Sound Decoders Revving Up or Down Automatically Based on Load (BEMF)

[tehachapifan]

My Zimo sound decoders will do this and I want to say that ESU decoders used to do it, didn't they? It's a pretty cool feature with my Zimos...at least with my switcher locos doing branchline work. The constant throttling up and down at slow speeds is something I recall being prototypical. It probably wouldn't be too desirable of a feature with more than one sound loco lashed together, as they would probably throttle up and down at different times.

Am I correct that LokSound decoders used to do this at one time?

[rrjim1]

Yes, they gave up and went with manual revving up and down. BLI also does it with BEMF and it work really well, one feature that I really like. I have two Atlas GP7s with  Zimo sound decoders and I haven't been able to get them were I'm happy with them. I guess I need to work on them a little more.   

[carlso]

Russ, Jim,

I appreciate your knowledge and expertise with sound decoders and find that you are using Zimo sound files to be interesting. I have several 621's running and I think the driving characteristics are about the best I have used. I have thought about their sound but not sure about their US sound files. Are they good and are they adding to them?

Also, If I may drift a tad, I need to see if you can clear up an ESU issue for me. I have a 5 loco consist ( GP30's, SD-9's, 35's) that all have select micros. Really like the sounds but I do not like all of them firing up at the same time. I am sure I have read or been told how to adjust, or stagger, the start ups so they were fired up individually. I know, clear as mud. BTW, I use JMRI and ESU Lokgrammer.

As for the ESU files the ones I am using in the above mentioned consist have "notch up and notch down" functions. However, I use the "Drive Hold" which pretty much takes care of the ramp up/down sound. Pretty neat stuff. That DH would probably not work well on a switcher, however.

Regards,
Carl

[tehachapifan]

Yes, they gave up and went with manual revving up and down. BLI also does it with BEMF and it work really well, one feature that I really like. I have two Atlas GP7s with  Zimo sound decoders and I haven't been able to get them were I'm happy with them. I guess I need to work on them a little more.   

OK, thanks! I thought they did at one time. On the Zimos, I agree they can be a little fussy with this feature. I notice they will behave a little differently when, say, you first start running the loco vs. when it's warmed up and sometimes it will rev up when it should be down (or vice-versa). Sometimes it won't do anything at all for quite some time. It works just right for me most of the time though. Didn't know about BLI though. I have an NW2 under the tree right now. Can't wait to try it out!

Russ, Jim,

I appreciate your knowledge and expertise with sound decoders and find that you are using Zimo sound files to be interesting. I have several 621's running and I think the driving characteristics are about the best I have used. I have thought about their sound but not sure about their US sound files. Are they good and are they adding to them?...

They do seem to rarely add to their online catalog of American sound files, however I have one of their 12-567 files in a Kato NW2 and like it a lot. At the time, I figured out a CV setting to make the horn more playable with long and short blasts, which was a shortcoming of the file. There's also a newer version of the 16-567 file that was almost completed but I haven't seen listed in their online catalog yet. This one came with a fully-playable horn already.

...Also, If I may drift a tad, I need to see if you can clear up an ESU issue for me. I have a 5 loco consist ( GP30's, SD-9's, 35's) that all have select micros. Really like the sounds but I do not like all of them firing up at the same time. I am sure I have read or been told how to adjust, or stagger, the start ups so they were fired up individually. I know, clear as mud. BTW, I use JMRI and ESU Lokgrammer...

I start all my locos at their individual address (I don't set up F8 as a consist function).

...As for the ESU files the ones I am using in the above mentioned consist have "notch up and notch down" functions. However, I use the "Drive Hold" which pretty much takes care of the ramp up/down sound. Pretty neat stuff. That DH would probably not work well on a switcher, however.

Regards,
Carl

Yes, I use Drive Hold too on my ESU-equipped locos. However, the automatic revving up and down in a switcher is nice as that's what I remember when seeing a switcher-led local crawl along a poorly-maintained branchline. The Zimos do this nice automatically. It would be tiring to mimic this with the DH feature, so I just keep my ESU-equipped switchers at more constant RPM's.