# ESU Sound Settings



## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

I recently purchased a Bowser Baldwin AS16. The bell, horn, and other such sounds, are at a good volume, but the prime mover is way to load. I have tried to lower the prime mover volume, but so far have not been successful. I can lower it, if I lower the master volume, but then the rest of the sound are to soft. I have changed CV32 to 1 before trying to change the other volumes. What am I missing?


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I don’t think Bowser offer a factory fitted decoder so you need to find out which model is fitted to your loco. I may be wrong. Do you have a manual? I have two Roco European models and they have ESU factory fitted decoders but the manual states there is only one CV for overall sound but the stand alone decoders should have the facility of adjusting individual sounds.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I have the same thing with an Atlas RS-1 with ESU LocSound.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> I don’t think Bowser offer a factory fitted decoder so you need to find out which model is fitted to your loco. I may be wrong. Do you have a manual? I have two Roco European models and they have ESU factory fitted decoders but the manual states there is only one CV for overall sound but the stand alone decoders should have the facility of adjusting individual sounds.


Bowser offers factory installed sound, in their executive line: http://www.bowser-trains.com/history/asloco.html

I do have a manual, CV 63 sets the master sound, which I can get to work, it lowers all of the sounds, but then the horn and bell are to quite. CV 259 sets the prime mover volume only, and I can not get this to change.


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

You do need to set CV32 to 1 first, but also be sure CV31 is set to 16 as well. Then use CV259 to set the prime mover volume.

Mark.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Those ESU systems provide a very complex manual that seems to expect all users to understand computer code. All other decoders have a simple CV settings chart to refer to.
I really don't like the ESUs for that very reason. I don't want to have to learn hex code just to adjust the horn volume.


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

D&J Railroad said:


> Those ESU systems provide a very complex manual that seems to expect all users to understand computer code. All other decoders have a simple CV settings chart to refer to.
> I really don't like the ESUs for that very reason. I don't want to have to learn hex code just to adjust the horn volume.


Never learned it myself either - makes my head hurt ....

Mark.,


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

D&J Railroad said:


> Those ESU systems provide a very complex manual that seems to expect all users to understand computer code. All other decoders have a simple CV settings chart to refer to.
> I really don't like the ESUs for that very reason. I don't want to have to learn hex code just to adjust the horn volume.


Other decoders have a simple chart to utilize because they can't even begin to do all the complex abilities that ESU decoders can. For example - you can put ANY output on ANY function button. Any function button can be inverted. Any function button can have parameters like drive / forward / reverse applied to them as well. All this ability is what led to the huge number of upper register CVs.

It's no different than learning how to use a new phone / computer / camera with all those unknown abilities. You just have to learn it. 

Mark.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Mark R. said:


> Other decoders have a simple chart to utilize because they can't even begin to do all the complex abilities that ESU decoders can. For example - you can put ANY output on ANY function button. Any function button can be inverted. Any function button can have parameters like drive / forward / reverse applied to them as well. All this ability is what led to the huge number of upper register CVs.
> 
> It's no different than learning how to use a new phone / computer / camera with all those unknown abilities. You just have to learn it.
> 
> Mark.


Well yeah, if you just want to impress someone with all the whistles and bells, but for just operating on a layout. Besides, remapping a function to another button is available on every decoder I have ever seen. When ya use the JMRI decoder pro, it makes that quite easy to do. JMRI doesn't seem to be able to toggle all the functions of the ESU decoders leaving you with having to buy the ESU programmer system. Just another form of what MTH tried to do years ago with their DCS system.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

Mark R. said:


> You do need to set CV32 to 1 first, but also be sure CV31 is set to 16 as well. Then use CV259 to set the prime mover volume.
> 
> Mark.


That did the trick, did not have CV 31 set. Thank you.


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

D&J Railroad said:


> .... Besides, remapping a function to another button is available on every decoder I have ever seen. When ya use the JMRI decoder pro, it makes that quite easy to do.


Try remapping the white or yellow wire to a function button higher than F6 on a TCS decoder .... not possible. Try remapping the white or yellow wire to a function button higher than F4 on a Digitrax decoder .... can't do that either. On an ESU decoder ? .... sure, any function button you want all the way up to F28. 



