New Atlas Norfolk Southern SD60E #6920 with ESU Sound

[carlso]

I have to ask for help. There is nothing in the jewel case or on line that tells me which sound file was used in the decoder. I looked at ESU web site but find it less than friendly for a goober such as I; I found an HO file #, would that work? I have not checked this unit yet but I learned that with the KATO installs I needed to download the file from ESU so the sound slots would be identified with info other than a number.

BTW, this is a nice looking loco and according to my supplier, who tested it, said it ran fast like a KATO on DC. Who woulda thunk it!

[Steveruger45]

Carl, try this link
It should be one of these.
http://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/search?type=diesel&q=Sd60
But I can’t find one that says it was put in an OEM atlas sd60e specifically.

[carlso]

Thanks Steve,

I looked at the link and out of all those shown the only one I found earlier on my own was the "HO" version 94572, I think.

I loaded the as received decoder file and yuck. The function mapping would be impossible, for me, with only "sound slot #6" as an example. I'll load one of these that you identified and see if it works better. I do not like the way the ditch lights blink, both at same time, but oh well.

Thanks again,
Carl

[Steveruger45]

You can change the ditch lights by putting one of them out of phase in lokprogrammer and probably similar in JMRI

As for which sound file I would suggest S0757, that’s a lok5 file albeit function mapped for an Athearn.

[tehachapifan]

You can change the ditch lights by putting one of them out of phase in lokprogrammer and probably similar in JMRI

As for which sound file I would suggest S0757, that’s a lok5 file albeit function mapped for an Athearn.

I thought it was mentioned elsewhere that both ditchlight pipes go to the same single LED. I cannot confirm this.

[Steveruger45]

I thought it was mentioned elsewhere that both ditchlight pipes go to the same single LED. I cannot confirm this.

Yep. Have to have separate leds for alternating ditch lights.

[carlso]

I resurrect this to ask if anybody knows what ESU decoder is in this latest Atlas release?

I sent requests to Atlas, ESU Germany, and ESU USA. No reply from anyone and all I asked was what sound file is in this loco.

I know this is busy season but does look like somebody would care enough to answer a customers question.

Carl

[Steveruger45]

Carl, I don’t have one but on spookshow it looks very like the ESU 73199 the same one Atlas put in the GP39-2 [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[reinhardtjh]

I have three. It's the 73199.  A LokSound Select Direct Micro OEM by name.

[carlso]

Steve & John,

Thank you for the help. I must admit that I looked at spookshow image and could not decide if it was the 73199 or not. My bad!

John, you say "OEM" file but when I look under "factory installed" the file # is, HO, 95472 and states it is specifically programmed for Athearn lighting, which I would guess  means alternating ditch lights, which can't happen with "as built" Atlas. Under the "retail" files I find a file # 75857 for N.

If I download the HO #95472 will it screw up the decoder or will  it be OK, but just no alternating ditch lights? I have the Lokprogrammer.

Sorry to be a pest, just being careful.

Carl

[Steveruger45]

Hi Carl,
As long as the Athearn file is a Select sound file it doesn’t matter if you use an HO or N scale sound file.  They are intra-scale-useable.
ESU says it was specifically mapped for the HO Athearn loco so you may have to remap certain functions.
I don’t know for sure what sound file Atlas used on this but I doubt it was the Athearn specific mapped one.

I would use one of the following in the attached link.
http://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/search?cat=2&q=Sd60e

As you have a lokprogrammer you could read the currently fitted decoder and save it on your computer somewhere safe, so if anything does screw up you can reload it.   You can also then compare it to the one of the above sound files in the link.  I would bet money on it being one of these and not the Athearn file.

FYI, as I don’t trust anything computer related not to screw up, I save all my original or downloaded virgin sound files in a separate folder on my computer.  Named sound files BIFWI.  After I put that file into the loco decoder and mess with it I then save that messed with file under a different name and save it in a different folder, named sound files installed AIFWI.

That way I can always get back to square one.

I let you guess what the acronym  BIFWI and AIFWI means 😁

[conrad]

FYI, as I don’t trust anything computer related not to screw up, I save all my original or downloaded virgin sound files in a separate folder on my computer.  Named sound files BIFWT.   After I put that file into the loco decoder and mess with it I then save that messed with file under a different name and save it in a different folder, named sound files installed AIFWT. 

That way I can always get back to square one.

I let you guess what the acronym  BIFWT and AIFWT mean.  😁

Yes, I do similar file saving and also store them in the cloud on Dropbox.

Conrad

[Steveruger45]

Yes, I do similar file saving and also store them in the cloud on Dropbox.

Conrad

Hi Conrad
I don’t even trust the “cloud”.  I have a specific thumb drive I back up only my lokprogrammer files to.  I keep it together with my lokprogrammer set up. Picture attached.   
I don’t know but Maybe I’m just paranoid about the Russians or Ukrainians hacking my stuff on the cloud and that whatever can screw up will and usually at the worst possible moment.
 I’ve been burned too many times with  computer stuff.  🤨. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[carlso]

Steve,

Thanks for the help. I have decided to download the N file in the link you posted. I think your idea of saving before and after versions is great and I shall do that on a thumb drive as well. I do not trust myself, I guess, but sure have doubts about computers some times. Case in point, maybe I do not understand how quotes are supposed to work on TRW, but look at Conrad's quote of your message. It changed both of your acronyms, yes I got them and agree they are good names. Why did the quote change them? ? ? That is not a true quote!  Computers, sheesh.

Carl

[reinhardtjh]

John, you say "OEM" file but when I look under "factory installed" the file # is, HO, 95472 and states it is specifically programmed for Athearn lighting, which I would guess  means alternating ditch lights, which can't happen with "as built" Atlas. Under the "retail" files I find a file # 75857 for N.

Hi Carl,

 By "OEM" I just meant the ESU board.  That is, the 73199 is often called the OEM board because it is the one that Atlas and IM have designed their chassis to fit.  The 73100 is geared toward retrofitting older locomotives (the pre-2016 referred to by ESU in the product description).  I was not referring to the actual sound files.

To date, I don't think that ESU has put the file that comes in the Atlas loco on their site, at least not with an indication that it is. It may be that they used the file from the search posted by Steve since it is noted that it was recorded from an actual SD60E.   In any case, that's the file I would use if I had to redownload into the loco at some point.