Cab1L Quill Mod

BillYo414 - I realize that what I'm about to say doesn't really answer the question you've raised, but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

I also own a CAB-1L and initially found a paragraph on page 9 of the Owner's Manual for #6-37147 (the CAB-1L & BASE-1L combined set) quite interesting - recognizing that TMCC engines do not have Quilling whistles anyway.  Briefly, point #3 describes the procedure "to toggle the whistle configuration between TMCC1 and Legacy style for the current engine or train."  It ends by referring to the 1 or 2 beep meaning.

Quite frankly I've alternated between the 1 and 2 beeps from time to time but really haven't noticed any substantial difference and, when reading your Post, wondered if you have?

I seriously doubt you can modify the CAB1L to do quilling whistle like the CAB2.  The CAB2 whistle is indeed a variable resistor, but the circuitry in the CAB1L and CAB2 is totally different, and the likelihood that you could tap in somewhere and "insert" that capability is slim to none!  As far as the CAB1L, the supplied quilling capability is as good as it's going to get.

I think I'll plead the fifth amendment on this one

Yeah I just skipped right to the part about adding locomotives and changing volumes and smoke levels. Then I never looked back. That might be a testament to how easy this system is to learn haha but I will tinker with it tonight if I have time. I'm running the Legacy B6. I assumed it has a quillable whistle because I can get a weak sound out of it with super precise/extra careful button pressing and it's a Legacy locomotive. But I gotta wonder what happens if I didn't change modes.

@gunrunnerjohn I couldn't swap out the styles of variable resistors if the pins/rating are the same? Or is it more like the thing reacting to the change in resistance isn't intended for reacting to fine changes? Like it isn't sensitive enough to detect small changes?

It's your CAB1L, hack away!   I personally think this is a fool's errand and it can only break bad.  I don't know what "pins" you refer to, but the PCB in the CAB1L and CAB2 are TOTALLY different designs!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

It's your CAB1L, hack away!

That's the spirit!!! haha

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I don't know what "pins" you refer to, but the PCB in the CAB1L and CAB2 are TOTALLY different designs!

And I guess maybe they're called leads? The small parts of a resistor/cap/whatever that I would solder to the board. I'm not sure what the right word is.

I see.... a new CAB1L in your future when you smoke the one you have!

Got any foresight on my pesky student loan debt?

I won't just go plugging things in. I think I'm going to find something besides what I expect when I open it up.

I'm not going to have time to tinker with the whistle modes this evening. I'm moving things around in the basement to be able to start my benchwork.

@BillYo414 I think what john is trying to tell you is it ain’t gonna be that easy. Keep in mind I haven’t and I don’t know if anyone else had cracked open a cab-1L but I’d be willing to suspect it’ll have the same kind of rubber contacts for all the buttons like TV remotes and the cab-1. I don’t know if with that they somehow can quill or if there’s a transducer in there for pressure or what. But the Cab-2 is designed with a sliding potentiometer and the software knows what commands to send per what locomotive is selected. Besides that what you probably hear is the “multi-chime” whistle witch TMCC locomotive have and is still present in legacy if there not receiving TMCC signals. the multi-chime at least I think that’s what it’s called would change the pitch of the whistle depending how short or long it was and how quick you hit it again so wouldn’t hear the same exact pitch all the time. I say TMCC but really RS5 maybe RS4 I don’t know after those. I did get our club some new Cab-1L’s for our new layout and they work very well. If you have the legacy locomotive be sure to set the remote to legacy so you get the full quilling witch is a little touch but not bad

When I took CAB-1 and CAB-1L units apart, the rubber buttons looked the same, although I did not examine them closely. The circuit board pads that the rubber buttons contact have a different pattern/size/complexity for the whistle button between CAB-1 and CAB-1L.

Also, what I think everyone is trying to suggest is that the hardware and firm ware is vastly different between the two generations of controllers. It's not about connections. It's about the PIC and its firmware - they are different and non-compatible.

Gotcha. I guess I was trying to understand why the button couldn't be subbed out for a variable resistor (assuming a variable resistor is what the CAB2 uses). I know I wouldn't get quilling on TMCC locos. But I thought that I could on Legacy locomotives.

I also really like the CAB1L. It's easy, light, comfortable. I can reach everything. I prefer it over the DCS app because I don't have to look down to see where I'm pressing.