# LS Sierra Sound card configuration question?



## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Is there a way to disable the Sierra Sound cards auto bell/whistle/horn at start-up of forward and reverse direction?

Thanks,
Michael


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes. Do you have the Sierra Sound card manual?


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael.... If you don't have the manual, I have it in pdf.... email me... [email protected] Steam and/or diesel


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

I have a steam manual and tried to turn it off; in the end I was unsuccessful. I may have misinterpreted the manual speak, but I didn't note any discussion on how to disable the auto fwd-rev horn/bell. 

Thanks for your help guys, 
Michael


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Just read the manual.... the only settings for the whistle is to make the grade crossing blow automatically or with a trigger input only. 

Looks like you can control the bell to make it trigger only, not voltage sensitive. 

No settings I can see to affect the start and stop toots... 

Greg


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 25 Jun 2012 07:47 PM 
Just read the manual.... the only settings for the whistle is to make the grade crossing blow automatically or with a trigger input only. 

Looks like you can control the bell to make it trigger only, not voltage sensitive. 

No settings I can see to affect the start and stop toots... 

Greg Doesn't step 12 & 13 cover both the horn and the bell? From what I'm reading it looks like the horn has three options; voltage control, sensor trigger, and sensor switch. The bell has the same thing. So if straight DC the horn can't be turned off with the starting voltage applied. It also looks like the bell can be controlled with DC by changing the 'bell on voltage"/"bell off voltage" (Step 15 & 16). Step 17 covers the horn sensitivity.

So I guess to answer the question, first it should be determined from the OP if he's using straight DC, or some sort of DCC, or remote control.

Craig


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael is happy now.. I just reset and showed how to for him.. no start up horns or bells , " Shut off auto cue on each one." now trigger only if he want to use that. Same as used on DCC set up.. It in the Sierra manual on most Eng's. and on F-3's ...Setting step 12 for horn and step 15 shut off bell start voltage. 
On a steam eng. like my Pacific, Sierra used step 14 in one of there steam manual so you can use a door bell remote to trigger the whistie. Sure can make it whal for a long time if want, but no start up whistie so you have to do your own with the door bell remote or ?? for the forward or rev. toot's. 
Great stuff for us track power throttles.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Hmm... the manual says "crossing whistle", nothing about the startup and shutdown... but if it does turn off all automatic horn, great... too bad the manual is not better. 

But, then again, this is where the experience of others trumps the manual. 

Greg


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

As Greg suggested reading the manual does not clearly identify the ability to "turn-off the auto start n stop "toots". Fortunately Noel was confident this was doable from previous experience with the Sierra Sound card. 

While I was test running my gaggle of F3’s Noel could be heard in the background counting audible program toots of the Sierra Sound card…………… Thanks Noel! 

I needed and or wanted to disable the auto start n stop “toots” for the slave unit’s in my four engine F3 consist. The primary or lead engine is equipped with a Phoenix P8 and AirWire F3 drop-in and it handles all the horn & bell activity. The additional Sierra cards provide the engine song only of the slave units. 

Thanks for the help guys, 
Michael


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael,
I haven't used Sierra in many years but got curious on this one. Noel and Graig are correct. I'm looking at an old diesel manual. Steps 12 and 13 are what you want. I would think that setting F2 to the off position would work.


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## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Paul Burch on 26 Jun 2012 12:51 PM 
Michael,
I haven't used Sierra in many years but got curious on this one. Noel and Graig are correct. I'm looking at an old diesel manual. Steps 12 and 13 are what you want. I would think that setting F2 to the off position would work.

Technically I don't think the Sierra has an 'off' setting. Changing F2 to off at steps 12 & 13 just moves the horn/bell from being voltage activated to being activated by a trigger. So if you don't have a trigger method (ie; DCC or RC) then it becomes 'off'. The trigger is the grounding of the horn or bell by closing the circuit between pin 12 and pin 13 or 14. 

Confusing? I think so. But for all intents and purpose it's off.

Craig


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

By off I meant that the F2 lamp would be off in that setting.


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