Model Railroading > Blackstone DCC Sound help!

I am trying to program my new Blackstone C-19 DCC locomotive. How do you go about programing with CV? I am mainly trying to adjust CV 115( the type of whistle) I am using an MRC DCC system.

Sorry if this is a really basic question. I am new to DCC so any help will greatly be appreciated!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/11 17:45 by spike.

Did you read the instructions that came with the locomotive?
cf7

Yes, I read the "Quick start guide" included with the locomotive. It doesn't give me more information than using CV 115 for the whistles. Sorry, I'm still new to DCC.

I think you will need to dive deeper into the manual. Somewhere in there
there should be a guide on what values to change under CV115 to give different sounds,
that is if the sound decoder in the Blackstone is capable of providing different whistle sounds.

Some of the cheaper sound decoders have only one whistle sound.

If I'm not mistaken, and correct me if I'm wrong, but does Blackstone come with
a Tsunami Sound Decoder in them? If this is true you should have a list of all
of the different whistles available. On my Tsunami diesels i have a choice of
15 different horns to match whatever is on the engine that I', programming.
What do you have for a DCC system?
cf7

Yes it does have a Tsunami decoder and I know it has a choice between all the different whistles that were common on these particular locomotive. I have an MRC system. The problem is that I don't know how to program a new whistle into my locomotive.

I think this is more of an issue with how to use the MRC system than the Tsunami decoder. With the Tsunami decoder it's just a matter of setting CV 115 to different values from 0-7 or so. The C-19 only has about 7 whistles. The MRC manual will probably be better at this than my memory but I'll give it a shot.

First get the loco on the main track with track power. You'll hear the sounds. Then with the engine's address (the engines are pre-programmed to the cab number) on the screen press the PROG button and you'll see PROG on the screen with the option for MAIN or PROG TRACK each time you press the PROG button. You have to get it to show MAIN and once you do press enter. Then I think you have to press either PROG or ENTER 3 or 4 times until you see CV on the display. When you do press ENTER. Then you should be able to type in 115 and press ENTER and then type in the value for the new whistle that you want, 0-7 as shown on the Tsunami documentation included with the locomotive. Press ENTER and it will change the CV. To get back to the main screen might be another press of the ENTER key or an ESC key if there is one. Once you see the engine's number on the display, you can then try function 2 (button 2) to hear the new whistle.

I'm totally going off memory here so it is quite possible I have something messed up. I know MRC explains the process to get to CV in their manual. In fact, it might even explain it on the back of the handheld throttle. It's pretty easy to do, just a matter of knowing the key sequence.

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO

Thanks a lot I got it changed!

Spike, glad I could help or at least guide. Hope what I wrote was somewhat accurate. I haven't used an MRC system in a couple years.

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO

I would suggest that you keep your MRC manual close by
and read through it a couple of times.
Me, I have a NCE system and can't begin to tell you just
how many times I've gone through their manual and I
always manage to learn something else every time.
Also Kalmbach has a couple of very good publications
that cover DCC. My favorite is the one with the white cover.
DCC can be complicated, especially to a newbie at first.
But the more you learn, the more you will enjoy DCC and
sound.
I've looked at those Blackstone steamers several times and
always come away drooling. But somehow they just don't
fit in with my midwestern short line set in the mid '70s and
don't fit on my track either!!! ;0)
cf7

I have two Blackstone C-19s. As with my Blackstone K-27s, I use JMRI and Loco Buffer II USB to program my locos. Since the engine number is already programmed, you can program all of the sounds, speed tables, etc in Operations Mode. This allows you to instantly see or hear changes made and gives you the flexibility to quickly try different settings. Plus the all of the CV are stored in a file. Once I got one of the C-19s programmed the way I wanted it, I copied the file and programmed the second C-19. The only change between the two was the choice of the whistle. Great little locos. They look great double-heading. If I am in Program Mode, I use a the DCC Specialities PowerPax between my Command Station and my programming track. Mark

I run 80's and newer right up to 2011 freelance railroad and I have some narrow gauge. I'm justifying it by making it a tourist line. I have an area higher than the mainline to simulate a mountain area in which the HOn3 stuff will operate. I'm planning it to be a simple point to point operation with turntables at each end to turn the equipment. A passing siding in the middle will allow my Goose #7 to pass my #346 and 2 car passenger train.

The Blackstone stuff is so awesome that I just couldn't hold back. Part of it is that I have equipment that is at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Every summer my mom would take me up there as a kid and then now I go up at least a couple times each summer. I've ridden on the deck plate of #346 numerous times, ridden in both the front and back of Goose #7 numerous times. I've ridden in both coaches #280 and #284. Having models of all that equipment is just that much more special.

Oh and Con-Cor makes the Goose, not Blackstone.

Remember Rule #1 "It's MY railroad". Who cares if certain things may not fit exactly as per the prototype? The model train police certainly aren't going to come and arrest you. While I do keep things as realistic as possible, I also like to have fun and run equipment that's maybe not exactly prototype. You gotta run what you like and have a little fun with your miniature world. The "what-ifs" are what makes things fun. Sticking to the prototype all the time can be boring. Besides it's the railroad, just about ANYTHING is possible I've learned.

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO