Tsunami slow speed

This has just been discussed a lot in the Yahoo SoundTraxx forum. I use the Micro-Tsunami but not concerned about slow speed too much.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soundtraxx/

Here is a little I copied. Look about 1/3 down the page in the below link..

http://litchfieldstation.com/DCC-University/FaqTsunami.htm

A little more info. From what I can see, it takes some effort.

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Re: [soundtraxx] Setting up a loco for smooth operation

Everybody,
Someone mentioned that SoundTraxx had a procedure on their BLOG
concerning slow speed setup. I found it. It is a little different than the
manual as well as more specific and is for an Athearn Genesis Diesel.

I have copied it straight from the SoundTraxx website: Enjoy. Note: I haven't
tried it yet.

When adjusting the motor control and Back EMF there is several different CVs to
adjust, however the first thing to take into account is what type of locomotive
you have. Steam engines by nature are a lot less free rolling than diesel
locomotives currently offered. This is due to the fact that diesel models have
large flywheels that spin freely. In this example lets set up an Athearn Genesis
SD60M equipped with a TSU-GN1000 to ideal motor control settings. We personally
like to slow the locomotive down out of the box but not to the point that it
isn't realistic. In this example: set CV 209 to a value of 29, CV 210 to a value
of 18 and CV212 to a value of 80 (although the lower you go in this CV the
slower the locomotive will run). CV 209 is known as the Kp Coefficient and is
adjusting the gain factor for the PID motor control equation. CV 210 adjusts the
gain factor of the Ki coefficient for the PID motor control equation. CV 212
adjusts the motor intensity. If you set these values too high the motor will run
very rough, also if you set the values to 0 then the motor will stop. When
adjusting these CVs, start with 209 and 210 at very low values and increase them
each by 1-2 until the model runs smoother. If it begins to run rough lower the
value back down. Once you find the motor running smooth take CV 212 and decrease
it by 10s until it gets you to the slow speed you desire in speed step 1. Also,
when using a Back EMF decoder with advanced motor control, make sure to leave CV
2 at a value of 0. Add in a bit of momentum, and your train will start up smooth
as silk.
Taking time to adjust the speed control CVs of the Tsunami decoder will produce
an excellent running model. Following this procedure, you can have an entire
fleet of great running locomotives and be the envy of all your modeling friends!

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Some info in the SoundTraxx blog.

http://soundtraxx-soundbytes.blogspot.com/

The discussion in the SoundTraxx group is not over I suspect yet but I suspect that is because of the different loco motor/mechanical,operator differences. One size does not fit all.

Lex

Tsunami slow speed

Below is a quote that I have stored in my PC. This not my solution. I copied this from the Yahoo SoundTraxx group. Even then a couple people said it did not work quite as well for them A lot of fiddling. Please do not give me credit for the solution.

Quote:

Tsunami Slow Speed

I am finished with this project. I have gone as far I care to take it.  Here is what I determined.  If you are looking for a simple fix to good slow speed performance it's here.  Could not be any easier.

But first:  If you take seriously moving a loco at speeds near 1 scale MPH you had better make sure your track is nice and clean and your turnouts provide power through the frog and points.  A locomotive going this slow will find every spec of dirt and non powered spot that it normally would have sailed through and it will stall.   OK.

Here is what you have to do to get speeds on the order of 1 Scale MPH with a Tsunami Decoder.  You must use 128 step for enough resolution or you can forget it.

Start with or make sure you have full default settings on the BEMF CVs  ( A reset would do it or just set them)   CV10=0, CV209=25, CV210=20, Cv212=255, CV213=15, CV214=15.   (All default settings with BEMF active).

Set it on the track and give it a throttle of 1.  You will see it jerk to about 5 MPH right away.  Stinks.  OK.  Change CV3=10,  CV4=10 to give it some momentum.  No help.  It jerks to 5 MPH.

So far you haven't done anything you haven't done before and just as you expected it stinks.  You tried all the procedures for setting BEMF and they didn't help slow speed at all or very little.

OK Here is what you have to do!      Set CV213=8.    Set CV214=8.   You may need CV10  (BEMF cutout) set to 100 or some value so higher speed is not affected by BEMF or maybe you want cruise control.  Doesn't matter.

That's it!!     CV213 & 214 are your secret weapon.    Different motors and gearing may require different settings in 213/214   Somewhere between 5 & 10 probably.  The default settings of 15 in each appears to be too high for a lot of motors.    But keep them set to the same value what ever you end up with.  Setting CV214 to a value 3x CV213 will stop the motor in its tracks.  Remember these are defaults in all BEMF registers except 213 & 214.  Maybe you can get even better results by manipulating other CVs.  I see no need myself.

Check your work with a 1 foot ruler laid alongside the track.   Simply count the seconds for a point on the loco to travel 1 ft.  Divide sixty by the seconds you counted.  That's the HO scale speed.  Try small changes in CV213 or 214 to see if it changes the speed.

These  are my experiences with a KATO SD90MAC and TSU-1000   and an Athearn UP Bigboy converted to TSU-1000 from MRC.   Both these locos ran just smooth as silk with these settings.  I did not measure the top end because I am not going to run anywhere near MAX. They appeared to run full out as they did before.  Both locos were very good runners before this and before
DCC conversion.

End of Quote.

I use LokSound decoders in two diesels and they start moving at 1 mph using speed step 1 using my Power Cab. Very smooth consistent running. Very little fiddling needed.

Lex

+ +

While all this is going to permit you to adjust the slow speed running to your satisfaction, it will not give you the low top  speed and  coasting you are looking for. This will require you  select a  ' user defined speed table '  and your setting it  up to your preferences. Then you can up the CV3/CV4  momentum settings to get what you want. 

