BLI announces a new NW2, SW7...

[basementcalling]

I paid $29.99 for SW7s that ran just fine on my code 80 track and I could make all the noises I wanted to replicate sounds. With my lips.

Course this was back in the early 90s. Flanges were too tall for code 55 track, even Micro Engineering, but they still run just fine on my UniTrak, even if I've given up on making my own train noises now that I am older.

[peteski]

I know there are people who don’t like BLI, but I don’t see why a problem with an old third party decoder (QSI) is brought forward as a reason not to like BLI. It has been years ago the last HO BLI loco with QSI decoder has been produced and there has never been a N scale BLI loco with QSI decoder. So chances that is going to happen are zero.

Marc

I actually think QSI decoders are the ballz!  I wish they made more small ones to fit in N scale models. I fell in love with QSI after I bought the Walthers Mallet, with factory installed QSI Revolution decoder.  It was the first time I experienced proper chuff sync via BEMF.  I though that was cat's meow!  Everything else was good too.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Is QSI even in business anymore? I haven't seen anything from them in years.

[learmoia]

If Broadway isn't using QSI (based) decoders.. what are they using?

QSI came on the scene at the same time as the first  Broadway HO loco, so connections may be deeper than we think..

"QSI" may have been a spin off to allow for partnerships with other mfgs.. (Atlas and a few others were using it in their first sound units.)

Once ESU, Digitrax, came on the scene and Soundtraxx caught up.. "QSI" faded out and likely folded back into Broadway.

So eventhough it's not a "QSI" decoder... I think it's a (QSI based) "Paragon 3" decoder...  Could be wrong.. but just my gut feeling..

Unfortunately I haven't had the need to purchase any Broadway sound locos yet.. But when they get to NYC Hudson and Niagara, I'll be all over that!!!..

[k27463]

If Broadway isn't using QSI (based) decoders.. what are they using?

QSI came on the scene at the same time as the first  Broadway HO loco, so connections may be deeper than we think..

Storytime...be aware that I came into the hobby after all of this happened so I've pieced it together from bits and pieces.

Back in the day (2003-2004) QSI was really the only game in town with a combination motor + sound decoder.  They used QSI decoders in the early BLI engines as QSI was looking to provide OEM parts.

BLI wanted to take their own path soon after as they wanted a few things slightly different.  QSI, I believe, held a patent on the concept of a motor + sound decoder, and were very willing to initiate legal action to further that.  BLI proceeded to take two paths for a time: Blue Line and Precision Craft Models.  PCM used Loksound decoders, which somehow worked around the patent issues, and Blueline used a sound decoder with a DC passthrough; this allowed the end user to install an 8 pin motor decoder, and as long as both decoders were on the same address, it'd work as normal.


Something happened with the patents sometime around 2010 and BLI, MTH, etc. were able to produce a single unit decoder again; BLI with Paragon2 and MTH with Protosound 3.  Paragon 2 was -very- closely based on a reverse engineered QSI and behaves almost identically.  BLI's since moved on to Paragon3, which is basically Paragon2 with the added Bluetooth subwoofer capability.


In the end, BLI's decision was the right one; QSI, as basically a one man operation, didn't really stand much of a chance of keeping up feature wise with the big names and hasn't.  Furthermore, their support has been strange and intermittent.  Basically a typical one man shop, with all the associated weirdness.


As a weird aside, the diecast locomotives BLI developed for Precision Craft Models ended up in MTH's hands due to another dispute...

[peteski]

Is QSI even in business anymore? I haven't seen anything from them in years.

Well . . . they have an active Yahoo group, but I believe that Titan (stereo sound decoder) was their last product.  QSI decoders are often a choice for large scale modelers (like O and G scale).

Someone mentioned that QSI is a 1-man operation.  I have no inside info, but if Kelly Dorf (the QSI's 1-man) developed the hardware, firmware,and the sound files all by himself, then he is a frickin' genus!

[peteski]

Storytime...be aware that I came into the hobby after all of this happened so I've pieced it together from bits and pieces.
 ...
Paragon 2 was -very- closely based on a reverse engineered QSI and behaves almost identically.  BLI's since moved on to Paragon3, which is basically Paragon2 with the added Bluetooth subwoofer capability.

Which QSI decoder was reverse engineered to create Paragon2?  QSI Titan, Revolution, or one of the earlier versions?
I'm asking because as I see it Paragon 2 or 3 don't seem to have anything similar on their operating characteristics (including the QSI's excellent BEMF chuff sync) with either Revolution or Titan.  Their sounds and functions also appear not to have much similarity.

[robert3985]

I paid $29.99 for SW7s that ran just fine on my code 80 track and I could make all the noises I wanted to replicate sounds. With my lips.

Course this was back in the early 90s. Flanges were too tall for code 55 track, even Micro Engineering, but they still run just fine on my UniTrak, even if I've given up on making my own train noises now that I am older.

I call BS on the claim that the flanges were too tall for Micro Engineering track in the "early 90s".  I'm not sure what year Rail Craft became Micro Engineering, but I believe in the "early 90s" it was still Rail Craft C55 flex, with the best looking, most prototypically shaped spikeheads of any N-scale track ever made.  I've been running N-scale C55 Rail Craft track since the 80's chiefly in a club environment and I have NEVER seen flanges on any rolling stock or motive power that wouldn't run on it due to the flanges being too tall. 

Additionally, Peco introduced their code 55 track about 1990, and its "spikeheads" are even lower than Rail Craft's, although of a weird design that doesn't look like "spikeheads", and since the railhead-to-spikehead clearance for Peco C55 is even greater than Rail Craft's, I have serious doubts that any N-scale or N-gauge locomotives would have had problems running on it due to spikehead interference.

Atlas C55 was introduced in 2002, so it wouldn't have even been around in the early 90's to interfere with pizza-cutter flanges as it notoriously does even today.

Just sayin'... 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Mark5]

Bigger question is who made a SW7 back in the 1990s?  I believe the BLI SW7 is the first RTR in N scale (ever).

Mark

[robert3985]

Bigger question is who made a SW7 back in the 1990s?  I believe the BLI SW7 is the first RTR in N scale (ever).

Mark

I agree.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Bigger question is who made a SW7 back in the 1990s?  I believe the BLI SW7 is the first RTR in N scale (ever).

Mark

Yep. There were the SW-9s and 1200s, but they had the later cabs.

It's funny, I don't think the SW-7 is an engine that people often think about, but there were more of them built than the RS-1, RS-11 and U23B:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_SW7

[k27463]

Which QSI decoder was reverse engineered to create Paragon2?  QSI Titan, Revolution, or one of the earlier versions?
I'm asking because as I see it Paragon 2 or 3 don't seem to have anything similar on their operating characteristics (including the QSI's excellent BEMF chuff sync) with either Revolution or Titan.  Their sounds and functions also appear not to have much similarity.

Peteski, I believe that it -is- possible to enable BEMF chuff; I know I've disabled the chuff sensor in BLI locos where it's failed.

I'm not entirely sure which as I got into the hobby after QSI was pretty much out.  I suspect it's whatever OEM decoder BLI was using at the time.

BLI's decoders, from my experience, have very similar momentum functionality as the QSIs and default to many of the same peculiarities in terms of lighting.  I'm guessing that was intentional.

[Point353]

I actually think QSI decoders are the ballz!

Has Dave V been tutoring you in colloquial English?

[peteski]

Has Dave V been tutoring you in colloquial English?

Negatory!  It's all peteski bro!