I adjust all the other cv's as stated BUT do nothing to CV 2?   does cv 210 do this???  Thanks again...breezy8

[Trainman203]

Cv2 is different from 210, it is the motor starting voltage.  Make it  "0" to start and leave it there while you fool with 209 and 210.  It can be moved up if the engine is still stiff.

Take your time with this and don't get frustrated if it doesn't come out great right away.  It eventually will.  Practice is needed.  The second engine you do will be easy. I can do it in my sleep now.   This is a big balancing act, remember? When it is finally right you won't believe it how slow and smooth that engine will be.  My light mountain is the slowest and smoothest engine in town.

And don't forget you can always return to factory default.  There's no permanent ruination in any of this. 

[Trainman203]

Breezy, I have a tsunami in my light 4-8-2.  My setting for cv 209 is 100 and cv 210 is 4.  And cv 116 is 100.  I don't know how similar the econonami is to the tsunami , but you might try those first to,see if they put you in the ball park.  If they don't work, search as advised before.

[breezy8]

Thanks again trainman 203. I will give it a try today.......breezy8

[Bill Baker]

And the answer is?

[breezy8]

Bill, It works just fine now. Followed the suggestions and did some tweeking on my own  Although CV 116 does not apply to steam.