# Zimo MX695KV chuff volume problem



## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

I have a Bachmann K27 and Zimo MX695KV sound decoder. I can barely hear the chuffing because the other steam sounds drown it out. Also, no matter what I try on CV 275 (0-255) the chuffing volume only increases a small amount, still barely enough to even hear at all. Nothing I have tried so far will lower the other steam sounds without also lowering the chuffing sound and nothing I have tried will significantly increase the chuff volume alone. I have tried CV's 266, 275, 276, 283, and 286 at all sorts of diferent values (from 0-255) and I still can hardly hear the chuffing. Can anyone help me, please? Am I doing something wrong?


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

Posted By maxter151 on 27 Jan 2012 03:17 PM 
I have a Bachmann K27 and Zimo MX695KV sound decoder. I can barely hear the chuffing because the other steam sounds drown it out. Also, no matter what I try on CV 275 (0-255) the chuffing volume only increases a small amount, still barely enough to even hear at all. Nothing I have tried so far will lower the other steam sounds without also lowering the chuffing sound and nothing I have tried will significantly increase the chuff volume alone. I have tried CV's 266, 275, 276, 283, and 286 at all sorts of diferent values (from 0-255) and I still can hardly hear the chuffing. It sounds more like a rocket than a steam loco. Can anyone help me, please? Am I doing something wrong?


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

This is rediculous. I've never had this much trouble with any other decoder I ever bought. I'm thinking maybe I should return it for a refund.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

I suspect it's something simple Maxter....just wait until Dan or Axel sees your post I'm sure they'll have some good suggestions. 

Maybe you could tell us a little more about the installation in the meantime; for example are you using a chuff sensor or simulated chuff timing? Maybe you could cut and paste in the CV descriptions and values for us to have a look at too. 

Keith


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

I bought it from Train-Li and he programmed it for my K27. It was already set for the simulated chuff timing. Even though I can barely hear the chuffing, as I watch the drivers rotate it's very close, if not right on at 4 chuffs per revolution so I did not feel the need to install a chuff sensor. The instructions are PDF and I cannot cut/paste them because they break up and scatter when I tried to paste them in here.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

I just read the manual for the 695--wow...take a while to digest all that information but it should be possible to adjust it. Can you post your CV's from whatever programming software you are using? Or are you adjusting the CV's one at a time with your handheld? 

Keith


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

Yeah. I'm adjusting my CV's with my hand-held. I have CV266 = 65, CV275 = 60, CV 276 = 80, CV283 = 255 and CV 286 = 20. Those are the defaults. I reset everything back to those values after experimenting with all those for several hours. Nothing would isolate and get rid of, or lower the loud rocket/escaping steam sound or increase the chuff sound sufficiently. It continues to drown out all other sounds. That's why I say it sounds more like rocket taking off than a steam loco. It's way beyond annoying. It's completely unacceptable. CV266 lowers or increases the volume of every sound. The chuff volume will only increase a little bit with CV 275. Not enough to hear it well.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd like to see all the CV's from 272 onwards to see if the NCE somehow scrambled some of the other CV's. 

Keith


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

My NCE will not read the CV's. But I really don't think that happened. It's in the engine sound file, I'm sure. What I do not like about Zimo is that you cannot easily adjust any one sound like chuff or whistle individually. On all other sound decoders I ever installed, NEC, MRC, Digitraxx, or ESU, you can easily change or eliminate the sound volume of any individual sound by looking at a very simple to read and comprehend quick reference chart. Zimo made instructions that only an electronics wizard could readily comprehend. It also looks to me like a lot of comprehensiveness was lost in German to English translation. If they want to win over new customers they need to create a quick refernce chart for commonly used CV's and simplify their programming method. They also need to make it more compatible with other systems. People do not like needing to buy a whole new DCC system just for a different company's decoder.


