Some progress, but lots of challenges

After an hour or so of semi-frustrating mapping in Decoder Pro, I am suspicious that the ditch lights on this model are not wired up in a way that allows alternating flashing of ditch lights.  Further, there does not seem to be any "built in" grade crossing horn sequence that any of the light effects can be tied to.  They can be programmed to provide grade crossing flashing, etc., but not with an automated L-L-S-L Horn Song sequence.

I ended up using two modes on the Ditch lights, so that when the factory F6 is pressed, they first go into grade crossing mode for about 10 seconds (long enough for the horn sequence) and then revert to steady on.  So I can just hit F6 whenever I'm coming up on a grade crossing - assuming I ever get far enough along to have any.

At one point I had the ditch lights (accidentally) alternating flashes with the number boards, but soon turned that off. Here is a video of what I've managed so far, and screen shots in Decoder Pro follow.  

At some point I may get brave enough to open the unit up and see if I can rewire the ditch lights to different pads on the motherboard, or toss it altogether in favour of a Decoder Buddy, which is likely the most elegant way to solve the problem.  I found a Bowser PDF for a similar model (636) which suggests that there is a tiny board with SMD LEDs inside there doing all the lighting.

Decoder Pro Screenshots

Here's what I ended up telling the lights to do:

And here are the Function Key Maps:

And some general settings that I used to set the blink rate.  I think the "Hold Time" setting is likely irrelevant given what I did on the Output page.

Curious to know if anyone has:

1. Found a way to separate the left and right ditch lights with Decoder Pro?
2. Assuming 1 is infeasible, had one of these apart and tackled rewiring the ditch lights
3. Figured out how to program a L-L-S-L Grade Crossing Horn Song on an ESU, and map it to a Function to trigger the ditch lights. 
4. Figured out how to get the headlights to dim.  I've tried every setting I could find.  No joy.

I cannot imagine doing anything to a Loksound without Decoder Pro.  All in all, I think I much prefer Tsunamis - easier to work with and sound great to my ear.

While at the LTS the other day, this Atlas Van in matching BCR livery had just arrived and, well, you know …  had to have a Van for the crew.  I think she looks rather stately beside “Pink Creek”.

I almost missed this in a large pile of otherwise debris (well, maybe not, there was a mint Spectrum H-16-44 in there as well) .  I’ve always wanted one of these and it just came in with a collection.  I hear they are rare as hell and I had to twist Hal’s arm to sell it.

Thoughts...

Dear Mike,

In order of appearance:

Per your provided pic, "separating the Ditch Lights" is a Hardware (wiring) issue,
not a "can tweak by CV" Software issue. Pass the soldering iron...

Hint: a key clue is the number of wires feeding the daughterboard. 
I wonder where a Digital Multimeter would say Points 2 and 4 trace to?

Given your previous experience, I would have thought this should be a doddle.
Pass the 0603 SMD LEDs and Resistors, piece of Clover House PCB tie, solder and soldering iron...

Short answer : No

Slightly-Longer answer : If you're specifically looking for a "RTR canned ST-style" grade crossing horn-blow, No

Complete answer : Yes, this is entirely possible with an ESU LokSound decoder.
You will need:

Ingredients
- a Suitable Decoder
- a copy of the existing Bowser Sound Project or equivalent
- a LokProgrammer HW + SW rig
- a suitable sound file (WAV) with the exact "Grade crossing horn blow sequence" you desire

Recipe:
- Connect your Host PC, LokProgrammer, and subject decoder together

- Launch the LP software, and open the Donor (Bowser?) project

- Import your desired "Horn blow sequence" WAV audio file

- Assign the WAV file to a SoundSlot
(You may either replace a redundant sound is an existing SoundSlot,
or use a free SoundSlot to Add the file to the Project without loosing any Existing sounds, 
assuming the Decoder has the Storage to handle the additional sound file)

- Using the "Function Mapping" (aka "Mapping Rows" in LokProgrammer parlance)
Map a given "F-key" INPUT to Trigger the relevant SoundSlot
(this will be your "blow the Grade Crossing sequence" F-key)

- Using the "Function Mapping" (aka "Mapping Rows" in LokProgrammer parlance),
Map the Function to trigger the "Grade Crossing Logic" Logical Function

