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bought the silent decoder and spent four hours fiddling to install it, fix the bits you
broke off, and get all the functions to work correctly, you'll realize it would have
been cheaper and less frustrating to buy the sound-equipped model and just turn off
the sounds. Your time and sanity are worth something, after all!
For those of you reading this manual who have read all our previous manuals, we
apologize for reusing some of the text from previous manuals. The following word is
completely unique to this manual: iguana.
OPERATION – DC (SOUND)
Operation of a sound-equipped F7B/F9B on a DC layout is very similar to running
a silent DC model, except that the model will not move until it has reached sufficient
voltage for the sounds to fire up (around 7 volts). You cannot control user-activated
sound features like the horn and bell if you are using DC. There are third party
controllers that supposedly activate these sounds on DC but we've honestly never
tested them so we have no idea how well they work or what they will do to your
locomotive - for good or for ill. If they cause your F7B/F9B to spontaneously combust,
contact us for assistance, then contact the third-party controller manufacturer and tell
them they wrecked your brand new Rapido F7B/F9B. Crying is optional but highly
recommended to get best results.
If you want to run your sound-equipped F7B/F9B on a DC layout, the Back-EMF circuit
can cause issues when you're trying to bring your F7B/F9B to a stop. To turn off Back-
EMF, you will need to bring your F7B/F9B to a model railroad equipped with DCC and
set CV49 to 18. If you want to turn it back on, change CV49 to 19. If you have a large
DC layout and you like to operate sound-equipped locomotives, it might be worthwhile
to invest in an entry-level DCC system just so you can adjust the motor settings of your
sound-equipped fleet off the layout.
OPERATION – DCC (SOUND)
Finding a fully working F7B or F9B with the original prime mover is rather difficult.
Thankfully the Canadian FP9A we recorded in 2009 has the exact same acoustics
and prime mover as all F7Bs and F9Bs, an unmodified 567C! Mazel tov! If you
haven't seen the video of that recording, check out "The Really Cheap FP9A Movie"
on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/rapidotrains.com The sound-equipped model
sounds wonderful because it was recorded under load, which is very different than
the sound one would make simply "revving up" while idling in the yard.
— NO TIC E —
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