If you have acces to  JMRI, DecoderPro  it will make this all much simpler to program into the decoder.

Marc Fournier, Quebec

Tsunami slow speed control

Slow speed control is apparently enough of an issue with the Tsunami that ESU Loksound is using it as part of their marketing strategy.

See the video of my interview with them at http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/MRHT_2009_NTS_ESU-LokSound

See the locomotives going up and down the ramp in the background? The speed demon is the Tsunami - the others are a QSI and a Loksound Select.

An explaination of the display starts at the 3:00 minute point.

Tsunami

Thanks for the information on programing cv 213--214 etc brilliant results,running a Gas Turbine HO ,having problems with the aux Diesel shifting down and starting up, any ideas please,   Regards Dave. 

ESU Interview video missing?

Jeff- When I click on the link to the 2009 train show interview you did with ESU, I get the page that has the posted comments about your video, but no video.  On the train show page, I tried downloading the video link and it gives a "not here anymore" attempt to access a Blip TV hosted page.  Is there a way to get at the video?

thanks,

Dennis

And here I've thought . . .

. . . that DCC was supposed to make things simpler. Rather, using DCC is getting to be too much like my work.

Hopefully Ring Engineering will have N scale modules soon. Or perhaps I'll just switch back to pure DC.

Enough with the shiny objects. ...

Glad to see I'm not the only

Glad to see I'm not the only one having trouble with Tsunami geek speak.

  I've just had a chat on another thread about the same thing Paul.

  Stew have look at fishplate films on youtube. He does an explanation that is easy to follow. look at trim CV's . I also closed the notching to 4 speed steps.

Loksound isn't better either for programming with eariler NCE systems and I've read Power cab is better than Procab ,but its all supposed to work together. Its wearing me down

cheers

Model railroading with DCC

This is all about the hobby using DCC. We are in the digital age. That is why some stick with DC. Don't want the hassle.

Some of you might remember programming a VCR some years ago. Now, DVR is real easy and don't even need a machine.

Rich

I really don't understand the

I really don't understand the argument that programming dcc decoders is to hard so go back to or stay with DC.  DC control is "dumb" control with (generally) no sound and no lights   if you are willing to live with no sound, no lights and non of the other special features of most DCC then why not just pick up the cheapest non sound DCC decoder you can find. The only thing you need to program then is the address and if you think that programming the address is two hard the A) run the engine on the present #3, orb) get your neighbours kid to program that at the same time he is fixing the flashing clock on your VCR.

But all joking aside.  I don't understand the idea that programming all the bells and whistles (literally) are to complicated so I am going to pitch it all. If you think it is to complicated then just use the simpler decoders or live with the preset settings either way is better the what you get with DCC.

-Doug M 

I really think

That those that have trouble with DCC read way too much into the issue and look for "help" in the wrong places and get frustrated with 30 different answers for the same question!  Read the manuals for the brand you are working with.  If you are just starting out, go with basic decoders!  NCE has some of the best basic decoders and the entire user manual is included in each decoder package.  As far as a good, easy to use DCC system, I have found that my MRC Prodigy Advance2 is about as easy to use as one can get. (NCE as good IMO).  Nothing against Digitrax but when you need a 168 page manual in order to undestand how to run the system, then something is wrong!  I know I will get some frowns on this, but straight DC is dead in my opinion!  Let's see, miles of wiring, a plethora of toggle, rotary, DPDT, SPDT, Momentary and who knows what other kind of switches just to "play with your trains"! 

Start out slow with DCC and learn it!  You won't run trains with DC again!

Just my opinion. (You actual milage may vary)

Tsunami

I Have Brass Gas Turbine, with Tsunami sound decoder, every time i bring it to a stop the sound shuts down no sound, when i open the throttle it starts up again, any help with what CVs i can try, thanks.

What function

Are you using to bring it to a stop?

Soundtraxx New Decoders

It should be common knowledge by now that Soundtraxx has discontinued the Tsunami. A ten year old design, it became impossible to get components used on the boards. Soundtraxx took the opportunity to design and produce the Economi and Tsunami2 decoders in several manifestations. Both have lots of improvements over the original Tsunami. Pertinent to this discussion is the vastly improved low speed control. I have installed Economi's in a brass 2-10-2 and a Bachmann GP7. Out of the box they are amazing. Although the Economi and Tsunami2 have different features, they share the same new motor control algorithm.

Steve Hoxie

Pensacola FL

Soundtrax sound decoder

My HO loco has a problem, it goes backwards but it will not go forwards, checked wiring and gears ok, DCC works ok, sound ok, any ideas please. 

Try the standard trouble

Try the standard trouble shooting stuff:

1 - Reset decoder to defaults. Gets it back to a known state.

2- try the decoder on the default address of 3.  Rules out a Command Station bug, corrupted data.

3- If problem still present send decoder back for service, half the H-bridge is blown.

Marc

Tsunami sound shut down

David

You might like to check CV113. This is the Quiet Mode Timeout Period.

Try setting CV113 to '0' to see if this fixes your issue.

You will need to manually press F8 (unless you have remapped your functions) to then turn the sound off and on, if this works.

You can write other numbers in CV113 to set how long the sound stays on for if you like. See the manual.

Gary

"  My HO loco has a problem,

"  My HO loco has a problem, it goes backwards but it will not go forwards, checked wiring and gears ok, DCC works ok, sound ok, any ideas please. "

Gary, where do you read a " sound shut down"  issue or did I interpret his  question wrong ?