Rapido Trains FA-2 Operation Manual - Sound Volume Settings
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SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
The sound volume settings have been designed to be layout friendly. That means that they will
not sound particularly loud if you are accustomed to other manufacturers’ locomotives BLASTING
at full volume out of the box. They will also not sound particularly loud if you are going deaf
like Jason. (He’s modeling Spadina Yard with its engine terminal and 40 idling locomotives. You
should be able to hear his layout from Cincinnati.) You can easily make some of the sounds louder
if you regularly operate your locomotives at shopping malls, train shows, or on airport runways.
If you want the sounds to be even louder, we suggest you give up scale modeling and go buy a
real FA-2 or FPA-2. If you choose the later, please don’t burn yourself on the steam.[We have to
check this. The sounds may be maxed out.]
You can also adjust the relative volume levels of the different elements of the sound recordings.
If you are the type of guy who wants his FA-2/FPA-2 bell heard in the next province or state, you
have lots of room to increase its volume. Ours is set at level 65 of a possible 128.
To set the volume levels go into the program mode on your DCC system (refer to your system’s
manual for instructions on how to do this as each system is slightly different); enter the desired CV
number; then enter the desired levels. Note that this can be done either on a programming track
or on the main (ops mode) if your DCC system supports programming on the main.
We strongly recommend that you keep notes on which settings you have changed and which
values were used. If you ever need to do a reset on the decoder (see “Factory Reset” below) then
having good notes will allow you to easily re-enter any changes that you might want to keep.
VERY IMPORTANT: Before you change any of the volume control CVs,
please make sure that CV 32 is set to 1. CV 32 is used as an index selection
register and if you don’t set it first then we are not responsible for your resulting
rage and the fact that you will probably throw the locomotive against the wall
in frustration.
For example, to set the horn volume, first set CV32=01, then CV275=0-128.
FA-2/FPA-2 SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
FUNCTION
CV
DEFAULT
RANGE
YOUR VALUE
MASTER VOLUME
63
180
0-192
PRIME MOVER
259
128
0-128
HORN
275
128
0-128
BELL
283
65
0-128
DYNAMIC BRAKE
299
60
0-128
STEAM
315
30
0-128
DOPPLER HORN
379
128
0-128
BRAKE SQUEAL
459
50
0-128