Calling all Bachmann S-4 owners

[spookshow]

I'd like to know what the factory decoder settings are for CV's 2, 5 and 6. Unfortunately, my JMRI software seems to have stopped working, so I don't have any way to read them myself at the moment. Little help?

Thanks!
-Mark

[johnh35]

Wish I could help you, but I can't read them either. One of these days I need to upgrade my DCC system.

[spookshow]

I wish I knew which freaking "auto update" (Windows, Java, whatever) screwed up my JMRI software. God, I hate computers... 

-Mark

P.S. Oh wait, computers are how I make my living. Nevermind!

P.P.S. No, wait.... Upon further review, I really do hate computers... dargnarb little bastards!

[peteski]

Mark,
you might want to take a peek at http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/ez_content/1_Amp_Decoder_Instr.pdf

According to that factory manual, CV2 is factory set to 10 and the decoder does not even have CV5 or CV6.   

[Mike Madonna]

Hey Mark,

I just tried to "read back" the CVs mentioned on my NCE PowerCab (under program track) and screen read "cannot read CVs"... Fwiw.

[spookshow]

Mark,
you might want to take a peek at http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/ez_content/1_Amp_Decoder_Instr.pdf

According to that factory manual, CV2 is factory set to 10 and the decoder does not even have CV5 or CV6.   

Thanks Pete, I did see that. However, I remain somewhat skeptical that a 2013 decoder (even a cheap one) would not support all of the basic CV's. Ergo, I'd like to verify things for myself just to be sure.

FYI, the whole reason behind all of this curiousity is that the new S-4 has a really low top-to-bottom speed spectrum (shades of the old E-R Sharks). And my aim now is to determine if this behavior is mechanical (non-adjustable) or decoder-based (adjustable).

Cheers,
-Mark

[spookshow]

Hey Mark,

I just tried to "read back" the CVs mentioned on my NCE PowerCab (under program track) and screen read "cannot read CVs"... Fwiw.

Hurm, not sure what that all means. CV2 at least should be readable.

-Mark

[Chris333]

Mark, You could send me an S4, I'll tear all that DCC stuff out and let you know how it runs on DC 

[C855B]

New, fresh-out-of-the-box, read with JMRI:

The basics. Like Pete said, there is no CV5 or CV6:

CV1 - 3
CV2 - 10
CV3 - 3
CV4 - 3
CV7 - 46
CV8 - 101
CV17 - 0
CV18 - 0
CV19 - 0
CV29 - 6
CV50 - 4
CV51 - 1
CV52 - 1
CV105 - 255
CV106 - 255

This appears to be their "4-function encoder". The speed table values responded, all read "255". I attempted to load them with a "straight" motor curve and they accepted the new values. Whether that translates to changes in speed response, I don't know, I was using the Digitrax PR3 from my toolkit and don't have a test track handy at the moment. Interesting that the factory reset did not reset the speed table values back to 255!

Anyway, other CVs that responded:

CV53 thru CV58 - 255
CV67 thru CV94 - 255 before I fooled with the speed table, speed values that I set... even after factory reset.

Now something I have not seen (or, rather played with) before is the "Bachmann" page in JMRI. The motor drive selection was "Precision Glide Control", versus "Silent Drive". I don't know what CV this corresponds to. The rest of the Bachmann page was a bunch of headlight control settings.

This is posing more questions, I guess, rather than answering Mark's wondering if the slow top-end is hardware or software.

[peteski]

This is posing more questions, I guess, rather than answering Mark's wondering if the slow top-end is hardware or software.

Chris volunteered to give Mark's S-4 a "straight DC" test to check if the slow top-end is in fact hardware related.   

[spookshow]

Thanks, Mike. Interesting that there don't seem to be any speed controls beyond vstart. I think maybe it's time to go ask the Bach-man.

Cheers,
-Mark

[mionerr]

I noticed the Accel/decel seems to be excessive; it really takes a long time to get up to the top speed and slow down. I want to play with that a bit (no pun).

[spookshow]

Apparently there really isn't any way to mess around with the speed spectrum (beyond whatever can be done with vstart). Not a complaint - I think it's set up perfectly for a switcher. Rather, just gathering info for my website.

Thanks for the help!
-Mark

[mionerr]

Mine still accelerates like the brakes are applied. Maybe S4s were real slow accelerators. I'm going to check the CVs with my Easy DCC station and see how it compares with the JMRI values. Hopefully, they are the same.

[mionerr]

Ok, I changed the accel and decel rates and find it a bit more acceptable. It is susceptable to not perfectly clean track. I haven't run anything in acouple of weeks so it's just a bit of dust. It tends to stall on Insulfrog turnouts but is fine with the Electrofrog turnouts. I only use the Insulfrogs in staging so that won't be a problem. Cute little devil.