irishthump

No offence man, but that's a little steep. List price on Hattons is 176Sterling. I know it's out of stock but still......

Could'nt have said it better! That's the beauty of having the Lokprogrammer, you can actually run the sound on your layout then change it if it doesn't suit. Nothing worse than buying a decoder, waiting for it to be shipped to you then finding the recording is not up to scratch or that you just plain don't like the sound of it!

Be careful when comparing the sounds, and make sure you have the correct engine model. The 645E sounds very different to the 645E3 because it has a roots blower rather than a turbocharger. Yes can open the soundfile in the Lokprogrammer software and listen to the sounds without the need for the programmer itself.

Yes, on the V4 decoder you can change every other sound bar the prime mover. 74439 sounds pretty close to me. I would'nt worry about the number of cylinders, it was the engine model 645, 567 or 710 which gives the distinctive sound. My 141's all use a 12 cylinder 567 but they sound bang on to me (and anyone else who has heard them!).

They might be talking about the Loksound Select which is a slightly lower spec decoder than the V4 aimed at the US market. You can overwrite these with another soundfile but you can't mix and match sounds from different files.

Not sure what they mean by that! Can you post a link to that FAQ?

As NIR has mentioned the new files are much better recordings than the original MM soundfiles. Also, there are multiple versions of each engine type. I counted 4 different EMD 567 files on the site, so can have a lot of variety within your own models. It's just a matter of switching out the prime mover sound on the MM file, basically drag-and-drop.

I had both, I got rid my Murphys ones as the Soundguys one just sounded much better. Performance wise well they both did the same thing (this was before the Realdrive came in and I have not got one of those yet). Have to disagree with you there George! The Zimo decoder probably has better quality sound files but it is nowhere near as responsive to throttle changes as the Loksound. But it's horses for courses!

At least you know the loco is ok! You can program a 4 function chip to work the directional lights and the headlights but you still won't have the cab lights so a 6 function is the best solution. Sound decoder wise, I'd go for the Murphy Models sound decoder. It's a Loksound but I find they perform better.

Then I'm pretty sure the cab lights need 2 separate functions to work properly. One for forward the other for reverse. There's nothing wrong with the loco itself, you just need a decoder with enough functions. It's Bachmann chip you're using right now?

Ok. So does the cab light come on at the radiator end when you change direction?

It's basic, but it's a good system. As far as I know the F2 button is set to only work as long as it's pressed down. Let's go from the start. What happens when you press keys F0 - F4? And if F2 makes the cab light come on at one end what happens when you change the direction of the loco?

On a side note, I see a lot of complaining about the archaic nature of DCC and the reluctance of manufacturers (specifically US companies) to catch up to more modern technology. One thing that's overlooked here is that when the NMRA laid down their standards for DCC they insisted on any DCC systems being completely interchangeable (and backward-compatible)with newer systems. A good thing, IMHO. The last thing you want is a handful of companies selling different products that are not compatible.

At least the Iphones work!

And if Steve Jobs had anything to do with DCC it would have worked great and been user friendly but you'd have to buy Apple locos......

Spot on. The Lokprogrammer lets you programme CV's with a selection of drop-down menus similar to Decoderpro. When you've made all the changes you want the CV's are programmed in a couple of seconds.

No you're right. I meant to say cab lights in my above post. Also, the function outputs differ slightly between the 071's and 201's. It's a bit hazy, as I haven't had to programme one for a while, but I think the headlights need 2 functions on the 071 and 1 function on the 201.

Maybe, but they are there and they're supposed to work!

Check for wires going between the tender and the loco. If there is a lot of them it would indicate the decoder is in the body.

I don't think there is a problem with the loco. What decoder are you using and which DCC system do you have? The reason I ask is: 1) The decoder probably does'nt have enough function outputs. The headlights requires 2 separate functions for them to work in both directions. This is the reason it only works at one end. 2) The reason F2 has to be held down is because of the DCC controller. A lot of brands set F2 to only operate as long as it's pressed (This is because most sound decoders assign the horn to F2.)

Just as well.... don't have the cash for a pair of 121's right now!

Have to agree, it's a cracking job. It will be a good runner too (even with the stock Athearn mechanism) as long as you use the right decoder.

I'd be very wary of not looking into it further. There could be a problem with the PCB or maybe a loose wire somewhere in the loco. Although the fact that it happened in both locos would make a PCB fault more likely. Also, if the locos were'nt ran for some time were they stored in a cold/damp environment? That could cause a buildup of moisture. Personally I would open the loco and have a look, the body is tight fitting and could trap a wire against the chassis. Also check how the decoder is sitting on the PCB. Esu decoders tend to sit a little high which can result in metal on metal contact when the body is placed on top.

So did you need to perform the decoder reset or did the problem go away on it's own?

That's unlikely, Noel. Those switches are basically on/off and would'nt really be able to affect the cab lights the way the OP has described.