Result

- The Ditch Lights are turned ON/OFF by a given "F-key"

- Pressing the "Grade Crossing Horn Sequence" F-key (as configured above) triggers the custom "Grade Crossing Sound" sound-file you loaded, AND triggers the "Grade Crossing Mode"

- "Grade Crossing Mode" provokes the Ditchlights to flash

- and they continue to flash until the configured "Holdover time" expires
(at which point the Ditchlights will revert to either "constant ON" or "constant OFF",
depending of whether you are using "Ditch Light Mode #1" or "Ditch Light Mode #2" respectively)

NB that Manually blowing L-L-S-L should also trigger the "Grade Crossing Logic" and thus flash the ditch-lights,
every "trigger" of the Horn will reset the "Hold-over timer", so the last-blast --> ditch-lights-stop-flashing time is deterministic/consistent.

In order of diagnostic:
- What Lighting Mode is the Front and Rear Headlights?
(should be either "1. Dimmable Light"  or "2. Dimmable Light (Fade In/Out)"
See Page 79 and 82 of the LokSound 5 Manual)

- What "Brightness Value" is the Front and Rear Headlights set for?
(should be between 0 and 31,
See Page 79 and 82 of the LokSound 5 Manual)

HINTS:
CV31 = 16, CV32 = 0
CV259, 262 and 263 are currently What Values?
CV267, 270, and 271 are currently What Values?

I hope this helps...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

In a slightly related area

If you want to spruce up the sound and you are opening up the unit anyway, grab a Scale Sound Systems speaker for it and replace the existing speaker.  I did that with my C630M and it really makes a difference to my ear.

Thanks guys

I think if I'm opening it up, it may just get a Tsunami!

I was more curious if anyone had done it, as I already have a bunch of locos in pieces and I haven't yet found a wiring diagram for the motherboard to see how it is setup for pads .  It seems rather odd that Bowser would have wired it this way. As you say, soldering iron and a multi-meter to the rescue at some point.  I will have to get inside it to see what’s up, but was hoping to avoid that. So far, it appears that Rapido is more adept at factory programming Loksound decoders.

Re the dimmable lights, thank you, I will look into those specific CVs Prof.  I made sure they were set to dimmable, and I tried adjusting brightness levels to as low as 1.  The manual with the loco identifies that F12 is a dimmer, but it never did anything.  

Dave, I’ll look into that speaker as well.  I had my recently relocated Athearn GP7 (Tsunami) on the track as well last night, and it just sounds better. I’ve never had it open so not sure what is in there.  Was so glad to finally find it.  Somehow got put in a suitcase rather than a box during the move. lol.

The Bowser is a very nice, heavy model, with a lot of tractive force and should pull a ton of cars.  The “emergency lights” (F5) in the manual are actually Class lights and toggle off-white-green-red like Rapido, and look great.

Maybe I’ll come to love Loksound once I find a Loksound Programmer and record my first sound project for a grade crossing horn and install it! 

The learning curve with each brand of decoder is steep!

Mike

If we only lived a little closer, I could pass you the little machining jobs I have and I could lend you the LokProgrammer whenever you needed it.  It really is simple to use, yet very powerful.  

And the Bowser locos are really good.  I had a number of the SD40-2's that I sold when I narrowed my scope from CP, CN and VIA to just CN and VIA.  I kind of miss those, actually, as they ran great and were really strong pullers.  The C630M is really good, too, but I don't use it as much because I'm down to just a switching layout.  I've thought about selling it, too, but so far haven't pulled the trigger.

More No-Joy, Bewildered Joy Today

Everything worked fine last night.  Nothing changed. Today, DecoderPro can't find the Zephyr.  This has not happened before.

Sigh.  I'm unplugging everything for an hour to see if that helps.

The unplugging did the trick. I also reinstalled the latest version of JMRI.

Back working now.  Did a Factory Reset.  Headlights do indeed dim, just hard to see, lol.  but examining the various function tables, I'm rather at a loss as to explain why.  LOL.  I think I'll just run it the way it came!  At some point, maybe I'll swap out the decoder for a Tsunami just to see what happens. 

