Loksound 73100 install in FVM GP60

[peteski]

Just to highlight Steve's last point:

If you are using a LokProgrammer and want to re-load a sound file, you'll need to disconnect the caps.  Otherwise, you'll get read/write errors.  You also can't read the current decoder values with the caps attached, although you CAN make changes and write those changes (usually - I've had a few failures even doing this with caps wired up).  Also, you CAN make CV changes via ops mode (programming on the main) with no problem.

What I typically do these days is wait to wire up the caps until I'm sure that I have all the sound effect volumes correct; speed properly programmed; function keys assigned as I want, etc.  When I'm sure the engine is programmed exactly as I wish, THEN I wire up the caps.

John C.

You might want to try adding an inductor wired in series with the bank of caps (like ZIMO recommends in their decoder manual where they show add-on keep-alive caps circuits) and see if they can then be programmed without disconnecting the caps.  Something like Digikey parts 587-1628-1 or 495-1982-1.

[Steveruger45]

You might want to try adding an inductor wired in series with the bank of caps (like ZIMO recommends in their decoder manual where they show add-on keep-alive caps circuits) and see if they can then be programmed without disconnecting the caps.  Something like Digikey parts 587-1628-1 or 495-1982-1.

Thanks Pete.  This idea is worth investigating, they are inexpensive and small too, about the size of a cap. Although space is always an issue in n scale it should be possible in a good many installs to find a spot to put it.

Could also use something like a  Soundtraxx 810058 Micro-Mini Connector soldered on one side of the cap bank and its associated wire so you could just mechanically disconnect when the need arises. Not as elegant a solution admittedly but an option none-the-less.