SoundTraxx Tsunami

The large scale versions (4 & 8 amp versions) apparently will never appear.

I bought an HO light steam one to play with, initially in hopes to learn about it when the larger current ones arrived, but it will be put into a little Walt Disney Casey Jr. loco.

Several people have reported that when there is a mix of Tsunamis & other decoders, whenever an engine with a Tsunami entered a power district where a non-Tsunami engine was on a live track, the non-Tsunami engine would run away.

Allen Lloyd of SoundTraxx suggested writing CV 217 to a value of 2 or 4. That fixed the problem. Allen said the CV is not listed in any of the manuals & didn't say what it did other than it was some sort of noise suppression.

Tsunami speed setting

Load Compensation - CV 212, that is Back EMF feedback intensity, sets the amount of Load Compensation that initially applied to the motor and may be set between 0 (minimum) and 255 (maximum). Set at the default value of 255, this provides maximum feedback intensity.
A value of 100 has worked for many.

Also the Tsunami has Back EMF Cut-out - CV 10, that "determines the degree the Load Compensation is reduced as the throttle speed is increased".

If a loco with a Tsunami installed takes off TOO FAST at speed step 1 with a setting of "0" in CV 2, then you can adjust CV 212 as explained in the manual.

In the case of the Tsunami and many other decoders using features that enhance low speed running, it is recommended that CV 2 is set at "0". The Tsunami manual also suggest using "0" in CV 2 and has "0" as the default value. You there fore CANNOT slow the take off of a loco with a Tsunami by lowering the value of CV 2.

Another setting that will get a slower speed at takeoff, is setting your system to use 128 speed steps instead of 28. This will give a smaller "voltage value" at speed step 1 using 128 instead of 28. This is done electronically in the decoder

Tsunami Programming for Articulated Locomotives

The starting values are as follows:

CV 112 = 97 This is articulated for medium slip
CV 116 = 225 Rate of chuffs per rev / will vary with
model
CV 2 = 10 to 15
CV 3 25 Optional Momentum acceleration
CV 4 25 Optional Momentum brake

Re: CV Values for rod clank

The rod clank will not work unless you program CV 3 and CV 4 for some values. They allow momentum and acceleration start up. Try a value of 25 in each of them for the test. When the engine gets up to speed or acceleratin and you shut the thottle down, the chuff will lower in volume and the rods will clank until you stop or accelerate again.

Also remember, the momentum means you will have to use F11 for
braking in close areas as the engine will continue to roll with the
momentums programmed.

The rod clank volume is also programmable with CV 135. Try and 95 or up to 125 in CV 135. If it is too loud, lower the value.

Notes on playable whistle via nce power cab

Program CV47 with 127 (on the Tsumani) (0 is default)

Enter the SET CAB PARAMS menu of the Power Pro System
Set the HORN analog channel to 127 (matches the analog channel of the Tsunami, thus setting the horn to the analog channel, thus enabling the playable horn)
Set the Analog bias to 8 if it's not set already. (setting range is 1 to 15, This changes the reaction time and response of the whistle. You can play with this value a bit to get it to your liking.

Soundtraxx suggested to add some Reverb for a better effect, try CV 161 to 1.

Play the whistle by holding the HORN button while using the thumbwheel on your cab to play the whistle.

Automatic Grade Crossing signal

This is activated by setting the value in CV 198 (DCC Mode) to 1. CV 195 then needs a value input anywhere from 3 to 10 to set the sensitity of the throttle change needed to activate the whistle sequence. This CV will be adjusted by trial and error.

Misc CVs

CV61 controls actual braking with F11, with brake squeal. Try this:
CV3 = 30
CV4 = 70 (so that when you close the throttle, the loco just coasts along, with quiet exhaust)
CV61 = somewhere between 130 and 133 or so Then set the loco running at about 30% throttle, and close it. It will just coad along, maybe a little rod clank. F11 applies brakes, and it slows down, with some brake squeal. The bigger the F11 value above 128,
the more brakes are applied. Then open the throttle again. Loco stays
still until you turn off F11 (release the brakes). It's pretty neat.

Setting for sound change vs. load

Called DDE, Dynamic Digital Exhaust.
Set load compensation (cv 212) to 0. It seems that running with compensation masks some of the other neat features of the Tsunami, such as it's great sound change when running at speed or coasting.
The lower the setting, the more dramatic the DDE is.

You might be able to not have 212 at zero, by experimenting with CV10.

After doing this the starting speed might be too high. Try setting CV212 to 0 and CV2 to 50. This also might make the exhaust rate too fast.

One person used 212 @ 82, and throttle and load sensitive DDE to nonzero values. Also used an agressive attack and less agressive release setting, he obtained a balance between reasonable DDE performance and lower starting speed and reasonable load compensation.

The need for a CV of 50 goes away when you make some of the other settings, such as motor efficiency coeficients, and some other things.

Quiet Bit

Program CV 113 to between 1 and 255. Setting 255 will automatically mute the Tsunami after 25.5 seconds of setting to "0" speed.

A non "0" value in CV113 will cause the Tsunami to only start the sounds when the loco is selected, not on layout power up.
CV3 set at 100. At this setting when you open the throttle
wide there is no noticeable speed increase but the sound goes into orbit.

What I often do is simply set the throttle straight to the final speed I
want to run at. The train then just gradually builds up speed. The sound at
first is like you say, lever out in the corner. Then as the train gathers
speed you hear the engineer ease the lever back and the exhaust drops to a
much quieter level. If you then kick the throttle, the exhaust barks again.
Great.

Using the Tsunami as a sound only decoder:

Put a 100 to 200 Ohm 1 watt resistor on the motor leads and adjust the CV's

as follows:

CV29=18 for 2 digit addresses

CV29=50 for 4 digit addresses

CV25=2

CV66=1

CV95=1