Spent much of today playing around with my Bachmann Class 20 with sound.
Playing around with the Select I have noticed that the inertia settings are the key to getting a good sound effect. The default inertia settings are 8/64 for acceleration and 6/64 for the Class 20. Increasing this to about 25/65 brings in the cruising sound at a lower level of speed and all the effects up and down the power bandwidth seem to last longer (obviously!) and kick in and more appropriate moments. The longer inertia settings definitely add to the realism with the 14 grain wagons being hauled.
Setting shunting speed "on" provides plenty of chug chug sounds as the motor picks up and slows down again during slow speed shunting operations with plenty of brake squeel. Longish inertia settings here do make for a very authentic shunting experience.
The sound is set at maximum volume 64 out of 64 and unless you have a console that can change CV values or have access to a console that can change CV values then you are unable to alter this sound level. Neither the EZ-Command or the Select permit this. The defualt setting may be a bit loud for some.
Using the Select for your chosen loco you press both the function button and the function number keeping them both depressed and after 2 seconds the horn sounds or whatever. With the EZ-Command you press the function button once and the keypad numbers then act as function numbers for the chosen loco. Press the function button once again and the keypad buttons act as loco address buttons.
Those who are seriously into sound and high specification decoders will require a console that that can change CV values. Budget console offerings do not permit this. I don't think anybody could have any issues with the slow speed running of the loco which is very smooth considering the base loco (ex sound) could be considered as almost budget!
Sound definitely adds to the play value of a layout and could certainly influence my choice of models going forward.
Happy modelling
Gary
Playing around with the Select I have noticed that the inertia settings are the key to getting a good sound effect. The default inertia settings are 8/64 for acceleration and 6/64 for the Class 20. Increasing this to about 25/65 brings in the cruising sound at a lower level of speed and all the effects up and down the power bandwidth seem to last longer (obviously!) and kick in and more appropriate moments. The longer inertia settings definitely add to the realism with the 14 grain wagons being hauled.
Setting shunting speed "on" provides plenty of chug chug sounds as the motor picks up and slows down again during slow speed shunting operations with plenty of brake squeel. Longish inertia settings here do make for a very authentic shunting experience.
The sound is set at maximum volume 64 out of 64 and unless you have a console that can change CV values or have access to a console that can change CV values then you are unable to alter this sound level. Neither the EZ-Command or the Select permit this. The defualt setting may be a bit loud for some.
Using the Select for your chosen loco you press both the function button and the function number keeping them both depressed and after 2 seconds the horn sounds or whatever. With the EZ-Command you press the function button once and the keypad numbers then act as function numbers for the chosen loco. Press the function button once again and the keypad buttons act as loco address buttons.
Those who are seriously into sound and high specification decoders will require a console that that can change CV values. Budget console offerings do not permit this. I don't think anybody could have any issues with the slow speed running of the loco which is very smooth considering the base loco (ex sound) could be considered as almost budget!
Sound definitely adds to the play value of a layout and could certainly influence my choice of models going forward.
Happy modelling
Gary