Resolving a ESU Loksound Essential Sound Unit decoder issue
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2024
- On my channel are two videos produced on March 1, 2020 that reviews 4 brand new Walthers Mainline GP9s. All came equipped with ESU Loksound Essential Sound Unit decoders. Out of the package 3 of the 4 locomotives purchases randomly engaged the dynamic brakes after about 10 seconds of running. This video shows the problem and how to rectify it.
If you do not have a LokProgrammer, you can disable the dynamic brakes using your DCC system/programming track by changing the following CVs:
CV38 = 0
CV216 = 0
CV207 = 0
CV232 = 0 - บันเทิง
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Just ran across this video and as a retired railroader that spent a lot of time working with GP-7/9's in the 70s, I can tell you that what you are hearing with this model is the early EMD 576 powered GP making transition of the motors from series to parallel. It's not going into dynamic brake mode! When the GP (also E and F units) makes transition, it does indeed drop back to idle briefly before notching up. Usually at around notch 3. So the out of the box sound behavior is actually authentic. Also there is some delay of the engine idling down when stopping. Since the model in this video has no dynamic brakes, it does make sense to disable that feature.
Thank you for posting this. I bought an SD70ACe and when the sound was on, it would run for about 90 seconds, then sound a noise like the horn, then become non-responsive to the throttle. Your solution worked for me, thanks again!
Totally agree with you about it being unacceptable. Even though it's a less expensive lower grade model, it still cost $200. It is ridiculous that this is an issue from companies that have such exceptional other products that they can't get the basic decoders to work correctly straight out of the box and the consumer has to fix the problem. Good videos. Great tips and information. 👍
I think you can fix it much easier.
If you have read the decoder data with ESU programmer, you need to go to function settings. I don't know why, but in my case, there is random function 1 active. And it randomly activates F4 while stopping or driving. After unchecked stop and drive, the random function 1 is deactivated. And that solved the problem and you still can use the dynamic brake sound.
Best regards from Germany
Thank you very much. I happened to chance upon your video and so glad I watched it. I have a Walthers Mainline PNCX hi-hood GP9 and its throttle would fluctuate all the time. I emailed Athearn and they said it is a programmed function and to clean my tracks and wheels. That never set right with me. By changing those four CV’s to zero it now runs without those annoying fluctuations. Thanks again.
Good job and great explanation on how to trouble shoot. Really need to watch more.
Thanks for the trouble shoot info. I noticed the same problem with my NYC GEEP.
i noticed that when you stop the engine it would stop then lunge i stopped mine by putting a value of 10 in cv 54 problem solved. i used the cv's you told us to change for dynamic brake works great. thank you for explaining that
THANK YOU! Haven't tried it yet though. I thought I was struggling because I had just gotten into DCC. I started by converting 3 of the locos I had using digitrax decoders (and getting a Digitrax command station). I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and programming. Then I decided to spend what is to me BIG bucks on a DCC ready Walthers Mainline GP9. (I had to add SOO line to my C&NW to match what I saw as a kid). I fought the GP9 and spent many hours on the internet and gave up. Tonight I tried again and your video came up. I bet it works. (not my only fight with this one)
LOL I got the cv's to change. I didn't watch your full video, the first time !!!!!
Thank you for getting the fix out to us. I wonder if Walthers or ESU will get this issue corrected.
All they have to do is include an erratum in the box telling the buyer of a non dynamic brake equipped model the four CVs to change in order to disable it. It would cost them a few pennies but way cheaper than having to stock two differently programmed decoders for the production run. Walthers might be convinced to do it. ESU will try to get you to walk up the side of a wall rather than take the stairs.
Thanks for posting. I just picked one of these up in CNW just to experience the "budget" sound decoders, and while overall I am pleased enough with the sound quality for a cost of less than $50 for DCC and Sound, I was puzzled why mine did the same thing. Especially annoying when you bring it to a stop and its still notched up. I thought there was something wrong with the decoder that I may need to send it back. Thanks for clearing this up. I will just rewrite the CVs in JMRI. Overall though, a decent looking locomotive for a decent price if your hobby shop sells it for a reasonable price and not MSRP, which mine did. I just don't understand why Walthers did not put the grab irons on. I think that's silly. Its not an Athearn Blue box from the ealry 90s! Its 2020! Grab irons are not optional! Anyway, thanks for the info in the video. Subscribed.
