Atlas SD45's shipping

[Sokramiketes]

If you had a LokProgrammer or even JMRI DecoderPro you could easily determine what AUX output is mapped to the interior light and easily remap it for a strobe.

Is this true?  When I was programming ESU decoders awhile back it didn't seem like I could just read the full program from a factory installed decoder (example Rapido Trains).  I had to start with a new file from the ESU website and program afresh. 

But I'm not an expert and would love to be wrong on that interpretation. 

[jagged ben]

For me it's possible to read the whole factory settings off ESU decoders with JMRI, but I wouldn't call it easy.  It takes forever and often I have to reread sheets because I get errors.  Could be because I'm using an older computer and version of JMRI, or maybe it's the command station (DCS51).  YMMV

[peteski]

Is this true?  When I was programming ESU decoders awhile back it didn't seem like I could just read the full program from a factory installed decoder (example Rapido Trains).  I had to start with a new file from the ESU website and program afresh. 

But I'm not an expert and would love to be wrong on that interpretation.

If by "full" you mean the actual digitized sounds then no, even the LokProgrammer cannot extract those from the decoder. It can only read all the CVs.

To have full control over the programming you first need to open the same sound project file in LokProgrammer as is installed in the decoder, then then select "read decoder data". That will read all the CVs from the decoder (so if some were modified at some point in the decoder, they will overwrite the values in the opened sound project).  This can come in handy in certain scenarios.

[peteski]

For me it's possible to read the whole factory settings off ESU decoders with JMRI, but I wouldn't call it easy.  It takes forever and often I have to reread sheets because I get errors.  Could be because I'm using an older computer and version of JMRI, or maybe it's the command station (DCS51).  YMMV

If the loco moves while DecoderPro is reading the CVs it is possible that the errors generated by intermittent track connection. I wonder if using jumpers with alligator clips between the loco and programming track would help in read reliability.

LokSound decoder has thousands of CVs, so using standard service mode programing method (read: slow) will take quite some time. When LokSound accesses the ESU decoder it uses another, much faster protocol to communicate with the decoder.