Loksound 5

[Martin-C]

Hi Charlie,

Does Locoman's V5 Britannia also appear yet in your wider family of imminent project releases?

Martin

[40034_Nick]

1 hour ago, charliepetty said:

 

Our first 'Full Fat' projects are the S Stock, Realtrack Class 156 EMT & Provincial & Hattons Class 66.

 

Charlie  (Legomanbiffo Team)

 

I will deffo be getting that Shed (BR large logo) !!! even though i hate the things .. LOL

[Jim]

I’ve been fettling with my v5 today.

 

Im sure the v5 has many features but the huge intrinsic issue is the lack of slow acceleration like the v4 “bug”

 

Brian from Howes was excellent and suggested some ideas about the acceleration.

he gave me cv values 68-93. Excellent stuff!

It did slow the loco’s acceleration by reducing the speed in each step but that caused the power steps on the controller being different to the rest of my locos and accelerated quickly after the midway point to reach the max power value and the braking rate was uneven. So unable to use in a consist.

 

It reminds me of messing with v3.5s.

I think the speed steps in the v5 are too coarse.

Until that gets fixed I’m keeping clear of them.

 

I'm a little worried the Hattons 66 will be using them.

jim

[40034_Nick]

worrying.. Does anyone know who still has a supply of 21 Pin V4s ???

[wiggy1]

From what I'm reading, the issue is consisting V4 decoders with V5 decoders in the same type of loco.

 

As the V5 has done away with a few features like CV6 and CV48 as an example and the Hornby/Electron motor control to name but a few its early days so I think the same issue was around with 3.5 consisting with V4.

 

At the moment the best way is to consist is with the same type of decoder V4 with V4 and V5 with V5.

 

I'm sure you will get the same issue consisting with ESU and Zimo etc..

 

Wiggy.

 

 

[40034_Nick]

27 minutes ago, wiggy1 said:

From what I'm reading, the issue is consisting V4 decoders with V5 decoders in the same type of loco.

 

As the V5 has done away with a few features like CV6 and CV48 as an example and the Hornby/Electron motor control to name but a few its early days so I think the same issue was around with 3.5 consisting with V4.

 

At the moment the best way is to consist is with the same type of decoder V4 with V4 and V5 with V5.

 

I'm sure you will get the same issue consisting with ESU and Zimo etc..

 

Wiggy.

 

 

I have most of my stuff on consist. so i am sticking to V4 with the few non chiped or ones i want to upgrade from 3.5 for 4-8Ohm

[Jim]

6 hours ago, Richard Croft said:

I feel like I’m misssing something, I’ve got v5’s in most of my models now with mainly Legomanbiffo sound and the acceleration is slow and smooth in all of them. I’ve got a lokprogrammer so I can adjust the settings easier than using CV’s but I haven’t had to anyway.

 

Richard

The v5 is a good decoder as was the v3.5.

I think the issue is the available timing between each power step.

On the v4 you could set this quite long, so taking two minutes to get to the max power setting.

I think with the v5, it’s the same as the v3.5. The maximum time you can set between power steps is something like 0.9 of a second.

if you set the v4 to this then they would probably match in a consist but, that would then mean adapting all the other locos back to a v3.5 type of acceleration which some find a little quick even set at the highest values.

If Loksound fix this with a software upgrade the v5 will be a great decoder, just need a programmer unit then!

 

Jim

[blueeighties]

3 hours ago, Jim said:

The v5 is a good decoder as was the v3.5.

I think the issue is the available timing between each power step.

On the v4 you could set this quite long, so taking two minutes to get to the max power setting.

I think with the v5, it’s the same as the v3.5. The maximum time you can set between power steps is something like 0.9 of a second.

if you set the v4 to this then they would probably match in a consist but, that would then mean adapting all the other locos back to a v3.5 type of acceleration which some find a little quick even set at the highest values.

If Loksound fix this with a software upgrade the v5 will be a great decoder, just need a programmer unit then!

 

Jim

Immaterial though really Jim isn't it when you have wrote off the new V5s within hours of install.

It's a new piece of electronic kit. It has been upgraded and improved from previous versions. Are we all still using V3s due to 'incompatibility' issues with newer versions? No, I thought not. Once we understand and become competent with them, every upgrade has offered significant improvements. 

