Andrew: this is apparently everyone's basic objection to the Blue Line
sound decoders....

from the history (which may be totally incorrect rumors) I have heard,
it appears that someone told BLI that they could do a replacement for
the sound portion of the QSI decoders for much less money. it is my
understanding that this designer had no prior experience in the
industry, and (pure conjecture) no experience as a model railroader
using DCC equipment and tools.

they apparently contracted him to do the job!!! which he didn't really
do....the real aggravation with this decoder comes from trying to do a
sound decoder that will also run on DC and DCC, probably without
compromising any QSI or Soundtraxx or ESU patents, although it appears
from the fact that the DC Master works, that they did have some
cooperation from ESU.

this decoder is totally aggravating, and I wish I had a dollar for
everyone in the 3 clubs I belong to who says they will NEVER buy another
BLI loco. this would probably have been avoided if they had just told
people to BUY A DC MASTER to program this sound decoder.

too bad, because BLI has been a really innovative company before this
debacle.

please note that Bachmann had better judgment, and got their sound
DC/DCC decoders from Soundtraxx......I doubt that they paid much more
than BLI does for the Blue Line piece of junk. which it really is in
the diesel version - only 3 notches of diesel sound.....the MRC Sounder
which is available for $23 has the 8 notches, and a lot more than the
Blue Line decoder.

Michael Hewitt

andrew_croslanduk wrote:
>
> I fail to see why a sound decoder can work in direct byte mode and
> not in direct bit mode or paged mode. The speaker load excuse sounds
> like a smokescreen to me to cover up for simple bad design. In all
> cases the requirement is for a 60mA current pulse of 5ms.
>
> It costs a few cents to add a transistor and a load to generate the
> correct ACK pulse during programming.
>
> There is NO excuse for any decoder to not support readback in all
> modes.
>
> This is not a problem with the NMRA RPs, it is purely a design
> decision by the manufacturers to not fully implement the RP.
>
> Regards,
>
> Andrew
>
> --- In sprog-dcc@...
> <mailto:sprog-dcc%40yahoogroups.co.uk>, "J. Michael Hewitt"
> <jmhewitt@...> wrote:
> >
> > I can write and read to Soundtraxx decoders with the SPROG without
> > problem.
> >
> > I have a decoder I am using for sound only, but don't know if it is
> > Sound only or that I don't have a motor connected.
> >
> > I will check and reply.
> >
> > note that the SPROG ONLY has a Service mode. however, it can run a
> train!!!
> >
> > Michael
> >
> > Jon Miller wrote:
> > >
> > > Another look at this problem is that it was explained to me that
> with a
> > > speaker load (sound only decoders) the loading was too slow for a
> > > Direct Bit
> > > response thus Direct Byte was used. While a little faster Direct
> Byte is
> > > not much different from Paged Mode.
> > >
> > > In Blueline's defense I checked the Soundtraxx DSX (a sound only
> > > decoder) and see it doesn't use Direct Mode only Paged Mode.
> > > Digitrax sound decoder says Direct Mode but I'm not sure if you
> could
> > > read/write in Service Mode with only the sound decoder connected.
> They
> > > basically say if it doesn't work in Service Mode (programming
> track) then
> > > use Ops Mode (main line).
> > > It appears that a manufactures out for not being able to use
> Service
> > > Mode is simple to says if it doesn't work use Ops Mode. You can't
> read in
> > > Ops Mode which is why I never use it.
> > >
> > > So here is the catch 22. NMRA says;
> > > sic---are submitted for Conformance after 1-Aug-2002, must
> support Direct
> > > Mode."
> > > Sound only decoders don't like Direct Bit Mode so we have a
> problem (or
> > > at least it appears so) and it's not really the manufactures,
> it's an
> > > NMRA
> > > problem. They never thought the market would have sound only
> decoders I
> > > guess!
> > >
> > > Jon Miller
> > > AT&SF
> > > For me time has stopped in 1941
> > > Digitrax, Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI user
> > > NMRA Life member #2623
> > > Member SFRH&MS
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>