QSI Titan programming tips

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will put tips here on various

Q2FX Steam files

Several things to pay attention to: (besides the autochuff/chuff cam below)

Accel / decel rates affect the "gain" of the chuff attack/volume set them higher than zero for the best effect (CV3,4) NMRA>>LOAD

max and min sound of power sets the range where you get the "sound of power" working, I lower the minimum and raise the max,  (cv 51.12, 51.13) SOND>>SND CTL

Autochuff / "chuff cam"

 Note on the 2 cylinder ET steam file 3111, it has the CAM synhronized chuff on by default. Unless you have a chuff cam and have connected to the chuff input, turn this off, it is in CV 56.0.

Won't program:

check if airwire mode is enabled 56.1,

bits    meaning

0        0/1  airwire disable / airwire enable

4        0/1  chuff 2 disable / chuff2 enable (chuff cam)

6        0/1 motor polarity normal / reversed

I'm missing the F6 startup and F9 shutdown sound sequences:

F9 by default should control output 11. I tried interrogating CV 43 to validate that, but the CV64 "talkback" just says "CV43" ... looking at page 63 of the big manual, in red it shows that these CV's are now "hardwired" , such that F0-F28 are "locked" to outputs.

In particular, F9 is locked to output 11.

When I interrogated output 11 (cv 53.11.1), it had 0 in it... I set it to 145 and your disconnect, standby, total shutdown sequence now works from F9.

Luckily, F6 was still set to the 144 feature, startup.

I believe this was changed because too many people accidentally hit the F9 and the loco would not move (as it should) because it was in disconnect.

Consisting and sounds

I've always had issues with controlling sounds when in a consist.

First, I need to see what's in the NCE system that may affect it.

Also, I need to know what is the normal practice per nmra.

Notching diesels:

There were some tweaks that were done to simulate this, but it was a kludge.

For now, just use the F9 "Heavy Load" and dial up the speed of the motor without affecting the train speed.

I'll investigate the way I heard it work in an experimental version.

ET Steam Files / weak chuff

When you first fire up the ET steam file, the chuff will be weak and very low in volume. You need to go to CV Manager and go to the "chuff" tab and set Chuff Intensity to 0.

Then you need to go to Snd Ctrl under Sound in CVM and increase the value of 51.12 to somewhere upwards of 140. That increases the quietest the chuff can get. 

Remember that you need some momentum too, to allow the "barking" and "drifting" functions to work. In this case, the more momentum the better.

I increased the chuff volume, added 20 for CV3, 30 for CV4, and backed off the air pump sound

ACH / ASR Chuff

This is a new feature introduced just as QSI Solutions went offline, it was in the latest "ET" Steam files. Basically you can actually customize the waveform of the chuff sounds, and many more modifications of the sound.

 The support of this feature in Quantum CV Manager was last available in version  3.0.0.18, the Engineering menu.

Even that version does not completely support all the new CV's.

I'm working to add these CV's to JMRI, so at least they have a mechanism to backup and save a "full" configuration.

functions defaults

O: Toggles Light Functions in the group "multiple lights 1"
F1: Toggles Bell On or Off
F2: Toggles Horn On or Off (also toggles alternate horn after triggered using F11)
F3: Plays Coupler sounds.
F4: Toggles Steam Blower On or Off
F5: While moving toggles "drift mode" chuff sound will drop and rod clank sound will increase.
F6: When in neutral it plays start-up sounds. When moving in fonward or reverse triggers the Doppler effects causing the all locomotive
sounds to "Doppler down". This can be especially fun at the end of a grade crossing, or when used in conjunction with
other sound effects.
F7: While moving drop the throttle to speed step zero and while the loco is coasting, push F7 to actually engage the brakes! This
is far more realistic than any other decoder based braking methods because an engineer would never engage the brakes with
the throttle open at main line speed.
F8: Mute.
F9: In neutral puts loco in standby/disconnect mode. When moving activates the Sound Of Power function, when sound of power
is activated you'll hear the whistle hoot once. As you throttle up the loco will sound as though it's under a very heavy
load. Concisefy, if you throttle down you'll hear the chuff drop down like it's coasting. Neither of these functbns will affect
speed until F9 is pressed again when you will hear a double whistle hoot indicating that Sound Of Power has been
turned off.
F10: Status Report, in neutral the loco will read back the address and any mode that it may be in (e.g., standby/disconnect).
When moving, F10 acts as a speedometer giving a verbal read back of the scale miles per hour.
F11: Toggles between the primary and secondary horn. After pressing F11 once F2 will control the secondary horn normally
F12: Toggles extra light functions in the group "Multiple Lights 3" on or off.
F13: System Volume Decrease by 2db
F14: System Volume Increase by 2db
F15: While stopped plays a short air let off, while moving plays the Grade Crossing whistle sequence
F16-25: Reserved for user assignment
F26: Fuel Loading Scenario
F27: Maintenance Scenario
F28: Water Loading Scenario, While moving engages the water scoop

Tips on various prototype sounds/settings:

Santa Fe F3 passenger:

Use 1162 ET sound file

Bell: set volume 80,

Horn: set volume 90, I have chosen the Leslie S5T, as that was what was on them from 1952 on. The alternate is the Nathan M5

Two speaker setup, set horn and bell 100% to SPK1/Front, set prime mover 80% to SPK2/Rear

 Equipped with twin Leslie A200-156 as delivered:  Left facing forward, right to the rear, and operated in tandem creating a vibrato D# below mid C. sound. 

In the early 50’s, some of the passenger Fs were retrofitted with five chime horns; Nathan Airchime M5R24 (C#, E, G, A, C#) in 1950, and the Leslie S5TR (mid. C, D#, F#, A, C#) in 1952.

Cab less booster or B units were equipped for back up or hostler moves with a Leslie Tyfon type A-75-440-MB(former A-75-HR). The horn located near the top left or fireman’s side of the unit’s trailing end. See the 1950-1952 Locomotive Cyclopedia’s Diesel-Electric Locomotives section. The horn sounded music note A above middle C, and the Leslie Tyfon type A-75-330-MB(former A-75-L) was also available but not listed in EMD Parts List D2926. The L series sounded music note E above middle C.  

Santa Fe PA passenger:

ALCo Passenger - #50 & PA's