swiftbeam

Since writing this thread boxbrownie, I have moved fully over to Zimo decoders from YouChoos and Digitrains. I very much like these businesses and found them to have all the products I need and they are very happy to help me. They are actually going above and beyond to help me in my early days of DCC. I do rather like the Zimo F2 braking, so all locos can be run off my Sig-NaTrak hand controllers with only five functions (sound, brakes, whistles all the important stuff). As you say, the Digitrains 08 sounds great, as does the YouChoos 8750, but not yet managed to get the 42 fired up to hear her. I've since bought a new Ixion Fowler and managed to get a big Rails Exclusive speaker between the frames, so she is ready for some sort of Zimo decoder at some point.

Thank you for the link to the speaker site Dungrange. Richard, I said, "Rather than keep asking questions, does anybody know of a site I can go to that gives a good overall of DCC speakers, there suitability and compatibility? " You replied, "Someone asked me a similar question the other day" Please note the word "anybody" in my question, and the word "me" in your reply. I was not asking you personally for a reply and I was most certainly not asking you to add anything onto your site. You seem to have taken my open question personally? If I am annoying the sound providers, that's unfortunate as all I'm trying to do is get the very expensive equipment they sold me working well. It is true I have dealt with a few DCC sellers and not been overly happy with some of the service I've had. I do note with interest that they are always very keen to take my money. I've had chats with friends about some of the traders I've used and they are also very unimpressed. As you say, if I've found traders I can work with, I will stick with them and seek their advice before buying their products rather than asking here. I would also very much appreciate you PM'ing me the list of all the traders that are unhappy with me, you clearly know a few. This will help me avoid them and upsetting them further. I will do as you tell me and only contact the traders that I like. I'll not post here anymore, and I am sincerely sorry for upsetting anybody involved with me. Over and out. Rob.

Hi, I just need a to find a page on the net that goes over the basics of what you can and can't fit onto decoders so I can buy in some speakers and have a play without blowing up hundreds of pounds worth of gear. I'd like to have a play with a mix of 'Bass' speakers and 'tweeters', but I have no idea what can go on what and how many of each. Just the basic stuff really, there is only so many times I can ask Digitrains and take up there time! I am buying gear from them as I ask, but they have a business to run and my spendings will not cover the down time they give to me to answer basic questions. So I assumed I could as the basics here?

Hi Richard, That's not actually what I'm asking and I have no idea who you are or what your business is? All I need is some info about what you can and can't put on a decoder so as not to blow it up. ie, can I put 10 home hifi speakers on the smallest decoder, can I link 15 speakers in a chain and expect it to work, can I use a 10,000ohm speaker on a decoder, if yes, how many etc etc. I just need to know the basics of speaker specs and what is relative to our DCC decoders. What speaker works in what loco is absolutely pointless as everybody hears differently and wants different things. BUT the maths of what will work with what does NOT change, and that's what I want to know. Looking on the net, all I find is info on guitar amps and home hifi, not much good to me really, and I just end up reading hours of stuff that doesn't apply mostly.

OK, Thank you for that. Rather than keep asking questions, does anybody know of a site I can go to that gives a good overall of DCC speakers, there suitability and compatibility?

Hi, I have two of these fitted in my Heljan O gauge Warship. https://www.dckits-devideos.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=223_239&product_id=432 All sounds very good, but it does sound rather like two speakers in a box (slightly muffled), which is what they are! What would happen if I swapped one of them for one of these, or swapped both for two of these? https://www.digitrains.co.uk/slim-boom-box.html I'm looking to try and loose some of the 'muffle' and bring in some slightly higher tones. All sounds a bit strangled at the mo. Thanks.

Kinda hard to "go for a manual" when the trader does not give you one, offer you one, tell you one exists or sends you a link to one! It's also hard to find a manual when you don't know what you are looking for, don't know what applies to you, the trader doesn't tell you what he has sent you and it comes in the wrong box. Then on top of all that, I am utterly useless at trawling through the net not knowing what to look for, hence I've spend a few days wasting my time. It gets to the point that it's just easier to ask the question here and just take the ' you are lazy' comments. I only own two ESU decoders, and both will be up for sale by the end of the week, I'll be fully Zimo by then. All the zimo sellers I have dealt with so far have been GREAT and they always come with instructions and very helpful traders on the other end of the phone :-) Anyway, I'm all sorted now, so thank you for help on the CV's :-)

Thank you for the two links, I'd spent most of the day wasting my time surfing Google and not for the first time. The problem is, if you don't know what you are looking for, you're wasting your time, that's me all over. I just wish the trader that sold me this decoder was more helpful.

Yep, thats the one guys, I've been reading and changing CV's all evening. Now it runs better, it has confirmed I'm not a fan of the way the throttle sounds relative to the acceleration. I'm going to buy a Zimo project in the hope it sounds better. Thanks.