The model comes programmed for rear ditch lights and there are housings for them and there appear to be lenses, but nothing happens.  Dave, does your CN 630 have rear ditch lights?  Maybe Bowser is very prototype specific.  i actually wish manufacturers would just provide everything and let modelers turn off or remove what they don't want.  Simpler/cheaper for them, and better for us who like features.

Some of the settings for this Loksound are mystifying.  Take these very cool class lights for example.  They toggle between off-white-green-red with F5 and yet I can't find anything in the tables where that is set.  It could be that JMRI just doesn't have the full mapping to the Decoder I guess.  

That is

the beauty of the LokProgrammer - everything is there with enough detail to know what it is you are changing in most cases.  One of the reasons I switched over to it after I standardized to ESU decoders.

ditchlights

Ditchlights do not flash in Canada.

Class Lights

As odd as this sounds, ESU uses a sound slot to control the class light sequencing.  I don't believe Decoder Pro can access the individual sound schedules like the LokProgrammer can.

Mark.

Mark ... Ahhhhh; Brian, You may be right, I may be crazy ...

Mark, that would explain things.  I guess I will have to find a Lok Programmer.  I see them on the web at various shops, but there appear to be two different ones and I've never been sure which to order and I always get sidetracked.  I've yet to even finalize my turnout standard and order more of those.  One key reason my tracklaying is in suspense - lack of enough proper direction turnouts.

Brian, As soon as my Jeep is fixed, I am going to go park at Brunette and Braid in New West and watch crossing trains and take video.  I could have sworn I saw a CN Loco go through there with a bell clanging and ditch lights flashing one evening a few weeks ago. But I was probably dreaming! 

Have you got any of these MLW 630's on your layout.  They run superbly even if they did screw up the ditch light wiring. 

Regardless, the Superintendent of the B&H has decided he likes them as well as rotary beacons and has mandated them as standard  equipment.  B&H crews use both repel and attract (respectively) well-trained Stegosaurs to keep the weeds pruned on the right of way!  They can't see the beacons when the ditch lights are working so they don't come running and block the right of way. 

As soon as practical, all B&H locomotives, owned or leased, will have ditch lights (that flash for grade crossings) and a rotary beacon as standard equipment on at least the front of the units.  The roof mount air conditioner standard on older units that don't have over the road air conditioning is also under review.  The Superintendent  got that idea from the BNSF Geeps that are regulars around the New Westminster Wye area.  Bright White RV Units no less, but they will be colour-coded to the locomotive roof on the B&H becuase the white ones are just  - dare O say it - hideous!

flashing

Back in 1982 no. Now a days Lots of CN locos are set up to run in the US.

I gave in and ordered a Lok Programmer today

As much as I despise having to drop $180 Cdn plus an as yet undetermined ransom for shipping, the deed is done.  

Tony's Trains website shows they are backordered, but despite it saying they don't charge your card until stock arrives, mine was charged instantly so with any luck they have stock and just haven't updated the website.  I look forward to modifying my custom programming track (or just making a second one) to facilitate ESU Locksound Programming.  It seems a lot of manufacturers are moving this way and eventually I realized "I can't fight City Hall" and an hour of my time is worth more than the device.

Now, if we could just get the NMRA to work with all the manufacturers to standardize on the same Decoder outputs hitting the same Aux Pads for the same lighting effects on all locomotives, we might have a useful standard.  I'm not sure why they don't all just license the Decoder Buddy and save the cost of engineering motherboards that, to me, just seem complicate matters.

Spoke with Bowser today …

I had found this gem in EBay a couple of weeks ago.  I knew it had a couple of missing detail parts, so once it arrived yesterday, I called Bowser to order a set of handrails and pilots. This one has a Loksound Select in it.  Not entirely sure of the vintage of the run.  Perhaps 2016 as they used Tsunamis in 2012 for about 8 months the chap said.  

It runs nice but the sound file has limited effects, so once my lok programmer arrives, I'm going to try and clone the one from the BCR Unit, although the horn on this model is very pleasant.

Main point of this post is the lightboards on the latest run.  The chap told me the manufacturer misunderstood the design and wired them wrong.  Evidently the wiring in general is overly complicated and delicate!  I ordered a couple of extra front and back light boards as they are less than a couple of LEDs so I will rewire when they get here and I want to add ditch lights to this unit as well.