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Spectrum SY sound

Started by sedfred, November 12, 2017, 12:38:52 PM

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sedfred

Im back! but anyway, i just bought a new locomotive at a train show today, a spectrum Susquehanna SY 2-8-2, #142. I now have 20 ho steamers in my collection! ( i just got a walthers 0-8-0, a BLI PRR T1, and a athearn big boy and i ordered a BLI S2 turbine 6-8-6) But anyway the SY is nice. Anyway the issue is, the Chuffing is very poorly timed, if i turn the power up and leave it just at the point where it doesn't move, it still makes chuffing sounds. And it is way out of sync with the drivers, like 1 chuff for every 2 revolutions.

I have to match the speed just right so it is correct. It is not in sync with the drivers. Is the sound normal?  because the box doesn't mention anything about sound. So i think it was added afterwards. Is it just out of sync because it's DC? Should i just remove the sound completely?

Hunt

The cadence of the exhaust chuff to match the locomotive driver wheel rotation is set by DCC CV, which one(s) depends on the sound decoder. If you are using DC have someone with a DCC system capable of programming CVs to turn exhaust chuff sound or all the sounds off. Or you can remove the sound decoder and replace with dummy plug(s) or hardwire as required.

The decoder installed can be identified using the value in CV 7 and CV 8.


Trainman203

Even with DCC, you can never get chuff timing perfect.  The trick is to find the cv 116 setting that is minimally off-timingover the widest speed range.  Try setting it at 150 and run it at step 10 of 128 or 4 of 28.  That is a good switching speed.  It should be getting pretty close.  Adjust up or down to suit.  Faster than that , you can't really count the chuffs.  Slower, you may have to adjust more to suit.

Congratulations on your steam collection.  Get them while you can.  Fewer are offered every day.