Thank you, I didn't get any paperwork with my V5, so have spent all afternoon trying to find that CV on the net. I don't know what I'm doing to be honest and can't keep ringing shops to ask :-0

I have found Digitrains to give a GREAT service, but they don't do a 42 Warship, only YouChoos. Some people say the YouChoos diesels are not very good, but it will take me £220 to find out for myself :-( What does the Digitrains 08 sound like? Thanks

Hi, Does anybody have the CV for ESU V5 acceleration? Thanks.

Thanks, Yes, Digitrains Have offered to swap CV's about for me for a small fee, so that maybe my best bet? Does anybody know why the engine rev's drop and pic up again on my ESU 42 sound decoder when the loco is asked to move off from a standstill? All the 42's on Youtube that are filmed in real life simply increase in rev's as they pull away and do not drop down.

Can anybody tell me about the Class 42 warship sounds that are available on Zimo decoders?

Because I get paperwork in the pack showing me all CV's and friendly help and advice each time I need it with the Zimo retailers. I also get braking on F2 as standard, so I can run more than one loco at a time with manual brakes available on all hand units.

My next follow up was going to be asking about how good is the Digitrains sound on their Zimo decoders as I can't find sound samples on their site. How good do people consider the YouChoos diesel sounds with the F2 brake button? I'm trying to workout if I should sell off the ESU sound decoders and move over to Zimo sounds?

Hi, O Gauge. I know very little about DCC sound decoders, thus far I Have:- ESU Biffo in an 08 Shunter ESU Biffo in a 42 Warship Zimo YouChoos in an 8750 Pannier Tank. I'm using a Sig-na Trak system inc the hand held units as well. The hand held units have 5 function buttons F0-F1-F2-F3-F4. The 8750 has active braking on the F2 button and works really well. The 08 is slow enough to stop under control anyway. The Warship has it's brakes on F5 that can only be controlled off the main driving page as the hand held units on my Sig-na Trak only has up to F4 on them. The problem I have is that the Warship is almost uncontrollable as it will coast for meters once the throttle is cut from anything other than a VERY slow crawl and brakes can only be accessed if running off the main page. So basically I can't run the Warship off a hand held unit. Is there anyway to reduce the coasting affect on the 42 and strengthen the F5 brake if I run it off the main page? Thanks.

Hi, Maybe this is of no interest to anybody? My pet hate is locos that wobble from side to side due to incorrect wheel manufacture. I know people justify it by saying locos do it in real life, but they really don't wobble in a repeating rhythm. I found two fixes to this:- 1. Set up a jig and a dial test indicator on the wheel tread, find and mark all the high spots of the wheels, refit with wheels with all the marks in the same place. This method has worked for me, but takes care and a good small indicator of a certain type. What will happen if it does work is that the loco will simply rise and fall rather than wonk sideways. You can't see the rise and fall, so job done. I perfectly fixed a Bachmann 47 in 00 like this. May not work if you run your locos fast on big layouts, it may start to hop! This method will not work for locos with rods! 2. True the tyre treads in a lathe. With the loco axle locked in a three jaw and the wheel hard back to the chuck. Set up the lathe stops so all you can adjust is the depth of cut. Tread angles on small models seem to be about 2-3 degrees. This method has been 100% successful on my very wonky Dapol class 52 in 00 and just yesterday on my new Ixion GWR Fowler in O gauge. I found I needed a 0.003" skim to even up the 52 in 00 and 0.007" on the O gauge Fowler. A max cut needs to be found that will cover the worst wheel, and that needs to be applied to ALL the wheels! Another tip I found here yesterday, was that birchwood casey super blue gun bluing will actually darken (not fully blacken) the nickel and brass on the wheels, and doesn't affect the electrical contact at all. I use this stuff all the time on steel and I also have the brass bluing in my stocks, so I was surprised to find the super blue, made for steel, does work on the exposed brass of loco wheels and to a lesser extent on the nickel :-) Anyway, this may or may not help somebody, either way, I have smooth running non-wonky locos now :-)

Hi, I have just bought a new Ixion Fowler. Does anybody know of a sound project that will fit this loco? Thanks.

Nice looking model :-)

EPIC !!!!!!!!!!

Wow, that is very impressive! what sound project is it fitted with. I know I started this thread asking about GWR, but I like Pugs :-)

Rosspop, I see you have their Pug, how did you find that model?

Can anybody offer me any info on the GWR Springside Models 45xx in 0 gauge? If you'd rather, PM me :-) I'd like to see some pics of the finished model. Many thanks,

Does anybody have an opinion on the Finney GWR 51xx? What would be the advantages of buying this kit over the RTR Heljan 61xx? Thanks.