# Problems with Soundtraxx Tsunami Lighting Functions



## SSBN743

Through trial and error I believe I’ve found some issues with the Soundtraxx decoder on an Athearn Genesis GP50 and wanted to see if anyone else in the community has experienced this anomaly. With a quick Google search I noted that there were other similar issues out there, but nothing quite in tune with what I’m seeing.

The lighting features are controlled by CV’s 49-54, 57, & 58.

49 Headlights
50 Backup Lights
51 FX5
52 FX6 (According to the manual)
53 FX5B (According to the manual addendum)
54 FX6B (According to the manual addendum)
57 FX5, FX6 Direction Control (According to the manual addendum)
58 FX Master Enable

My locomotive has a headlight, a backup light, and two forward ditch lights in the front below the headlight and port and starboard of the center line.

Ok, so CV’s 49 & 50 work fine in whatever mode I choose using the lighting value chart in the reference literature.

CV 51 does not control FX5; it controls the starboard ditch light. CV 52 is not FX6, it controls the port ditch light. CV’s 53 and 54 do not work at all and FX6 will not function at all, in any mode, and believe me, I have tried every possible combination.

CV 57 defines the use of its 8-bit register as follows where the F signifies Front and the R signifies Rear:
Bit 7=FX6B.R, 6=FX6B.F, 5=FX6A.R, 4=FX6A.F, 3=FX5B.R, 2=FX5B.F, 1=FX5A.R, 0=FX5A.F

CV 51 is mapped to FX5A.F and FX5A.R, it really doesn’t matter which one you select.
CV 52 is mapped to FX6A.F and FX6A.R even though it works through function #5 – and the same deal as CV 51, it doesn’t matter which one you choose.

CV 58, the supposed FX Master Enable that is supposed to allow FX5 and FX6 override capability (according to the manual) does nothing of the sort. Setting the value to 0 allows all lights to function, 1 disables the port ditch light, 2 disables the starboard ditch light, and 3 disables all lights (even the headlight and backup lights).

I’m pretty annoyed here. One, because the documentation is so far removed from the truth that I had to spend over a week uncovering the real story; and two, because I apparently do not have all the features and/or capabilities that I’m supposed to have. Why does FX6 not work and why are the CV 58 mappings all wrong? AAARRRGGHHHHH!

Is this new? Am I missing something?

I went through this pretty methodically, so I’m confident in my results – someone else must have noticed this; right?


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## Brakeman Jake

If your Tsunami is an OEM feature,it carries only the minimal CVs for the original features of your loco.As per Athearn's requirements,many CVs were deleted and replaced by ...frustration.You're not missing anything.


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## Mark R.

Jake has the answer. The OEM Tsunami's are a different animal from the "off the peg" versions you buy - which is what the manual you are reading is for. The OEM versions are a stripped down, bare bones basic version.

I honestly don't know why they went that route - the OEM Loksound decoders are the exact same ones you can get off the shelf !

Mark.


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## SSBN743

OK, well thanks guys – at least I know I’m not going insane!

One quick update that I discovered last night:

I trusted that the default function mapping configuration in the manual was the default function mapping – guess I’m a loon huh? Anyway, I discovered that Function 5 was actually mapped to actuate both Functions 5 and 6 when activated. So that’s why I couldn’t get Function 6 to work at all – it wasn’t mapped and function 5 was activating it.

So that minor issue is resolved but I am still seeing all the other issues. This is pretty annoying – makes me not want to buy Athearn loco’s anymore – I guess they’re trying to squeeze some more money out of you when you figure out the OEM decoder is a POS and want to buy the real decoder.


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## Brakeman Jake

Don't blame Soundtraxx for this...it all boils down to what the customer is willing to pay,in this case Athearn who is trying to compete with others in order to sell their products.Bachmann Sound Value decoders also are short legged Soundtraxx decoders with the same goal in mind...selling to people who don't want to pay for the best.

Is it wrong?Yes and no in my mind.It wouldn't be a problem if loco makers weren't allowed to call these decoders Tsunami units,because they aren't.They're look alikes that probably are as reliable as any Soundtraxx decoders,but much less featured.Sort of Chevrolet BelAir vs Cadillac comparison.


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## Grabbem88

Have you pulled the shell yet?

Curious cause my gp50 NS is wired as ditch lights in the front are fx5 and the rear ditch lights are wired to rear light function so nothing is mapped to ditch lights in rear cause they are wired different

About cv's. this one isnt missing any cv's as I went through them but I could be wrong??


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## Brakeman Jake

Grabbem88...how would you like your F & R ditch lights to work?How are the front ones working right now?Steady on I believe,can they flash alternately?Is the decoder a Tsunami?