The kit will perform fine, however as always, we need that period of getting used to, and understanding how the new technology works, and how to get the best out of it both from a user and programmers point of view. 

A bit of patience is indeed a virtue.

 

[Jim]

55 minutes ago, blueeighties said:

Immaterial though really Jim isn't it when you have wrote off the new V5s within hours of install.

It's a new piece of electronic kit. It has been upgraded and improved from previous versions. Are we all still using V3s due to 'incompatibility' issues with newer versions? No, I thought not. Once we understand and become competent with them, every upgrade has offered significant improvements. 

The kit will perform fine, however as always, we need that period of getting used to, and understanding how the new technology works, and how to get the best out of it both from a user and programmers point of view. 

A bit of patience is indeed a virtue.

 

All very true and I hope we can learn more..but I have £221 worth of loco and decoder that I can't use with the rest of my loco fleet.

[wiggy1]

12 hours ago, wiggy1 said:

From what I'm reading, the issue is consisting V4 decoders with V5 decoders in the same type of loco.

 

As the V5 has done away with a few features like CV6 and CV48 as an example and the Hornby/Electron motor control to name but a few its early days so I think the same issue was around with 3.5 consisting with V4.

 

At the moment the best way is to consist is with the same type of decoder V4 with V4 and V5 with V5.

 

I'm sure you will get the same issue consisting with ESU and Zimo etc..

 

Wiggy.

 

 

 

Just had another look into this and tried the flowing.

 

Loaded the same 4.0 file to two identical locos both with the same address and set them off round the track.

One very slightly caught the other but nothing to worry about.

 

I then converted one file to v5 and did the same.

The converted file took some time to accelerate up to full speed consequently the other loco on v4 ran into the back of it.

 

Checking the v4 file against the v5 file I found that in the conversion the v5 file defaulted to an Exponential speed curve meaning that if the original v4 file was a linear speed curve (straight line) when converted it change to an Exponential speed curve. (starts slow and gradually increases)

 

Wiggy.

[cravensdmufan]

45 minutes ago, wiggy1 said:

 

Just had another look into this and tried the flowing.

 

Loaded the same 4.0 file to two identical locos both with the same address and set them off round the track.

One very slightly caught the other but nothing to worry about.

 

I then converted one file to v5 and did the same.

The converted file took some time to accelerate up to full speed consequently the other loco on v4 ran into the back of it.

 

Checking the v4 file against the v5 file I found that in the conversion the v5 file defaulted to an Exponential speed curve meaning that if the original v4 file was a linear speed curve (straight line) when converted it change to an Exponential speed curve. (starts slow and gradually increases)

 

Wiggy.

That is interesting information thanks Wiggy.

 

Is there an easy way to switch back to the linear speed curve on the v5 - one that the customer can do themselves? 

[Jim]

4 hours ago, Jim said:

All very true and I hope we can learn more..but I have £221 worth of loco and decoder that I can't use with the rest of my loco fleet.

I’d just like to add, yes I was and still am a little frustrated, which came across in a couple of my comments but, I don’t want to be negative about the v5. It’s here and it’s not going away.

 

It’s kind of interesting looking into the guts of the decoders and understanding more about how they work.

I’m toying with the idea of buying a programmer so I can learn more and experiment....and then be committed to Loksound decoders..!

 

I’m sure our community will learn more about how to use these new decoders and what more they have to offer.

Jim

[wiggy1]

2 hours ago, cravensdmufan said:

That is interesting information thanks Wiggy.

 

Is there an easy way to switch back to the linear speed curve on the v5 - one that the customer can do themselves? 

 

Yes but it involves quite a few CV changes as you have to make a curved line straight.

If you want them you have my email address.

Wiggy.

[Hamburger]

My advice is:

 

Load down the free LokProgrammer software from the ESU website, available in English, and install it.

No hardware needed.

Play around with it for a while.

Without the hardware you surely can not damage anything.

Go through all the settings.

You will get an impression how things work.

You can example define a speed curve and then read all the values of that curve.

Acc/dec times are shown if you change CVs3/4.

