Rapido GE U25B - High Hood Nose - Mandarin Orange and White

Boy, they didn't stay looking like that for very long.

GS

 

My DCC system has only 12 function keys. This Locomotive model has 24 functions. A lot of them need to be remapped and some will not or ever be used.
I have read the accompanying manual and parts of it is comical, eg: They recommend " Or just get a LokProgrammer. No, we will not teach you how to use it"
I even read the ESU's manual for the Loksound 5 DCC decoder. Way above my pay grade. I agree with Keith's comments.
I can change the volume on the sound items, horn selection, bell, with main line programming on my command station.
Bottom Line: "It Is What It Is"

 

Well I'll start off my post with some bad news. I fear the post office delivered my package with 5 U25Bs to the wrong house. I'll find out more tomorrow, but I may have to scramble to find replacements before they're sold out.

I've posted my disdaine for ESU on here more than once. They're essentially the Apple of the MRR industry. More expensive, gimmick features, incompatible with other products and impossible to work on without proprietary equipment.

The only thing worse than ESU, is all of the manufacturers that have switched to using their garbage decoders. Each and everyone of them is complicit in this mess.

Rant over

 

Well, fellas, we didn't have that issue 20 years ago. Sounds like a first world problem.

GS

 

Rapido was at the National Train Show in Grapevine Texas. I tried talking to them about the U25B. Not the most customer service oriented folks, and I will leave it at that.

 

IF I am remembering correctly, I have a good friend that ordered those. Parts were loose in the box when opened and I think one had damaged air tanks.

Also, as an 11 year Frisco veteran that has been on or around most of the U25B's, he felt the orange was too bright/red-ish for the Frisco's shade.

Of course, concerns about the color being off is subjective, however parts off in the box, as well as broken parts, is not.

The above is causing me to seriously rethink my desire for a black and yellow High Hood U25B and a black & yellow low flat nose U25B.


ESU LokSound:

I have several Atlas Gold engines that are equipped with ESU's LokSound "Select" decoder of yore. I think they sound great. Now that I've learned to use the "hold drive" in conjunction with their notch up/down feature on the GP7, I have no complaints. I can climb the grade at 10 MPH in run 8, or drift down grade at 25 MPH at idle, as well as settings in between as desired when working level ground. (This applies to the Atlas Gold GP7 only.)

The Alco's I have (RS-1's and S-2's) all use 539T sounds and are also excellent sounding. Plus, I've learn to set the momentum values so that I can play the throttle steps against the momentum to cause the decoder to really sound nice when switching (rev up/rev down).

For consisting, I've learned to just mute the GP7 when in consist with my TSU2 equipped EMD's. OR, make the Atlas GP7 w/LokSound Select the lead engine and set the trailing units to idle. That way the prominent sound is coming from the Atlas Gold GP7 and the consist sounds okay when laboring or drifting.

Lastly, in spite of my rudimentary programming incompetency, I've managed to select the horns I want, and modify values to my satisfaction. If I can do it... you can too.


Recap:

The broken/detached parts is a huge off-put in view of my contemplated purchase of a future Rapido black w/yellow stripe U25B HH and low flat nose.


Andre

 

So much for NMRA standards?
They all seem to follow the F0= lights F1= bell F2=horns F8=sound, and motor and pick up wire color code?
Anything after that they can do what they want. They should be held to include how the AUX's on the mother board be for specific Light functions eg: number boards, classification lights, beacons, etc.
Each decoder company has their own idiosyncrasies on programming. So JMRI was developed to make it somewhat simpler, but when company's go about it their own way, that puts another wrench you have to acquire and educate to make it work.
Keith's comment on the last paragraph is spot on.

 

I got lucky. My order was accidentally sent to my old house in town where it sat out on the front porch all weekend. No one took it and somehow it didn't have any water damage.

I had about 60 seconds last night to pull one unit out and look at it through the packing sleeve. I don't notice any broken detail parts on this one, we'll see how the other 4 fared. The orange is what I would describe as fresh out of the paint shop bright. I think they nailed the orange-red color first try (hard bar to clear these days). From what I can see through the packing, the details are right on par with what I expected from Rapido. It'll be a while before I can get one on some track to try out, but overall I like what Rapido gave us on this offering, and I hope we get more from them in the future.

 

I got my one unit about 3 hours ago. Had one loose part I had to glue back on. I have tested it. Now I am pulling down the decoder CV info into Decoder Pro. It does look really good. All the little details. I am going to see if I can get F keys moved to my personal standard next.

 

Thanks for putting in the hard work for us Keith.

Unfortunately Tom, I think I used up all my luck on this one. Better wait a while for it to recharge.

 

The Whizkid strikes again!

Thanks for tackling this project for all of us.

By chance did you change the CV to disable the throttle notch up delay? I plan to disable it in all of my ESU decoders so they play better with others. CV124 to 0 did the trick on some other ESU decoders last fall.

 

Found a great layout in the SE Michigan area that runs diesel up to 1980, so this sounds like a job for the Frisco!.

I bought two Hi Nose U25Bs (800 and 802), but I'm also struggling with the LokSound 5 chip. I usually use JMRI DecoderPro with my NCE PowerCab programming track.

I can't figure out which LokSound 5 chip I have, as all of the sounds/lights, etc., are defaulted, and I don't know what I'm changing or changing it to. I have pretty much resigned myself to leaving it stock, but I can't operate the beacon on either of my locomotives.

F17 doesn't seem to work...

Help?

Thanks,

JFM