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## Grabbem88

Mine work the way they are supposed to do and front are f5

Tsunami btw I just think genesis use full tsunami decoders but the new sd40 rtr is a economy decoder


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## SSBN743

Brakeman Jake said:


> Don't blame Soundtraxx for this...it all boils down to what the customer is willing to pay,in this case Athearn who is trying to compete with others in order to sell their products.Bachmann Sound Value decoders also are short legged Soundtraxx decoders with the same goal in mind...selling to people who don't want to pay for the best.
> 
> Is it wrong?Yes and no in my mind.It wouldn't be a problem if loco makers weren't allowed to call these decoders Tsunami units,because they aren't.They're look alikes that probably are as reliable as any Soundtraxx decoders,but much less featured.Sort of Chevrolet BelAir vs Cadillac comparison.


Well, I don’t really want to get into an economics discussion here but it’s a problem for me. Largely, because I paid for something that was advertised, obtained the correct user manual, and wham; discovered that I didn’t have the real McCoy! That’s beyond an economics/supply and demand issue, in my opinion, and is more in line with being hustled; though I’m sure it’s in the fine print somewhere.

That said, I don’t mind this decoder – it’s actually the best one I have. I have another Athearn Genesis FP45. I found it at a train show brand new for $60 and thought I was getting a steal. Turns out, it was the DC/DCC version of the FP45; it even has some crazy remote control for the sound features in case you were running DC but still wanted sound. Needless to say, the decoder is less than I desired and far below the Athearn GP50 that we are discussing here.

The only real issues with the GP50 are:

Lighting – FX5 and FX6 do not behave like the manual says they do. I also do not have the FX5B and FX6B functions at all. Ironically, CV58, the override function, does sort-of work despite not being listed in the main manual, but instead being listed in the addendum that also lists the FX5B and FX6B functions – funny that part of the originally unlisted configuration works and not the other.

Dimmer - I’m having trouble – it won’t seem to work unless it’s mapped to the default function map – then it works fine – figures huh?

Air horn selector – This CV is not anywhere close to what’s listed in the manual. There are only 5 options in reality, but the manual lists 16 options for each primary and secondary horn – not! Also, whenever you change any horn related variable, you must power cycle the loco for it to take effect – not something I have had to do on anything else and the manual says nothing about it (couple of hours wasted there).

Bottom line though is that the GP50 has a lot of configuration options, far more than my other decoders and they generally work. One thing that I really like is the automatic signaling feature that I don’t have the option for on anything else. Still, it’s troubling that, although my issues are pretty minor, Athearn is in this kind of business practice. If they are going to do things this way, the least they could do is publish the correct manual – instead of some generic POS that I have to spend hours of trial and error troubleshooting to decipher.



Grabbem88 said:


> Have you pulled the shell yet?
> 
> Curious cause my gp50 NS is wired as ditch lights in the front are fx5 and the rear ditch lights are wired to rear light function so nothing is mapped to ditch lights in rear cause they are wired different
> 
> About cv's. this one isnt missing any cv's as I went through them but I could be wrong??


No, I haven’t popped the hood yet. However, I only have 4 lights, HL/BL, and two forward ditch lights – there’s nothing in the rear other than the BL.

As for the missing CV’s, check 53, 54, 58 (I have 58 but it doesn’t work as advertised), 119, 215, 5, 6, & 9 – those are the one’s that I don’t have, or that behave differently than stated in the documentation.


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## SSBN743

I thought of a question last night in light of the situation with OEM decoders that we’re discussing in this thread.

Since the OEM decoders are less than adequate; what do you guys recommend doing to combat this issue? Do you buy DCC Ready Loco’s and then buy the decoder of your choice separate?

I’m just curious, and if that’s what everyone else does I guess I’ll do the same – the price tag will be about the same. Obviously, I’ll have to install the decoder myself, but if I can avoid all the issues listed in this thread, then I’m all-in.


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## Grabbem88

If it isn't esu equipped I usually don't buy it with sound but athearn genesis are nice other than there bulbs..

Also your ditch lights left is on f6 and right are on f5 if you didn't know that


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## Grabbem88

Also tsunami does not support cv 5 and 6 oem or aftermarket gotta use speed table and or 66/95


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## Mark R.

I biggest problem I see from reading this thread, is that you are referencing the full Tsunami manual for CVs and functions when they don't apply to that decoder. The OEM Tsunami decoders aren't a full-blown version you would buy yourself.

You need to use the Athearn / Tsunami manual to do any adjustments to those decoders. Many of the aspects you've "discovered" are listed here (including the fact there are only six horns) ....

http://www.athearn.com/Content/PDF/SoundTraxx Quick Start Guide.pdf

Manufacturers seldom provide much information with their products these days as it is all available online on their site.

Mark.


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## Mark R.

Even IF the Athearn Genesis is using a full featured Tsunami decoder, it may not necessarily match what the online manual says.

In my experience in programming Loksound decoders for OEM installations, the manufacturer specifies how they want the decoder configured, which more often than not, is a departure from the "norm". Some people have their own ideas how they want their product configured and it can be entirely different from the way the "off the shelf" decoders are configured. Trust me - we try to talk them into maintaining a standard for the decoder, but they don't always listen ....

Mark.


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