New ESU 58741 V5 'Kato USA' board video

[peteski]

Don’t know if these are “different” motors, but the new ones I’ve now seen / worked on do seem to be much smoother than the loco I bought 5 years ago (my original video showing the CV settings).

Very interesting, but I'm not sure if I'll spring for one of the new ones to take it apart.

[RBrodzinsky]

Of course, I could have a motor from before that is just not optimal, too.   

[davefoxx]

Yeah, I've never been impressed with their auto-tune feature in any loco I've tried it in. Most of my locos ran way more erratically afterwards and ran way better with just the default motor CV settings. Plus, I don't like the loco taking off like a rocket from a dead stop during the auto-tune. Talk about a good way to crack that flywheel doughnut!

My fleet is 100% LokSound.  I never auto-tune.  I tried it once, and didn't like the results, not to mention it screwed up my speed-matching.  Never again, and I have no problem speed-matching or MUing my fleet without auto-tuning.

DFF

[Cajonpassfan]

Looks good Rick! 
Are you implying that this run of FEF-3s uses different coreless motor (or different gearing) than the previous run?

I also suspect that this loco could go faster than 50MPH at full throttle. Probably closer to 90MPH, or faster.  Did you limit the speed by CV settings, or that is that the fastest the model can do at 12V?

@peteski, you're correct, these 80" drivered engines could easily do a 100mph. But on Cajon, which is what my layout is about, they were restricted to 30, 39, and 50 mph; the 50mph permitted on only the short and relatively straight sections just above San Bernardino. I have all my passenger power set at 50mph max., and all my freight power at 30mph (maximum allowable for freights).

Nasty things happen when you go too fast in curvaceous mountain territory, see photo of the Transcon Limited 1946 wreck at Oro Grande, with another FEF-3, the speeding 835...
Otto

[dpharris]

It's hard to tell, but I think the spacing of the opening would work okay.  There should be little or none that needs to be removed.

I have just ordered one for my Kato RS-2, so we will see.  If not, it will drop into one of my SD40-2s.  I can see myself buying more of these. 

David

[Cajonpassfan]

I have the ESU 58741 equipped FEF-3 running beautifully, courtesy of Rick Brodzinsky.
See my ATSF LA Division layout thread if interested.
Thanks,
Otto K.

[Cajonpassfan]

I am not sure this is the right thread to ask this, but...
While the ESU 58741 generates excellent sound (and motor control) on my Kato Greyhound, its whistle control is a bit funky, at least with my NCE system. The "steamboat" whistle, recorded off the 8444, has playful tone variations at the beginning and end of each blast, but I can't seem to be able to do quick, short blasts like .. or ... before staring to move (forward or in reverse). It wants add some pizzaz to what should be simple short communication blasts.
Am I missing something, or is that the nature of this beast? Or perhaps my NCE Procabs aren't playing well with this product?
Feedback appreciated,
Otto K.

[RBrodzinsky]

Otto, I think it is the sound file itself.  I tried using multiple throttles, including wifi and PC based DecoderPro with mouse, and none allow for real short successive blasts.  I can get a dit-daaaahhhh, as the second trails off, but not a dit-dit sound.  The final blast always wants to “finish with a flourish”

I went for the computer and screen based throttles, to eliminate any potential mushiness due to the physical throttle buttons.

[peteski]

Otto, I think it is the sound file itself.  I tried using multiple throttles, including wifi and PC based DecoderPro with mouse, and none allow for real short successive blasts.  I can get a dit-daaaahhhh, as the second trails off, but not a dit-dit sound.  The final blast always wants to “finish with a flourish”

I went for the computer and screen based throttles, to eliminate any potential mushiness due to the physical throttle buttons.

Can you listen to the horn/whistle in the sound project opened in LokProgrammer?  That should show what the shortest blast will sound like, right?

Some of the European models with factory installed sounds have 2 separate horns/whistles (activated by different functions) One is a standard one, and the other is a short blast.

[RBrodzinsky]

There is a whole set of sounds which occur when the function is turned off, but which get interrupted and the cycle restarts if the function is turned back on. On a DT402 and a DT602, the buttons are rather slow, so you get into the longer “creative” part of the whistle (someone was having fun when they recorded the whistle).  Using the DecoderPro and WiThrottle throttles, I was able to tap the function button quickly, playing a series of short blasts, until the last one in the series of clicks, which then went through the finish.

I did not look to see if there is a short whistle sound slot available (or a short whistle sound to out in a slot), which can be mapped to a function key

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks, Rick, but that's kind of a bummer. In the days before radio, ie the Steam Era (hello? This IS a steam loco) whistles were THE way to communicate among crews. There were pages and pages of whistle signals listed in operating rules to communicate everything from simple start .. to increase train heat ......
Not being able to do short blasts without unwanted "flourish" would be disappointing...
Otto

[peteski]

Thanks, Rick, but that's kind of a bummer. In the days before radio, ie the Steam Era (hello? This IS a steam loco) whistles were THE way to communicate among crews. There were pages and pages of whistle signals listed in operating rules to communicate everything from simple start .. to increase train heat ......
Not being able to do short blasts without unwanted "flourish" would be disappointing...
Otto

If this is a standard sound project on ESU website, you (or someone with a LokProgrammer and knowledge of editing sound project) should be able to edit the whistle sound and trim the unwanted "fluorish".  The LokSound group should again be a good place to ask for help with this.  Assuming of course that you have the means to upload the modified sound project to your decoder.

[Wutter]

Old thread, but I figured I'd ask here for continuity because it is about the 58741 board:  I know AUX1 and AUX2 have resistors on their outputs, and AUX6 is Logic Level (requires a FET);

Do AUX3/4/5 also have resistors on the output or are separate resistors needed?

[TW877]

Old thread, but I figured I'd ask here for continuity because it is about the 58741 board:  I know AUX1 and AUX2 have resistors on their outputs, and AUX6 is Logic Level (requires a FET);

Do AUX3/4/5 also have resistors on the output or are separate resistors needed?

I used AUX 3 for a LED to light up the ditchlights, and I did have to install a resistor. Learned it the smokey way... 
Unfortunately the instruction sheet has room for improvement, as it doesn't really mention anything about the differences between AUX1/2 and the rest.

Chris

[Wutter]

I used AUX 3 for a LED to light up the ditchlights, and I did have to install a resistor. Learned it the smokey way... 
Unfortunately the instruction sheet has room for improvement, as it doesn't really mention anything about the differences between AUX1/2 and the rest.

Chris

Thanks, yeah the documentation is incomplete (including some unlisted CVs that used to be covered under the Select manual), I also sacrificed an LED to try it out right after asking on here, and AUX 3,4,5,6 DEFINITELY need resistors.