D&J Railroad said:


> .... JMRI doesn't seem to be able to toggle all the functions of the ESU decoders leaving you with having to buy the ESU programmer system. Just another form of what MTH tried to do years ago with their DCS system.


Sounds like you don't like ESU decoders because you are not willing to learn how to use them. That's ok .... I don't own a cell phone because I don't want to learn all the BS required to make it do just the basics - way too many "bells and whistles" for my liking. So, I don't like them. That doesn't mean there aren't others who DO like them and can operate them with their eyes closed.

I've been working with ESU decoders since the V3.5 was their latest decoder. I've put in the time and learned them front to back. I have yet to come up with some odd-ball way of controlling something that the ESU decoder couldn't do.

Mark.

Mark.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Mark R. said:


> Try remapping the white or yellow wire to a function button higher than F6 on a TCS decoder .... not possible. Try remapping the white or yellow wire to a function button higher than F4 on a Digitrax decoder .... can't do that either. On an ESU decoder ? .... sure, any function button you want all the way up to F28.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So what is the point of remapping the functions to something other than the standard. Ya have to have an instruction sheet with each locomotive to remember where everything is. A vast majority of DCC people just want to dial up a loco and run it. You or ESU are not going to make mapping, F function experts out of the model railroad community. All ESU is going to do is drive away a vast portion of the model railroad market. i have a 2,000 square foot basement with wall to wall empire of over 6.5 scale miles of double track mainline. I don't have the time to fiddle with details like ESU programming requirements.
This is about equivalent to laying track. A very small sliver of the model railroading community wants to go to the extent of laying ties then tacking track down to them. No problem with that if that's what they desire, however, you only have a small sliver of the model railroad community interested in your products. Heck, there's a good portion of the model railroad community who will only use snap track and curse away the flex track. They will get there when and if they want to.


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

D&J Railroad said:


> .... All ESU is going to do is drive away a vast portion of the model railroad market. ....


Then how do you explain more than 80% of the manufacturers having converted to Loksound (with at least two more coming) ? Must be doing something right ....

My local hobby shop quit stocking the other brands as only the Loksound decoders were selling. Had to damn near give away the others just to get rid of them. Frankly, I think your opinion is rather closed minded .... just proving my original comment. YOU don't like them, so just assume nobody else does either. Better have a closer look around ....

Mark.


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## ncrc5315 (Jan 25, 2014)

D&J Railroad said:


> So what is the point of remapping the functions to something other than the standard. Ya have to have an instruction sheet with each locomotive to remember where everything is.


Right there is the beauty of the ESU decoder, I want to be able to control the output of my front and rear lights regardless of motion/direction. I remap the rear light to F23, rear ditch lights to F24. These are unused functions on every decoder, no list required. With the Loc Programmer, it is very easy to program these decoders.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Yeah, I'm closed minded. I guess you have to start denigrating people to support your perspective.
I'm done here before ya start calling me racist. Happy railroading.


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## irishthump (Jul 1, 2013)

D&J Railroad said:


> A vast majority of DCC people just want to dial up a loco and run it.


Good point. Every Loksound I've bought has run perfectly out of the box. Every Tsunami I've bought hasn't and required extensive tweaking of CV's just to get it to do perform it's most basic function! Loksounds can be fine tuned using a built in feature which requires the programming of ONE SINGLE CV.

I've tried every brand of sound decoder and now use Loksounds exclusively. Simply because they are the best. The have the best motor control, best sound and have the most features.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

irishthump said:


> Good point. Every Loksound I've bought has run perfectly out of the box. Every Tsunami I've bought hasn't and required extensive tweaking of CV's just to get it to do perform it's most basic function! Loksounds can be fine tuned using a built in feature which requires the programming of ONE SINGLE CV.
> 
> I've tried every brand of sound decoder and now use Loksounds exclusively. Simply because they are the best. The have the best motor control, best sound and have the most features.


It’s true but I’m led to believe the latest generation Tsunamis are very much better in this respect.


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