In a situation where an F Unit A-B setup has power and a motion decoder in the A unit only, what, if any issues are involved if a sound only decoder is added to the B dummy? Does the B sound decoder need to be given a distinct address and programmed seperately from the A motion decoder?
I've got a Stewart FT A-B, and am considering buying one of their B dummy chassies already equipped with a Loc Sound decoder.
I'll appreciate any feedback.
Mike
It's your choice, you can give both A and B the same address, then remove the one from the track you are not programming when you are program the other. Or you can give them different addresses and create a consist for the pair.
I'm not sure I follow. Are you saying that inorder to sound authentic, both need sound decoders? If that is the point, then I guess all lashups whether A-B or multi unit Geeps, etc. would need sound decoders in each unit.
Mike,
What you propose to do is easily possible. As has been mentioned you can give both units the same address. Many of the newer decoders can be locked. Digitrax and TCS for sure. Not sure about others. You program the powered loco to your liking and then lock the decoder. Then you can program the dummy unit with sound, even if it has the same address, and match it to the powered unit. All of my F7 locomotives are run in sets and have the same address. The GP40s, RS32s, E8s and the ALCO PAs are seperately addressed and simply MU'd together when needed.
Soundtraxx has a DSX sound only decoder, but I use their DSD-100LC or DSD-101LC decoders for sound in several of my 'dummy' units. They are cheaper and much easier to program. I put a small light bulb across the motor leads to give the decoder a load. I have never had a problem programming these decoders with the 'bulb' load. I also, electrically couple my A-B or A-A F7 sets with a Miniatronics 2 conductor plug. This gives them 16-wheel electrical pick-up and eliminates the 'stutter' so common with sound units.
Yes, a sound decoder in every unit will give you more proto-typical sound, but it gets expensive. With some of my units, I simply install a speaker and connect it to the sound unit with a Miniatronics plug/wire. Most Soundtraxx decoders will drive 1,2 or as many as four speakers.
Its your choice, but one sound unit, maybe with an extra speaker or two, is enough for my needs. Try it. If you want more, you can always install another decoder and speaker.
Let us know how you make out.
Remember its your railroad
Allan
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
I have a 'ABA' set of Stewart engines - the middle booster is unpowered. The Stewart unpowered unit has similar trucks/power pick-up as the powered units. Normally I do not buy 'dummy' engines, but I picked up a 'like new' ABA set for $40 at a train show. The booster was unpowered. I put TCS decoders in the A units and a MRC 'Sounder'(Sound only) decoder in the B unit(it cost $30). All are close coupled with dummy couplers and have the same engine address. The booster was programmed to the same address, and the trailing unit had CV29 set to 'reverse' the normal 'front'.
The shells were Stewart ATSF 'War Bonnet' F3 units. (I traded the the ATSF shells to a friend and he swapped me 'black' frame/trucks so he could use the silver sets for his ATSF passenger trains) I picked up a ABA set of P2K F7 shells for $24 at the same train show. They fit on the Stweart chassis with no problems. A sound equipped ABA set of Milw F7's for under $120 Not too bad for a few hours work(the Stewart units were early non-DCC Ready engines that I 'hard wired').
Most of my locomotive consists have a least one Sound engine in the consist. I suppose having sound in every engine would add to the total effect - but I do not have the time/money to equip every engine in this life! I am pleased with the 'sound' from the inexpensive MRC 'Sounder'.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I put a Digitrax sound-only decoder in a dummy F7B. As David mentioned above, these decoders are disappointing in the volume they will put out. On the other hand, an ABA consist with one sound unit, even a quiet one, is better than no sound unit at all.
I chose to give my B-unit a unique address, and run it as part of a consist. I've got 2 powered A's and 1 dummy A in addition to the B, so I mix and match them. By giving it its own address, I retain that flexibility.
The best thing about putting a sound system in a dummy B unit, though, is all the room you've got inside. Most decoder installations are an exercise in cramming more stuff into the shell than it was designed to hold. It's so much easier in an empty engine.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
OK, now I need ot purchase a Digitrax sound decoder and try it out. Everyon keeps remarkign how quiet they are. They said the same thign abck when the first came out, yet in the NOISY exhibition hall at the National Train show, I had no problems hearing the sounds at the Digitrax booth. What WAS hugely disappointing was how quiet the Tsunami steam decoder at the SOundtraxx booth was - and it was in an On3 model that was a bit larger than many HO locos so there should ahev been room to do a decent size speaker with proper baffles. Plus you'd think if thuis was the demo unit to show off to prospective customers they would have made sure it was tuned to deliver the optimal sound. The chuffs weren;t too bad but the whistle was barely audible even when I leaned down next to the loco! Not so with the Digitrax SFX decoders. Digitrax's boo-boo was the 'lost' detection message on their back and forth signal demo layout because they interfaced using an MS100. The computer running RR&Co didn;t 'see' the loco enter the last block where it was supposed to stop and pause, then reverse direction. This wouldn;t have happened with a Locobuffer or PR-3, however the Locobuffer is not a Digitrax product and the PR-3 was still a couple years in the future.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I, as many others find that once you add sound to a unit you tend to run the loco with sound and the others set. I happened to have two very cheap engines that had a good electrical pickup system but the motors were less than you would hope for! The solution in my case was to remove the motors and gears and put a MRC sound only into each of these and set these units as a consist. I now can run the fleet as a consist with one of these units and have sound. I will as the budget allows purchase more sound decoders but for now the cheap MRC's satisfy my need for sound.
Cliffsrr