The K27 goes digital but with limitations

[KeithT]

The ESU Loksoundcard has arrived back from Jeremy complete with harness. It works but there are anomolies. On MTS there are no lights other than the two small ones either side of the smokebox whereas on analogue they all work as they should. I have set the switches in the smokebox correctly for each mode.
Speed control is v crude on MTS but again OK on analogue; the sound is more limited on analogue with just the chuff and some escaping steam noises. I have not tried smoke as yet.
The harness only connects to one of the two banks of sockets on the card. Can anyone advise please if this is usual with the ESU card as opposed to a QSI which uses both banks?
Also, I have experimented with two 8Ohm speakers which seems to give bigger, "wider" sound but, I wonder am I overloading the electronics if I make this permanent? That is assuming I can fit both speakers into the tender.

 

[stevelewis]

PM sent with some info.

 

[KeithT]

PM sent with some info.

Thanks Steve.
I will bear in mind what you advise and struggle my way through the manual.

 

[nico]

SEt the switch for lights to analogue

 

[KeithT]

SEt the switch for lights to analogue

Ah, thanks Nico I will try that but it will have to be tomorrow.
Grandaughter No2 is asleep in the room where I have my test rollers and I have only just got her to go to sleep.

I have got better speed control by pressing button 7 which produces half speed but Stevelewis has suggested that I alter the CVs to increase the range and give a smoother response. I will have to go begging from someone with MTS3 or similar to do this.

As BR infamously proclaimed shortly before its demise "We are getting there"!

 

[Philbahn]

SEt the switch for lights to analogue

Ah, thanks Nico I will try that but it will have to be tomorrow.
Grandaughter No2 is asleep in the room where I have my test rollers and I have only just got her to go to sleep.

I have got better speed control by pressing button 7 which produces half speed but Stevelewis has suggested that I alter the CVs to increase the range and give a smoother response. I will have to go begging from someone with MTS3 or similar to do this.

As BR infamously proclaimed shortly before its demise "We are getting there"!

Someone who lives near by??????????????????????????????????

 

[KeithT]

SEt the switch for lights to analogue

Ah, thanks Nico I will try that but it will have to be tomorrow.
Grandaughter No2 is asleep in the room where I have my test rollers and I have only just got her to go to sleep.

I have got better speed control by pressing button 7 which produces half speed but Stevelewis has suggested that I alter the CVs to increase the range and give a smoother response. I will have to go begging from someone with MTS3 or similar to do this.

As BR infamously proclaimed shortly before its demise "We are getting there"!

Someone who lives near by??????????????????????????????????

Thanks Phil but It would be a bit of an imposition after all the work you have done on the track loco. I will try to sort out what needs doing and how. It is just possible that amongst the bits and bobs of spares that I have bought - much of which remain a mystery to me, I might have some way of doing a reset. There might be an LGB programming module in there!

 

[Philbahn]

SEt the switch for lights to analogue

Ah, thanks Nico I will try that but it will have to be tomorrow.
Grandaughter No2 is asleep in the room where I have my test rollers and I have only just got her to go to sleep.

I have got better speed control by pressing button 7 which produces half speed but Stevelewis has suggested that I alter the CVs to increase the range and give a smoother response. I will have to go begging from someone with MTS3 or similar to do this.

As BR infamously proclaimed shortly before its demise "We are getting there"!

Someone who lives near by??????????????????????????????????

Thanks Phil but It would be a bit of an imposition after all the work you have done on the track loco. I will try to sort out what needs doing and how. It is just possible that amongst the bits and bobs of spares that I have bought - much of which remain a mystery to me, I might have some way of doing a reset. There might be an LGB programming module in there!

It really isn't a problem

 

[KeithT]

SEt the switch for lights to analogue

Ah, thanks Nico I will try that but it will have to be tomorrow.
Grandaughter No2 is asleep in the room where I have my test rollers and I have only just got her to go to sleep.

I have got better speed control by pressing button 7 which produces half speed but Stevelewis has suggested that I alter the CVs to increase the range and give a smoother response. I will have to go begging from someone with MTS3 or similar to do this.

As BR infamously proclaimed shortly before its demise "We are getting there"!

Someone who lives near by??????????????????????????????????

Thanks Phil but It would be a bit of an imposition after all the work you have done on the track loco. I will try to sort out what needs doing and how. It is just possible that amongst the bits and bobs of spares that I have bought - much of which remain a mystery to me, I might have some way of doing a reset. There might be an LGB programming module in there!

It really isn't a problem

Many thanks Phil, I will do some testing (real testing!) to see what is amiss and what needs to be done. I still have to read the manual!!!!

 

[KeithT]

I have just answered my own query about the speaker impedance. The one supplied was 8ohm but this is an extract from the manual.

"LokSound decoders may only be used with the
[align=left]speakers supplied by ESU GmbH & Co. KG . They[/align] [align=left]have an impedance of 100 Ohm. The use of speakers[/align] [align=left]from others manufactures may cause considerable[/align] [align=left]distortion and in extreme cases, may even destroy[/align] the LokSound decoder."

B****y H**l!!
I had never previously heard of a 100ohm speaker.

 

[KeithT]

I have just answered my own query about the speaker impedance. The one supplied was 8ohm but this is an extract from the manual.

"LokSound decoders may only be used with the
[align=left]speakers supplied by ESU GmbH & Co. KG . They[/align] [align=left]have an impedance of 100 Ohm. The use of speakers[/align] [align=left]from others manufactures may cause considerable[/align] [align=left]distortion and in extreme cases, may even destroy[/align] the LokSound decoder."

B****y H**l!!
I had never previously heard of a 100ohm speaker.

