Quantum Revolution Improves FEF Performance
by Paul Turvill
A poorly performing Athearn FEF HO scale steamer and a pre-production Quantum Revolution “diesel” decoder provided an opportunity to try out a number of the Revolution’s features.
First, using the Quantum Programmer and Q2Upgrade software, I was able to change the personality of the Revolution from diesel to steam without difficulty, in about ten minutes.
Hardwiring the decoder into the FEF’s roomy tender took another 20 minutes, and the modified unit ran acceptably from the outset.
Optimizing the FEF’s performance throughout its speed range (especially at very low speeds) took a bit longer, since there were no model-specific defaults for the CVs controlling BEMF and PID parameters. However, a couple of hours experimentation were well rewarded with an FEF that outperforms its factory-equipped “cousins” by several orders of magnitude. Under every imaginable load situation, speed control is smooth and reliable from less than 1 smph at Speed Step 1 to approximately 85 smph at full throttle. Among other amazing feats, it can pull a string of 25 freight cars up a 2.1% grade at less than one scale mile per hour!
Sounds (using the original FEF speakers) are impressive, and the Revolution’s built-in BEMF chuff rate calibration help make the Revolution-equipped FEF one very impressive model indeed.
