Sound issues with Bachmann 37410, Help!

[Bruce Depot]

Having received 37410 as a present after being shipped from the UK, finding it difficult

to operate without problems, first every time it stalls the sound drops out and requires a re-start

plus being used on a small end to end layout the engine revs only seem to be kicking in as

its already slowing down!

I have a number of Howes sound chips and they all work fine so can anyone advise what settings

I can try and change on this loco, Don't really want to have the chip re-blown if it can be avoided.

 

thanks

Keith

Lanzarote

[ChrisB]

This same problem has been discussed numerous times on here but, for a start, try halving the values of CVs 5 and 6. Don't forget to remember the original settings though. Some of my locos have these CVs reduced even further. Experiment to see what suits you.

[Nigelcliffe]

Further, if this is a LokSound V4 chip, then CV122=3 may prevent the sounds from restarting each time there is a stall. However, keeping the track, pickups and wheels clean is better. A more advanced fix is to add a "keep alive" capacitor to the chip, there are solder pads for this on the chip and instructions in the LokSound V4 decoder manual.

[Bruce Depot]

Thanks Both, will try changing the CV's and see what difference it makes.

I did try searching for threads on this as remember seeing some a while ago but

for some reason didn't find them, perhaps a case of what's entered in the search

box!

Keith

[leopardml2341]

........... the engine revs only seem to be kicking in as its already slowing down!

 

 

 

Is this yet another case of Loksound V3.5 files being blown on to a V4 chip I wonder ?

[Bruce Depot]

Hoping to find time tonight after work to play with the CV´s, Have tried in the past

(before posting this thread) without sucess so not even 100% sure it allow me to

re-programe the chip! Will advise later/tomorrow

 

cheers

keith

[Bruce Depot]

Have had a couple of goes at trying to re-program the CV´s, as far as I can tell the chip

is NOT accepting any changes and just continues to work as it came.

If I was in the UK, I might have looked at sending the loco back but not

really an option so not sure what to do really.

[Lochnagar]

I know this is stating the obvious, but make sure the wheels/pickups are clean as this can cause problems with decoders not getting enough 'oomph'

[Bruce Depot]

Yes, these where cleaned the other day. So are sparkling at present!

Keith

[leopardml2341]

Hello Keith,

 

In your OP you say......

 

"plus being used on a small end to end layout the engine revs only seem to be kicking in as

its already slowing down!"

 

I am told this is symptomatic of the use of a ver 3.5 soundfile on a V4.0 chip - see my thread about Bachmann D27 here :-

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53990-Bachmann-peak-d27-sound/page__fromsearch__1

 

My loco is back at Bachmann, and they've had it for long enough now..............

 

Andy

[Bruce Depot]

Thanks Andy, have checked your thread out

 

Like I said before, if I was in the UK I would look at sending it back

However looking like the best option and perhaps the cheapest will be a chip

reblow by Howes (again).

 

Second time I have brought a Bachmann sound fitted loco and it seems the second time I will

have ended up having the chip re-blown. 37254 was the first one. Will not be making it three

that´s for sure.

Keith

[Nigelcliffe]

 

Second time I have brought a Bachmann sound fitted loco and it seems the second time I will

have ended up having the chip re-blown. 37254 was the first one. Will not be making it three

that´s for sure.

Keith

 

No harm in buying "sound fitted" by train maker if the price is good. Sometimes the price with sound is considerably less than buying the same loco without decoder, and then adding a sound decoder yourself. Just budget for possible "reblow" cost to ensure that its still a good price.

 

- Nigel

[leopardml2341]

No harm in buying "sound fitted" by train maker if the price is good. Sometimes the price with sound is considerably less than buying the same loco without decoder, and then adding a sound decoder yourself. Just budget for possible "reblow" cost to ensure that its still a good price.

 

- Nigel

 

Are you being serious ?

 

Buy something and then pay for a third party to put it right.

 

What about fitness for purpose ?

 

The point is that it should be usable 'as bought' - I don't doubt that there may be personal preferences, but something that simply does not work properly is a different issue altogether.