Excellent locomotive criticism, these model manufacturers seriously need to find ways to eliminate the issues with the decoder function performance on these dcc-sound equipped locomotives.
Thomas Avens Jr. I put a Loksound 5 in this unit and it is 1000 times better than a properly functioning Essential Sound Unit decoder.
Think if there is a issue rather then wine about it send it back until they get them right.Having to adjust CV is normal.This is why they make them adjustable.If not right warranty will fix it and give the manufacturer valuable feedback to better their product in future runs.Then again Soundtrack does not have these problems .This is why ESU has a programmer to upgrade their screw ups in their software also .By American done right the first time Soundtraxx
Question to you, would what you did work with a Soundtraxx decoder
have you ever tried changing the sound levels of the Air Compress [F7] on these ESU Mainline locos. I have tried many options, and can't seem to find a way to lower that volume
I don't have a Lok sound programmer for a computer, so how would I disable the dynamic brakes using the program track with my mrc prodigy advanced command station, just regular programming not using a computer
Why does this model even have a dynamic brake sound/sequence when this model doesn't even have dynamics?
how do you get it not to lunge when it stops
How can I disable the dynamic brakes with my DCC controller ? I have the same issue on a Walthers Mainline loco I just got, today. TY I really liked ur video !!!
Great video! Thanks for the detail on how to fix the issue. I notice that it lurches forward on start. Have you adjusted CV2, CV3, and CV4 to give it a more prototypical start and stop? I'm less than a year into the hobby so still learning a lot. My locomotives are mostly LokSound 5 and a few with LokSound Select (no Tsunami anymore). My Walthers Proto and Atlas Gold units run perfectly right out of the box (only change was momentums). However I have a couple of Athearn Genesis locomotives even after extensive break-in that were giving me problems especially as they came to a stop. The would slowly come to a stop and then jerk forward slightly a couple of times until they finally did stop. I put CV54 (BEMF effect) from 50 to 255 and CV55 (inertia) from 100 to 10 and it solved the issue. It runs great now! I will continue to test and see if I can back this 255 number down or increase the 10 value (not sure if I need to although these numbers are far from the settings in the Walthers and Atlas units). CV51 and CV52 are left at the original settings of 0. Additionally I changed CV5 (top speed) to 100 and CV6 (midspeed) to 30 to enhance low speed control performance. CV 2 was at 1 from the factory and left that way. I also changed the momentums CV3 and CV4 which were both at 20 and now set to 80. The range of stock values for CV54 for my locomotives range from 24 to 53. CV55 stock settings range from 27 to 100. These wide ranges tell me there are many combinations that can achieve prototypical movements.
These settings worked great for me, except for cv54 I had to leave the same. Setting it to 255 made it run very choppy. Thanks 👍
@@lynncreekrailroad9690 No problem. I am continuing to experiment and I found just changing CV51 and CV52 works in most cases. My Atlas units seem to like: CV51=10, CV52=15 (ScaleTrains uses similar CV settings). My Walthers switchers vary. One like CV51=0, CV52=0, another seems to like CV51=10, CV52=5 (CV2=3 on both). It could be variances in the motors, gears, or just needs more break in time. regards, NS.
@@Form44208 I also have a brand new Atlas Master series dash 8-40cw that has a motor hum to it that I'm trying to correct. I have disabled the delayed startup but not sure what other values I could change to silence it. I'm using the digitrax zephyr controller. Any thoughts? Thanks again 👍
@@lynncreekrailroad9690 I have 2 InterMountain GP10's that hum pretty loud. If you find a way to correct hum let me know. They hummed louder (annoying higher frequency) with LokSound Select. When I changed them to LokSound 5, it is better but still there (a lower frequency). I think they just have low quality motors in them. I have a new InterMountain GEVO and it is quiet. I am running an NCE controller. I have some new Altas GP40's & C-420's and they are super quiet. My Walthers switchers SW1200's and NW2's are very quiet too. My Atlas switchers are good, but not as quiet at the Walthers. All my ScaleTrains locos run smooth and quiet. I would contact Atlas about your unit, they may just swap it out for a new one. regards, NS.
It may have back EMF and sensing a reduced load change to reduce RPMs and then senses a need for more power and notches up.
Thanks for the comment, I suspect that is likely the issue, but with the Essential Sound Unit decoder, ESU has it so locked down that they don’t let you adjust enough CVs to rectify the issue. You are very, very limited in what you can change.
