# QSI Magnum and Programmer questions



## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

If this has already been covered before, I apologize, and please sens me to the correct posts. 

I'm thinking about buying a QSI Magnum, but I cannot find answers to a few questions in any of the documentation. 

Can the chuff synchronization be set without the use of the QSI programmer? Greg Elmassian's site seems to indicate that it can, while the QSI documentation says use the computer. Are both valid? Do both work equally well? 

Can "features" such as the turbine whine, air pump, fireman shovelling coal, and directional lighting be turned off? I'm building a pre-1870s loco, so all that stuff is out of place. The documentation for the Revolution series of decoders says yes, but I'm not sure if that would apply to the Magnum series as well. 

Can the Aristo version be used without an Aristo or Magnum board? I get the impression that the only difference between the two versions is that the Magnum has an extra circuit board, adapting the pin and socket contacts to screw terminals, but that there is no additional circuitry. Is that true? 

Can the QSI Programmer be used to program ALL the CVs of the decoder, and generally tune the performance as needed, without having any DCC command station or booster around? In other words, can I buy just the decoder and programmer, and have a functioning, properly tweaked loco? 

Can an AirWire 1300 or 9000 throttle be used to fully program the decoder, assuming use of the G-Wire reciever chip? Does one work better than the other? 

What is the minimum voltage needed to keep everything working properly? I have a homemade HO throttle which puts out about 10 volts. Would that be enough to run the model on rollers, just for display and testing purposes? I'm not concerned about max speed, just that it will move and sound right. The model in question is a B'mann 0-4-0 circus train engine.


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm not as experienced as Greg with it, but here's what I know. 


The "Programmer" is designed to work with your computer--it's a USB interface, looks like a black plastic rectangle with two leds and two wire terminals. It plugs into the wall via a wall wart transformer, the you connect two wires from the programmer, which is a black plastic rectangle with 2 LEDS and two terminals, to a piece of track. Then you connect the programmer to you computer via a USB plug. Then you launch the "Q2" software, which lets you interact with the sound card. You can change the overall sound card (i.e change a 2-8-2 into a 4-6-2), you can change the volume of individual sounds, and you can cut and paste individual sounds, for example replacing one whistle with another. You can do the chuff synch from the Q2 program 
I THINK you can also do it with just an airwire throttle, but it's much harder. The recommend also using the "CV manager" software, which I haven't tried yet 

I haven't tried to do the chuff synch yet, but I have a magnum card on order and I'll have to do it, probably this weekend


----------



## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

I did a lot of programing on the QSI magnum/Gwire using Airwire9000. Greg E. and I worked very closly on programing the ACC-K4. Although the 9000 can do most programing, it is awkward, at best. Perhaps if it had been installed PNP in an Aristo, it might have been easier. 
JimC.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By DKRickman on 09/16/2008 9:39 AM
If this has already been covered before, I apologize, and please sens me to the correct posts. 
I'm thinking about buying a QSI Magnum, but I cannot find answers to a few questions in any of the documentation. 
Can the chuff synchronization be set without the use of the QSI programmer? 
>>>> yes, programming on the main on a DCC or Airwire system 

Greg Elmassian's site seems to indicate that it can, while the QSI documentation says use the computer. 
>>> both are right, you can, and it can be done on the computer 

Are both valid? 
>>> yes 

Do both work equally well? 
>>> the methods work equally well, just one method may be easier than another for certain individuals, if you are a neophyte, use the software 

Can "features" such as the turbine whine, air pump, fireman shovelling coal, and directional lighting be turned off? 
>>> yes, simple way is to set their volume to zero 

I'm building a pre-1870s loco, so all that stuff is out of place. The documentation for the Revolution series of decoders says yes, but I'm not sure if that would apply to the Magnum series as well. 
>>> so far, the "HO" manual 4.3.0 has worked for everything I have tried... 

Can the Aristo version be used without an Aristo or Magnum board? 
>>> the "magnum" is just a board the decoder plugs into giving you screw terminals, right now there is only one version of the decoder board hardware (of course you can load sounds for different locos) 

I get the impression that the only difference between the two versions is that the Magnum has an extra circuit board, adapting the pin and socket contacts to screw terminals, but that there is no additional circuitry. Is that true? 
>>> yep 

Can the QSI Programmer be used to program ALL the CVs of the decoder, and generally tune the performance as needed, without having any DCC command station or booster around? 
>>> I believe so, it should be able to program any CV 

In other words, can I buy just the decoder and programmer, and have a functioning, properly tweaked loco? 
>>> yep 

Can an AirWire 1300 or 9000 throttle be used to fully program the decoder, assuming use of the G-Wire reciever chip? 
>>> there are some weird limitations in ghe 1300, that supposedly be programmed around The 9000 has less limitations. 

Does one work better than the other? 
>>> for controlling the QSI get the 9000 do not get the 1300... after all how many controllers will you have in relation to all the locos and trains? 

What is the minimum voltage needed to keep everything working properly? 
>>> 6-7 volts will fire up the decoder but... 

I have a homemade HO throttle which puts out about 10 volts. 
>>> going to be close to marginal but will work, make sure you have enough amps 

Would that be enough to run the model on rollers, just for display and testing purposes? 
>> I believe so, but it will run slowly, just how slow you will have to see. 

I'm not concerned about max speed, just that it will move and sound right. The model in question is a B'mann 0-4-0 circus train engine.




Regards, Greg


----------