And so on . . .

 

[Jim]

13 hours ago, Hamburger said:

My advice is:

 

Load down the free LokProgrammer software from the ESU website, available in English, and install it.

No hardware needed.

Play around with it for a while.

Without the hardware you surely can not damage anything.

Go through all the settings.

You will get an impression how things work.

You can example define a speed curve and then read all the values of that curve.

Acc/dec times are shown if you change CVs3/4.

And so on . . .

 

Excellent,

That sounds like a plan...!

 

jim

[Hamburger]

[charliepetty]

10 hours ago, Hamburger said:

If anyone is interested, dckits-Legomanbiffo can do an intro offer on the Programmer for £130.00.

 

See www.dckits-devideos.co.uk

[7013]

Have just fitted a V5 in my CL 41 Warship. Acceleration, deceleration are fine, my problem is setting the sound volume. All the sounds are quite loud, however I have gone through all the usual procedures to reduce the overall sound to no avail, I also tried to reduce the horn sounds, again to no avail. I did the usual of ensuring CV31 was on 16 and CV32 was on 1, then programmed the sound CVs. There was a discernable click (on my Lenz system) as each CV changed, and I read them back to ensure they had changed, but that Warship reminds me of when I was a nipper standing next to the real thingi .e. noisy!.Anyone else had these issues?

 

[wiggy1]

35 minutes ago, 7013 said:

Have just fitted a V5 in my CL 41 Warship. Acceleration, deceleration are fine, my problem is setting the sound volume. All the sounds are quite loud, however I have gone through all the usual procedures to reduce the overall sound to no avail, I also tried to reduce the horn sounds, again to no avail. I did the usual of ensuring CV31 was on 16 and CV32 was on 1, then programmed the sound CVs. There was a discernable click (on my Lenz system) as each CV changed, and I read them back to ensure they had changed, but that Warship reminds me of when I was a nipper standing next to the real thingi .e. noisy!.Anyone else had these issues?

 

 

Who's sound file are you using and what CV's have to tried to change?

Is it the overall volume you want to adjust or individual sounds?

 

Total volume is CV63=          you don't need to adjust CV31 or CV32 both 0

 

Replied in good faith.

Wiggy.

[7013]

Thank s Wiggy I bought it from DC kits but it is the BR range which I believe was a Howes file. All the sounds are quite loud, I will try what you suggest.

[wiggy1]

15 minutes ago, 7013 said:

Thank s Wiggy I bought it from DC kits but it is the BR range which I believe was a Howes file. All the sounds are quite loud, I will try what you suggest.

 

Yes if its from Charlie it will probably be Howes as Bif does not do a class 41 Warship as yet.

Is this the new one from Kernow?

Wiggy.

Edited April 20, 2019 by wiggy1

[7013]

Yes it is D601 Ark Royal, a nice loco and the sound file is not bad at all, just too loud. I will have to take it to my clubs running/test track so that I can hear what it sounds like at speed.

[7013]

I am beginning to lose the will to live now, sound is ok, horns still too loud, however whereas there were no running problems before going one way it starts off lovely no probs, change direction it goes off like s**t off a shovel! Turn the loco around and R to L great, L to R takes off at speed again, I have never had a loco that does that? Is reset on the V 5 the same Cv 8 set to 8 , presumably it does not wipe the sound file?

Edited April 20, 2019 by 7013

[7013]

Have a feeling that I have a duff decoder as it takes off in one direction, quickly but stays at the same speed regardless of how fast I set, works perfectly the other way  

[wiggy1]

53 minutes ago, 7013 said:

I am beginning to lose the will to live now, sound is ok, horns still too loud, however whereas there were no running problems before going one way it starts off lovely no probs, change direction it goes off like s**t off a shovel! Turn the loco around and R to L great, L to R takes off at speed again, I have never had a loco that does that? Is reset on the V 5 the same Cv 8 set to 8 , presumably it does not wipe the sound file?

 

Yes cv8=8.

 

As far as I know there is no setting for forward speed and reverse speed but I'll have a look but never had to choose that option so unless someone else knows different, have a feeling that there might be but until I have a play I can't say for sure but anything is possible with ESU.