Just got a brand new scale trains dash9 with ESU Essential sound for my kids Christmas layout.. It's so weak i can barely hear it ..we tried to raise volume cv but nothing. It takes minutes for the rpm to come up as well . My kids are not having a good model rail roading experience with this scale trains product.
Hi, Pete. I am so sorry you did not have a good experience with the ESU Essential Sound Unit decoder. We need kids/younger people involved in this hobby to keep it relevant in the future and a bad experience will turn kids off (and adults too) real quick. It is not Scaletrains.com fault because they don’t make the decoder, they purchase an OEM version from ESU (okay, Scaletrains.com has some fault for using an ineffective decoder in their products). Soundtraxx has a cost-effective decoder which they call their Econami decoder (it is a basic version of their high-end Tsunami 2 decoders). Athearn uses the Econami decoders in their “Ready-to-Roll” product line (the Tsunami 2’s go in their Genesis locomotives) and the Econami’s work great! I have several SD40-2’s from Athearn with the Econami decoders and I do not notice much in a performance difference from the Tsunami 2’s. Please contact Scaletrains.com and let them know the Essential Sound Unit decoder is unacceptable and you want a refund. If enough people complain, maybe we can get these decoders off the marked. I raised heck with Walthers about these decoder in their products.
@@ck7813 I agree. I have the same issue with scaletrains sound levels, it’s crap. I bought a rivarossi U25c and the esu decoder just died. I have a gp60 RTr with a esu decoder that stopped working. These things are unreliable and shit. Soundtraxx has never let me down. Not once.
I was programming mine last night and now all of a sudden i cant change any cv's. When i try to change them, nothing changes. I tried factory reset and hard reset and it did nothing. What do i do? I use an MRC tech 6 sound controller for running amd programming btw.
Hi. I am sorry you are having issues with programming. I am not familiar with MRC tech 6. You can try emailing Walthers customer support to see if they can give you some assistance, otherwise, I don't know enough about the MRC tech 6 on how it programs and what could have potentially caused the issue.
I don't like that either, so I spend 500.00 on four Soundtraxx decoders.
I'm thinking that the locomotive changing engine RPM's is a result of the BEMF detecting changes in the motor load and changing the sound to match. So on straight track it throttles down, and when it gets bound up in a curve, it throttles up. I think this is a good thing, and I would be attempting to make it more pronounced. As a locomotive engineer, I don't like models that drone on with the engine rpms always the same. In reality the engineer is changing throttle notches constantly trying to maintain a speed over varying terrain.
I do not disagree with your diagnosis of the problem; however, these are documented issues with this brand of decoder and they have yet to be addressed.
Recently picked up a Walthers GE EVO,no sound,nothing,right out of box,
Reboot,CV,to 8,all the tricks I could find,and nothing.
Email to ESU,and they referred me to Walthers customer service.
Still waiting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
As the saying goes,"fool me once,shame of you,,,,,,,
I never have dynamic brakes actually slow down my loco if the loco is supposed to have dynamic brakes I just leave the sound mapped to f4 turning off the brake function for f4. I get the sound and slow down the loco with the throttle. I hate braking systems on decoders I like to control my braking with throttle.. This is not unique to esu essentials also. This all being said walthers mainline are on the bottom of my list well above bachman in value. Buy atlas same price and u at least get a loksound select, 4, or 5 decoder
Thanks, Jamos. Walthers Mainline aren't bad if you have the time and talent to invest in detailing/upgrading them. Out of the box, they aren't much to look at. I also agree with your assessment of braking with a hand throttle. Usually engaging the brake causes an abrupt halt unless you spend the time to setup your CV. Search my other videos, (search for : Protothrottle braking) and watch how some CV changes and a variable brake setting adds an amazing amount of realism to train operation. If you have an opportunity to get a ProtoThrottle and take advantage of the braking capabilities, you will never go back to how you are currently doing it.
I'm not happy with anything from loksound decoders, I prefer tsunami 2, they work well out the box are reliable and are relatively easy to program especially on athearn genesis units. But along comes loksound 5,and everyone is using it. The et44ac from both scale trains and Intermountain use them. I could not program a 4 digit address on them and so ended up using a silly 😜2 digit address for a cn #3048 from Intermountain. When I tried using digitrax to reprogram to a 4 digit address for a $300 locomotive, the system ended up blowing out the decoder and frying the motherboard . Very disappointing from both Intermountain and loksound
Go tsunami 2 all the way
I hate esu I use tsunami 2 only