Tony's has been approved as a dealer for QSI after
market and retro upgrade products.
The popular QSI DCC/DC sound units, that many have
come to enjoy in Broadway Ltd, Atlas and Proto 2000 locos will soon
be available in various formats for installation into many other
steam and diesel locos. In addition, upgrade chips will be available
for installation by approved dealers for all QSI equipped released
locos from Broadway Ltd, Atlas and Proto 2000.
These upgrade chips will feature QSI's regulated
throttle control and improved sound effects. For users who understand
BEMF or Speed Stabilization, Regulated Speed Control is similar.
Tony's will be posting all revelant info as soon
as it becomes available.
Here are edited versions of the QSI and Sounds Like
Trains releases.
QSI:
QSI Contracts with Sounds Like Trains to Take
Over Aftermarket Business Company Now Dedicated Exclusively to
OEM Customers
Beaverton, April 29, 2005: QSI announced today
that it will be shifting its entire aftermarket business to a
new company, Sounds Like Trains, in order to focus more completely
on product development and servicing its OEM customers. QSI has
been a leading seller of aftermarket sound and train control systems,
environmental sound systems, and other model train peripherals.
“We are an engineering company, committed to developing leading
edge technology for the train market,” said Bob Zimet, President
of QSI. “By outsourcing our aftermarket sales, QSI is free
to concentrate its resources on our OEM customers knowing our
retail customers will get the service and support they deserve.”
Sounds Like Trains is a startup company formulated
specifically to bring QSI products to model railroad hobbyists.
It is owned and operated by former QSI Marketing Director, T.
Lori Massey. Ms. Massey has headed up Marketing with QSI for the
past 14 years, as well as marketing for McDonnell Douglas, Government
Division, British Telecom Tymnet, and various “high-tech”
companies in Silicon Valley. “Lori knows the products, knows
QSI, and knows the model railroad market,” Fred Severson,
CEO of QSI stated. “She also supports QSI’s philosophy
of quality, compatibility, and standards conformance. We are very
pleased that she will be heading this new company and bringing
QSI products to modelers.”
Transferring QSI aftermarket wholesale and retail
sales to Sounds Like Trains will occur over the summer of 2005.
Sounds Like Trains will be fulfilling any currently outstanding
sales and back orders from QSI like Quantum UCS on a priority
basis. As Sounds Like Trains plans to sell mainly through dealers,
it will be servicing QSI’s dealers, and all future dealer
inquiries should be sent to Sounds Like Trains. Contact Sounds
Like Trains via the internet at www.soundsliketrains.com, or phone
at (540) 371-5097.
Sounds Like Trains:
- Sounds Like Trains to Offer Chip Upgrades
for Existing Installed QSI Quantum HO Sound Systems
- New Chip Upgrade for QSI Quantum HO Includes Downloadablility
for Soundsets and Software
- Improvements as well as Regulated Throttle Control for DCC,
and New Analog QARC Technology
July 13, 2005, Fredericksburg, VA: Sounds Like
Trains, authorized distributor of QSI products, has announced
that they will be offering a chip upgrade for existing installed
Quantum HO sound systems beginning September 30, 2005. Currently,
Broadway Limited, Atlas, Lifelike, Lionel and others have the
QSI Quantum System factory installed in their HO locomotives.
This chip upgrade will allow dealers to directly download future
editions of soundsets and software changes into their customer’s
existing HO engines, giving customers access to QSI’s growing
library of sound sets. Other new features included in the Quantum
Upgrade Chip are Regulated Throttle Control in DCC and Back EMF
Load Compensated Speed Control as well as QARC (Quantum Analog
Remote Control) technology. QARC allows all the Quantum locomotive
features to be controlled by the Quantum Engineer in Analog DC.
Price for the upgrade is $29.95 plus shipping.
“This is an important offering for Quantum
customers” states T. Lori Massey, owner of Sounds Like Trains.
“For the first time, DCC users will have access to the powerful
and prototypical speed control features built into QSI’s
Quantum system. It allows use of the Quantum Engineer, making
all the features available in Analog at the press of a button,
and everyone will benefit from its downloading capability.”
Upgrades will be performed at Sounds Like Trains and Authorized
Service Centers around the country and will include removing the
old chip and installing the new chip with the new software and
customer specified soundset. Authorized Service centers will be
posted at www.soundsliketrains.com as they become available. Customers
will also be able to use the website to preview existing QSI soundsets
and pick the soundset most appropriate for their locomotive.
“QSI is constantly improving software and
technology,” says Fred Severson, CEO of QSI. “We are
very pleased that Sounds Like Trains will be able to bring these
important upgrades to HO modelers.” As future soundsets and
software are developed by QSI, they will be available for downloading
into the Quantum Upgrade Chips.
Regulated Throttle Control (RTC) adds realistic
momentum to the model train and although it has been available
in Analog from QSI, it has not been available in DCC until now.
RTC is an improvement over standard speed control because it simulates
inertia for more realistic behavior of the moving locomotive,
and allows for prototypical consisting of engines. Included with
this feature is an on-demand engine status check that announces
the relative scale mph of the moving engine. Also newly included
in both Analog and DCC is the standard Back EMF Load Compensated
Speed Control that has been available from several decoder manufacturers
for the past decade. This type of speed control uses Back EMF
to measure the speed of the locomotive and assures that the locomotive
remains at a constant speed no matter the load or terrain.
QARC (Quantum Analog Remote Control) technology
allows full remote control of all the analog Quantum features
and operations via QSI’s multi-button box, Quantum Engineer
-- an add on to most Analog power packs. Previously this kind
of control has only been available under DCC. Operations available
in Analog with QARC technology include:
1) Operate Horn or Bell
2) Activate Doppler Effect
3) Turn On or Off a variety of different Lights
4) Dim Headlight
5) Strobe or Turn On/Off Hazard Lights
6) Activate Flange Squeal
7) Shut Down or Start Up Locomotives
8) Operate Prototype-like Air Brakes that Slows the Locomotive
(with sound effects)
9) Turn on or off Dynamic Brake Sounds
10) Change System Volume while Train is Operating
11) Mute Engine Sounds while Train is Operating
12) Disconnect Power to the Motors
13) Put the Engine in Standby
14) Quickly Change between Standard Throttle Control (STC) and
Regulated Throttle Control (RTC)
15) Add Load or Heavy Load
16) Activate Verbal Status and Scale Speed Reports
17) Quick and Easy Programming
A detailed list of Quantum Chip Upgrade features
is available on Sounds Like Trains website at www.soundsliketrains.com.