 

Andy

[McGomez]

This version of the Bachmann 37 seems to have been dogged with problems.

One of the reasons for the bad running was because the middle axle sat proud of the other 2 and caused the bogie to rock to and fro.

 

If the chip was one of the Bachmann originals in V3,5 it could have something to do with the notching being left on.

A mate of mine had the habit of taking the loco off the track before it had stopped moving with the sound still on and had also been playing with the notch-up but hadn´t turned it off or hadn´t used the notch-down and this caused problems of the type you refer to Keith.

I think notch-up is F6 and notch down F7 but check on the instruction leaflet.

 

 

Hope you find the solution

[Nigelcliffe]

Are you being serious ?

 

Buy something and then pay for a third party to put it right.

 

What about fitness for purpose ?

 

The point is that it should be usable 'as bought' - I don't doubt that there may be personal preferences, but something that simply does not work properly is a different issue altogether.

 

Yes, quite serious.

I and many others bought Bachmann 20's with the old "whislting scream" sound file a few years ago. Paid a price was "Sound decoder with free class 20 loco". As supplied, the loco worked completely correctly, so it was "fit for purpose". But, sound is very annoying and tiring to listen to. So, like many others, I paid for a re-blow. Budget becomes: " price of sound decoder, price of reblow, loco free", or still much cheaper than buying a class 20 and a separate sound decoder with the "nice" sound file on it, and a lot less work than fitting a decoder into a non-sound class 20.

 

I do agree that if a loco doesn't work, then back to supplier. If it stops playing suddenly, or otherwise misbehaves, then back to supplier. That's a totally different situation.

 

 

There is then the interesting middle ground. If I knew that model XYZ was faulty, but if I reblew it, the result would be good, then I can take an informed choice as a customer. It might be financially worth my while to do this. This is like buying a loco where I know it needs work to bring it up to my personal modelling standards, be it "wrong number" or "not enough detail", or "different couplings needed" or "wrong track gauge" (though I'd quite like it, the big brands don't offer RTR in 2mm Finescale or P4). Modellers often buy stuff with the intention of altering it to meet their needs, so those models are clearly "faulty" to some extent.

 

 

- Nigel

[leopardml2341]

 

(cut)................. or otherwise misbehaves, then back to supplier. (cut)

 

Modellers often buy stuff with the intention of altering it to meet their needs, so those models are clearly "faulty" to some extent.

 

- Nigel

 

So we agree then !

 

I would consider brake release not being played until well on the move and engine revs climbing after being brought to a halt - a perfect example of 'misbehaving'.{sic.}

 

Hence why it's been returned to the manufacturer to be rectified.

 

With respect to " ............buy stuff with the intention of altering it to meet their needs..........." again we agree entirely, but I had NO intention or desire to alter the sound system in any way. I simply expected it to perform as described in the accompanying instruction sheet; I cannot see any justification for having to pay for rectification by a third party.

 

If I had known the item to require modification before it could be used; then you have a point and any purchase would have been made with this in mind, but Bachmann are unlikely to emblazon their boxes or other advertising with "DCC sound (that doesn't work properly)" so the only way to find out was to purchase said item.

 

Incidentally I model in 4mm scale EM gauge - so I did factor in, as you advocate, the cost of re-wheeling at the time of purchase.

 

Kind regards,

 

Andy

[Bruce Depot]

This version of the Bachmann 37 seems to have been dogged with problems.

One of the reasons for the bad running was because the middle axle sat proud of the other 2 and caused the bogie to rock to and fro.

 

If the chip was one of the Bachmann originals in V3,5 it could have something to do with the notching being left on.

A mate of mine had the habit of taking the loco off the track before it had stopped moving with the sound still on and had also been playing with the notch-up but hadn´t turned it off or hadn´t used the notch-down and this caused problems of the type you refer to Keith.

I think notch-up is F6 and notch down F7 but check on the instruction leaflet.

 

 

Hope you find the solution

Thanks, I have never used notching, as all my other sound chips are Howes (or reblown by them) so never had any dealings with this area

of sound operation. Will have a play a bit more but I suspect it will be a re-blow at some stage.

cheers

Keith