shedman Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 A friend and I are dabbling in Lenz German 0 gauge in which all the locos are fitted with bespoke sound chips, remote uncoupling, lights etc. I have become used in 00 to reading and changing ESU sound chip functions etc through a Lokprogrammer and wondered if a Sprog would do the same for the Lenz. Has anyone out there tried this and knows whether the Sprog will read them? Should I have posted this in the overseas modelling or DCC sound forum? Sorry if this has been covered before - if so I haven't found it. Thsnks in advance, Trevor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 A friend and I are dabbling in Lenz German 0 gauge in which all the locos are fitted with bespoke sound chips, remote uncoupling, lights etc. I have become used in 00 to reading and changing ESU sound chip functions etc through a Lokprogrammer and wondered if a Sprog would do the same for the Lenz. Has anyone out there tried this and knows whether the Sprog will read them? Should I have posted this in the overseas modelling or DCC sound forum? Sorry if this has been covered before - if so I haven't found it. Thsnks in advance, Trevor It will greatly depend on whether these decoders are NMRA compliant in terms of CV protocols. If they are you will be able to change all the usual CV's without trouble. I was not aware that Lenz do a sound chip and I suspect that you have Deutz sound modules linked by a SUSI connector. Deutz sound chips operate on a completely different software suite to the ESU. You would do well to avoid interfering with the sound settings or the SUSI interface but they are capable of reloading sounds but only direct from Deutz. If you disconnect the SUSI you will invalidate the warranty. The SPROG is quite capable of addressing any Lenz decoder. It is they, after all, who were used for the NMRA protocols in the first place. Andrew Crosland is a member on here and you will need to know the Lenz decoder model number to use Decoder Pro on these chips. In general CV's 0-100 are rarely a problem. Above that you might run into compatibility problems. If you choose to adjust running characteristics, this might affect the way the sound is played but Herr Deutz can and will assist you if Lenz can't. You cannot use a SPROG to load sounds in general terms but I believe that Digitrax sound and Tsunami decoders are supported in depth by Decoder Pro Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedman Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 Thank you for your very speedy and helpful reply. I have never heard of Deutz sound modules and assumed that, as Lenz were involved in making DCC chips, and in devising the sytem in the first place, that they would produce their own chips for their 0 gauge. Nevertheless, it would appear from their instruction manuals that they are NMRA compliant, certainly CVs 1 to 29 look basically the same as normal chips. I am now left wondering how the chips are designated and whether they are recognised by the Sprog. Perhaps Andrew Crosland will be able to help with that.I am not looking to access or amend the sound files, but merely to ease the access and amendment of the usual CV's, eg maximum and minimum speed, acceleration and decelation etc. Thanks again, Trevor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Thank you for your very speedy and helpful reply. I have never heard of Deutz sound modules and assumed that, as Lenz were involved in making DCC chips, and in devising the sytem in the first place, that they would produce their own chips for their 0 gauge. Nevertheless, it would appear from their instruction manuals that they are NMRA compliant, certainly CVs 1 to 29 look basically the same as normal chips. I am now left wondering how the chips are designated and whether they are recognised by the Sprog. Perhaps Andrew Crosland will be able to help with that.I am not looking to access or amend the sound files, but merely to ease the access and amendment of the usual CV's, eg maximum and minimum speed, acceleration and decelation etc. Thanks again, Trevor They are not "recognised by the Sprog" as such. Its the JMRI software (works on almost any hardware) which does the recognition. And if its not recognised, then ask on the JMRIusers Yahoo group and someone will fix it fairly quickly. If the chip instructions say program with CV's then it works with CV's. Dietz sound units are an add-on to connectors attached to the DCC chip and signals in/out of the Dietz unit are controlled by the loco DCC decoder. - Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Thank you for your very speedy and helpful reply. I have never heard of Deutz sound modules and assumed that, as Lenz were involved in making DCC chips, and in devising the sytem in the first place, that they would produce their own chips for their 0 gauge. Nevertheless, it would appear from their instruction manuals that they are NMRA compliant, certainly CVs 1 to 29 look basically the same as normal chips. I am now left wondering how the chips are designated and whether they are recognised by the Sprog. Perhaps Andrew Crosland will be able to help with that.I am not looking to access or amend the sound files, but merely to ease the access and amendment of the usual CV's, eg maximum and minimum speed, acceleration and decelation etc. Thanks again, Trevor If you have an instruction manual and the sound module is connected by a miniature 4 pin plug and socket, the lenz decoder will almost certainly be a standard Gold. That will have an up to date DP profile. Remember though that JMRI is all American and Lenz kit is not sold in great numbers there so the SUSI and sound module is not known over there or indeed anywhere except Germany and the German speaking nations. The Lenz standard Gold is supplied over here with the SUSI connection as solder pads and Deutz sound is only available for certain locos, mainly European. There is no interest at Deutz in the UK market. This above scenario is one of a possible several but the instruction manual will give a decoder number and, if the DP file is not available on the latest version it will need a post on the JMRI users Yahoo Group to elicit the definition file. Which is what I did to get the self same file about four years ago and using a SPROG to change CV's Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Well done Andrew and sucks to me. Dietz. Actually on www.d-i-e-t-z.de. Deutz are makers of air cooled diesels engines in lorries mainly, or used to be. It is an age thingy I suspect Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedman Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Thanks very much to both of you for your help, which is extremely useful. You've given me food for thought. All the best, Trevor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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