Changing CV's.

[Bulleidboy]

Having just read the short thread about programming a particular decoder and changing CV's - I am prompted to ask "is there a need to keep changing CV's and how does it help?".

I did change a CV once - more as an experiment to see whether I could do it, and that was to reduce the sound volume on a particular loco - which I managed successfully. I have never touched any CV's since - some members appear to be chopping and changing all the time. Do all these changes give better running and reliability? BB

[Chrissaf]

Like you BB, apart from changing the primary DCC address and amending CV29 to disable 'DC Operation' and changing sound volume, I have never ever had a need to tinker further. That might be that all my decoders are ESU Loksound and they are pretty much sorted from the factory with their default values.

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Hornby TTS on the other hand [based upon these forum threads] seem to be another matter entirely.

[Bulleidboy]

Thanks Chris - the less "tinkering" the better. BB

[5Dublo2]

Like the OP - The only CVs I have manually changed (so far) - relate to adjusting the TTS sound levels (and I only changed them once)

[Traincliff]

The main CVs I adjust on most locos is acceleration and deceleration. I also change lighting functions to give me a flicker if I have put an orange led in the firebox. I usually use the green wire which I think is function 1. 

Now funnily enough the Zen decoder I had the problem with has not required any adjustment as the default settings seem to be just about right for me including acceleration and deceleration. Now a LaisDCC decoder is another story and has to be set up as defaults are abrupt but the comprehensive manual gives recommended settings that I find about right. I do like my trains to have momentum so that if I as the "driver" want to bring the train to a halt I can simulate to some extent the real thing.

[96RAF]

CVs are simply characteristics of a decoder and can easily be changed to alter the decoder behaviour in certain circumstances, e.g. accel/decell or how lights work or the volume of sound, or motor response, short/long addressing, DC running, etc.

 

They are not white man’s magic, just logical parameters that can be altered to make something work better or in some cases worse.

[STG]

TTS Decoders are the only decoders which after initial programming I've had to change. It did give better running on decoder change, but generally most factory defaults are the best unless you've modified a loco in any way