What did I do to my new S2?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I am weak. Yesterday, while running errands, I had to stop at Klein and get one of the sound equipped PC S2s.

Aside from reminding me of where all my dirty track is (these really need keep alives  built in), it was great.

Until I started playing with my function buttons.

Now, it sounds like the throttle is always wide open.

What did I do?

[Philip H]

I'd say it's a spot in imitation of the prototype.

[jdcolombo]

I am weak. Yesterday, while running errands, I had to stop at Klein and get one of the sound equipped PC S2s.

Aside from reminding me of where all my dirty track is (these really need keep alives  built in), it was great.

Until I started playing with my function buttons.

Now, it sounds like the throttle is always wide open.

What did I do?

You probably hit the manual notch up button, F9.  When you press the manual notch up, the engine notches up until you press the button again, which turns off the manual notching.  If you don't press it again, it will notch all the way up to Run8 and stay there.  And you can't get out of manual notching until you notch it back down to idle.  So . . . make sure F9 is off, then press F10, and see if it notches back down to idle.  If it does, then press F10 again (to cancel manual notching), and now you should be good to go.

Here is a link to the S2  Atlas LokSound "manual" (such as it is); it is for HO, but the function key assignments are the same for the N-scale version.

http://www.atlasrr.com/DCC/HO-Scale%20Alco%20S-2%20Booklet%20Quick%20Start%20for%20DC%20and%20DCC.pdf

If you randomly press buttons, Ed, one of them might launch the nukes . . . 

John C.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Thanks John! That's what I thought happened, but I didn't know how to undo it.

[tehachapifan]

Yeah, I had mine go right up to notch 8 on me a couple of times until I figured out how to work the F9 and F10 inputs correctly. Definitely takes a little getting used to!

Don't forget that F6 also illuminates the number boards on these units.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't forget that F6 also illuminates the number boards on these units.

No way. Neat!

Now the next question.

Why, when I put it on my programming track, is it reading back all values as 255?

[peteski]

No way. Neat!

Now the next question.

Why, when I put it on my programming track, is it reading back all values as 255?

What system are you using?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What system are you using?

Digitrax connected to a mac via a PR3.

[coosvalley]

Interesting note about these (prototype) locomotives, is that they don't actually have "notches" in the throttle!..It's just a sliding throttle in Alco switchers.

[peteski]

Digitrax connected to a mac via a PR3.

I have no experience with that one. But obviously there is a compatibility problem (probably due to the larger electrical load the sound decoder puts on the PR3).

[OldEastRR]

I caved and bought a NH version ... the sound these Alcos make is highly amusing. Not your usual EMD sound. Someday I will get a PA1 with tru-Alco sounds so I can have two washing machines cycling tin cans on the layout at once. 

Go for the hat trick -- does anybody make a sound unti for a DL109? Three washing machines are better than two ...

[nickelplate759]

I caved and bought a NH version ... the sound these Alcos make is highly amusing. Not your usual EMD sound. Someday I will get a PA1 with tru-Alco sounds so I can have two washing machines cycling tin cans on the layout at once. 

Go for the hat trick -- does anybody make a sound unti for a DL109? Three washing machines are better than two ...

A DL109 would be two washing machines all by itself (twin prime movers)!

[jdcolombo]

I caved and bought a NH version ... the sound these Alcos make is highly amusing. Not your usual EMD sound. Someday I will get a PA1 with tru-Alco sounds so I can have two washing machines cycling tin cans on the layout at once. 

Go for the hat trick -- does anybody make a sound unti for a DL109? Three washing machines are better than two ...

Yep.

The DL-109 had dual 6-cylinder 539T prime movers; essentially two S-2's in a single chassis.

ESU has a dual 6-cylinder 539T sound file specifically for the DL-109 (well, actually, it works for the DL-103 through the DL-110).   I assume that it's basically the same sound file they use for the Atlas S-2, but doubled - two prime mover sounds instead of one. Put a LokSound Micro in it with this file and a suitable speaker, and you have . . . . a laundry    

Seriously - it could be done.  It would require some extensive milling of the DL-109 chassis, but that thing is a solid block of metal, so you aren't going to miss the milled-out stuff much. 

John C.

[AKNscale]

No way. Neat!

Now the next question.

Why, when I put it on my programming track, is it reading back all values as 255?

I could only program certain things on these with JMRI & a PR3. Every time I tried to read the decoder it would fail after 20-40 mins of trying to read it. My understanding is that the PR3 just isn't powerful enough to fully read the ESU sound decoders. Once I bought a LOKprogrammer I've had no more issues.

[jdcolombo]

No way. Neat!

Now the next question.

Why, when I put it on my programming track, is it reading back all values as 255?

I have the same problem.  It is the only Loksound-equipped loco I have that does this; I've got 30 others that I installed myself that I have zero problems with using a Digitrax-PR3 setup with JMRI.  It probably needs a programming booster, but I don't know why it is just this one.  Maybe on-board keep alive is an issue.   My LokProgrammer works fine with it, though.

John C.