Confused? I know I am.
According to Digitalsupples.com the 32ohm Loksound speaker is suitable for my XL decoder!!
So, who do I believe?

 

[Neil Robinson]

I suspect the instructions are a catch all for several different decoders. Take a look at page 12 (if your instruction book is the 4th edition 08/2005). It shows two positions for the speaker matching link on the XL, one for speakers between 8 and 16 ohms, the other for 16 to 32 ohms.
If you wish to use two 8 ohm speakers wire them in series to give 16 ohms and use either setting, whichever gives the best sound. Don't parallel the speakers as two 8 ohms in parallel is equivalent to a 4 ohm speaker. Obviously if you only use one 8 ohm speaker put the link in the relevant place.
I think the high impedance speaker are used for the smaller decoders for HO or smaller scales, the higher impedance takes less power permitting smaller components at the expense of less sound volume.

 

[minimans]

1oo Ohm? well they do exist!! http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1261

 

[KeithT]

I suspect the instructions are a catch all for several different decoders. Take a look at page 12 (if your instruction book is the 4th edition 08/2005). It shows two positions for the speaker matching link on the XL, one for speakers between 8 and 16 ohms, the other for 16 to 32 ohms.
If you wish to use two 8 ohm speakers wire them in series to give 16 ohms and use either setting, whichever gives the best sound. Don't parallel the speakers as two 8 ohms in parallel is equivalent to a 4 ohm speaker. Obviously if you only use one 8 ohm speaker put the link in the relevant place.
I think the high impedance speaker are used for the smaller decoders for HO or smaller scales, the higher impedance takes less power permitting smaller components at the expense of less sound volume.

Neil you read faster than me! I had only got to p9. I will investigate this tomorrow.

 

[KeithT]

OK I think I have had enough.
In digital no running, cab or fire lights. (Nico I tried changing the lighting switch to DC but to no effect)
Flaky speed control, I can only get reasonable slow running on the 1/2 speed setting even then it stops with a jolt, hardly conducive to long lasting gears.
Other functions are not accessible because 8 pin sockets are empty. Also, the connecting block supplied is not the best fit into the terminal. I haven't had the loco off the rollers but it has worked loose.

It is flaky in analogue, although it does run smoother; sometimes I get a firebox light somtimes I don't, no cablight and in reverse the rear light does not come on.

The sound is NOT impressive, it's toylike; on analogue it has low volume and dies away as the voltage is reduced. Even my "sandpaper" Stainz doesn't do that.

I went for a no hassle plug n play this comes nowhere near!
PS I have even been desperate enough to read the instructions!!

 

[nico]

The ML&ff switch should be in DC position also

 

[KeithT]

The ML&ff switch should be in DC position also

I didn't want to give up so I persevered and spent most of the afternoon trying to resolve the problems on the track rather than just running on the rollers. The running lights now work but both stay on irrespective of direction. No firebox or cablights. Slow running is better on the track when the loco is having to pull its own weight ie it is pulling a few more volts, it now slows to a stop rather than standing on its nose.
The sound is even more disappointing outside, both "spitty" and faint. I have tried several speakers but they are not to blame. The siren is pathetic.
I might have lived with the "eccentricities" but I bought it as a sound card first and foremost and it is sadly lacking.
Incidentally Neil thanks for the tip about the positioning of the red jumper to set the speaker impedance, fortunately, it was in the correct position for the 8ohm ones I was using.
The sound loaded on the ESU card doesn't sound right to me even allowing for the poor quality. There are 7 beats per wheel revolution. It sounds more akin to a Lord Nelson or a Shay than a 2cyl simple. Looking on the ESU site I could not see any K27 sounds to d/l!
An interesting day but a disappointing outcome.

 

[stevelewis]

Its a great shame Keith that you are having problems with this sound decoder, I have used many ESU sound decoders in lots of different locos steam & Diesel with great success, never a problem ( of course some do require some CVs to be adjusted to improve both running & sound performance as do other makes of decoder)

I had an ESU Soundecoder K 27 and it worked perfectly and to the best of my knowledge it still does! I remember you actually heard that loco when you came up here!

I feel that the problems lies in what you have been sold and hoe it has been set up, I feel it may be worth returning them or even perhaps enlisting the assistance of the ESU importers SW Digital.

 

[KeithT]

Its a great shame Keith that you are having problems with this sound decoder, I have used many ESU sound decoders in lots of different locos steam & Diesel with great success, never a problem ( of course some do require some CVs to be adjusted to improve both running & sound performance as do other makes of decoder)

I had an ESU Soundecoder K 27 and it worked perfectly and to the best of my knowledge it still does! I remember you actually heard that loco when you came up here!

I feel that the problems lies in what you have been sold and hoe it has been set up, I feel it may be worth returning them or even perhaps enlisting the assistance of the ESU importers SW Digital.

Steve
I thought that it was a QSI card! I hadn't heard of them previously.

 

[Richie]

Its a great shame Keith that you are having problems with this sound decoder, I have used many ESU sound decoders in lots of different locos steam & Diesel with great success, never a problem ( of course some do require some CVs to be adjusted to improve both running & sound performance as do other makes of decoder)

I had an ESU Soundecoder K 27 and it worked perfectly and to the best of my knowledge it still does! I remember you actually heard that loco when you came up here!

I feel that the problems lies in what you have been sold and hoe it has been set up, I feel it may be worth returning them or even perhaps enlisting the assistance of the ESU importers SW Digital.

Steve
I thought that it was a QSI card! I hadn't heard of them previously.

Hi Keith
Sorry to hear of all the problems your having with your sound cards :wits: I do remember Steve telling me he had a QSI sound card when i got mine .