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

Well, for whatever reason, I decided to try changing the short address from the default of 3 to 8. When I started it back up the sound was working without the loud rocket steam sound. I do not understand why it would do this. I think the sound I was hearing was that the blowdown was stuck on "on". And now when I press F7 for blowdown it goes on and off like it's supposed to and that is the same sound I was hearing. It made no difference before when I pressed F7. Also, the chuff volume increased like it's supposed to when I set CV 275 higher this time. Must have had some kinda glitch or something is all I can figure. I've run it for a while now and it seems to be holding. It actually sounds pretty good now. That experience was weird and frustrating though. Hey, thanks for trying to help me Keith. I did appreciate the fact that you did try to help. That was cool.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Glad you got it working, that's what matters! 

Keith


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

On Zimos, often I have had to do a reset on the sound part. 

My NCE will read the CV's back. 

Really old versions of the NCE (really old) won't handle the higher cv's properly. Make sure your NCE has the latest roms. 

Regards Greg


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

Hi Greg,
I bought my NCE Power Pro about 6 months ago, but I have no idea how long it may have been on the shelf for sale. I looked in my manual and it refers to the EPROM chip being replaced from time to time. Is that what you're talking about? If so, how do I get an updated EPROM? My manual does not say how, of course. Thanks for your help.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You can read the version of the rom. Then you can check that it is the latest version. 

There is an NCE Yahoo forum. 

If you bought it 6 months ago, it's highly unlikely it is not updated... like I said (really old)... like years... 

You should not have a problem reading the CVs on the programming track... which system did you buy? 

Greg


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

I bought the 10 amp Power Pro. It should read and display the CV value when you are setting a new value for any CV, right? I have looked all thru my manual and it does not say how to read CV values. Nowwhere in the table of contents does it say how. Why doesn't that surprise me? When I program my NEC D808 decoders it shows the current CV value when you are setting any CV value. But the manual doesn't even tell you that much. I just noticed it whenever I'm programming CV's. But my Power Pro does not display current CV values for my Zimo MX695KV.


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

You say your NCE will read the Zimo CV's back. Do you have the Zimo MX695KV? But will yours read the MX695KV CV's? That's what I have and it won't read it's CV's.


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm sorry to bother you and I really don't like to ask stupid questions, but how do you read the ROM version, please? The manual does not say how.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'll try to answer tonight, there are a couple of manuals with the system, and they do mention it somewhere, I believe. There is a rom version in your throttle, and one in the command station. 

One thing, you did not reply about using the programming track or not. 

By the way, when programming on the main, when you go to enter a value for a cv, it does NOT (and cannot) read the CV, it displays the last value entered for this CV when the command was executed. 

No command station can read back information when programming on the main, also known as ops mode (operations mode) 

When in "service mode", which on your system is when you are connected to the programming track outputs, then you can read them back. 

I'm getting the feeling you are not using the programming track. 

Greg


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

Hi Dan,
Sorry, I did forget to tell you I was using the "Program Track". I tried to test it by changing a CV value while using it and it said "WAIT" then it paused for about 10 seconds and came back and said, "Cannot read CV". That doesn't happen when I'm changing a CV value on my engine with an ESU decoder. But when I'm using "Program on the Main" and I have an engine with an ESU sound decoder, and I am changing a CV, it will show the last value enter for that CV, as you say, but it will not do that for my Zimo. Do you have a Zimo MX695KV? I'm wondering if it's because it's a new decoder and they haven't got all the bugs ironed out yet.


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## Axel Tillmann (Jan 10, 2008)

@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css); I have been busy and I haven`t seenthis post. All I can say that I will take look. My initial guess is that your project is set to external chuff. Check you CV 268 to be set to 0. 2nd. the onloy sound that is louder than chuff is the cylinder sound which means you have F6 turned on. If so turn it off. If for any reason you want cylinder permanently on then I suggest to reduce cyl sound volume. In worst case we reload the sound project


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## maxter151 (Dec 28, 2011)

Hi Axel. Thanks for posting a reply. I actually solved the problem yesterday by reset of the decoder. Everything is working fine now. The CV275 value change to increase the volume of the chuff finally worked too. I had called your support phone at Train-Li and left a message about it, but you can ignore that and an email I sent too.

*Mark Peterson*


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