Better CV values for the Sound Value 2-8-0

Started by Trainman203, March 06, 2021, 04:13:58 PM

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Trainman203

For more realistic slow speed operation, I have found that these values really improve things.

CV:210:  1.  This should really slow your engine down.
CV 209:  between 200 and 255.  This should smooth out the jerky operation resulting from changing 209.  Experiment to find the best.  It varied some between my engines.
CV 212:  200.  This should slow the engine even more.  You can try taking it down to 150.

You'll have to adjust the speed of the chuff.  This is CV 116.  I have engines that like it anywhere between 150 and 175.  The idea is to get 4 chuffs per driver turn at the speed you mostly run at, which is between 4 and 12 steps out of 128 for me.  It will never be completely right for all speeds .  You are trying to get it equally minimally wrong over as wide a range as you can.  At my settings, running it much faster turns the chuff into a jet engine sound, but then, I only switch and run locals with my engines....... which is all the prototype mostly did anyway.

The last adjustments I make are discretionary.  I think CV 136, the blowdown, needs to be louder at 200.

One big shortcoming of Sound Value is that it lacks CV 113, which keeps the engine silent at layout power up until you move the engine.  The sound just comes on when you power up the track, which I find annoying with my other engines remaining silent.   The air pump is way too loud.  I turn CV 132 down to 20 or 25 which helps somewhat.  The blower, 134, can be turned way down too, to 8.  If you want to return everything to factory default,  enter 8 for cv 8, then rock engine and tender off the rail enough to break contact.  The headlight will acknowledge receipt by flashing 16 times.

There are other CVs that can stand fine tuning but for me, these are the big ones.

Try these out and report back.

Trainman203

Nobody else try these yet?  The 2-8-0 runs SO MUCH BETTER with these settings than factory settings.  Of course, you can't do the changes on EZ command, you have to have a more advanced DCC system.