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Bob Collett has taken the time to create a tip sheet to simply set up decoders for consisting. Thanks Bob!

When trying to configure locomotives with sound decoders to run in a consist with the correct sounds and control functions, I have found that it is difficult to gather the information necessary as it is scattered through out the varoius manufacturers’ users manuals. The objective of this tip is to consolidate and simplify the information needed to enter the appropriate values for CV 21, Consist Functions 1-8 and CV 22, Consist Lights and Functions 9-12.

I have included information from the major manufacturers of sound decoders, to include QSI’s Revolution and G/O Scale products, Soundtraxx, Digitrax, MRC and ESU, Locksound. I have also included a non-sound DA-SR decoder, which is typical of many consists we create with one loco with a sound decoder and the other(s) with a non sound decoder.

You may also find that if your decoders, both sound and non sound, have Back EMF installed and activated, which is usually the default, the locomotives in the consist will tend to fight each other and not run smoothly in a consist. If this is the case you will need to go to the decoders CV’s for Back EMF and adjust the CV’s accordingly. QSI is the exception to the dueling Back EMF problem as QSI’s, RTC, “Regulated Throttle Control” feature self adjusts for both BEMF and Non BEMF decoders in a consist!

In each of the scenarios given for each manufacturer It is assumed that all of the locomotives in the consist will be using the same manufacturers’ sound decoders. I realize that in a good many consisting situations this is not the case. In some cases the different manufacturers will not have the same function keys to activate the same sounds. You may have to re-map some of the function keys (audio mute, dynamic brakes, etc) to get the appropriate results. However, the purpose of this article is not to go over re-mapping, but to simplify completing the information for CV21 and CV 22.

Related pages

• Consisting Guide
• Decoder Comparison

CONFIGURING QSI REVOLUTION FOR DIESEL CONSIST OPERATION

CONFIGURING FOR SOUNDTRAXX LOW COST DIESEL DECODERS

Soundtraxx Low Cost (LC series) decoders have limited sound funcion, but were often used in consists, prior to the diesel Tsunami decoder. To make it compatible for consisting with another loco that is Tsunami equipped, you can use the configurations as shown below. For the Audio Mute function, after pressing F12 on the Tsunami (function key swap used), you can Select Loco for the LC Series equipped loco and just press 8 to activate Audio Mute, . or Remap F8 to F12.

CONFIGURING FOR SOUNDTRAXX DIESEL TSUNAMI FOR CONSIST OPERATION

CONFIGURING DIGITRAX SFX064D DIESEL SOUND DECODERSFOR CONSIST OPERATION

CONFIGURING MRC DIESEL SOUND DECODERS FOR CONSIST OPERATION

CONFIGURING ESU (LOKSOUND) DIESEL DECODERS FOR CONSIST OPERATION

CONFIGURING NON SOUND DECODERS FOR CONSIST OPERATION