Acquired a Bachmann HO 44 Ton this weekend and ran it on the clubs track for a bit but wasn't that impressed with it. It wasn't broke in but it seemed to take a lot of speed steps to get going and this all brought up a few questions. The club layout uses a Super Chief system with I do believe a couple of boosters and the loco is not yet properly broke in but wanted to ask a few things first.
Is the Bachmann decoder worth a darn? I have a couple of Digitrax (new) DH series decoders (2 function and 6 function) I can snitch to put in. I would like to get this thing running smooth as satin as I bought it with the intentions of using at the ferry dock on the club layout. I'm still stuck in mud hole between HO and N for at home.
The decoder is supposedly a DC/DCC unit but I have not hooked up my power pack to some track yet to test it on that. May come this weekend.
The Bachmann decoders are "okay" but are very basic - IIRC they have ID no., start voltage, and momentum CVs...maybe some basic lighting options?? I think if you put in a better decoder with things like top and midrange CV's, speed charts, Back EMF "cruise control", etc., the engine will run a lot better (particularly once the engine gets a proper run-in, like 15 min. forward than 15 min. in reverse.)
The Bachmann decoder is good for basic control over speed, direction an dlight functions but not much else. You'd be better off replacing it with a quality decoder. I put Digitrax DZ125's in my GP7's, GP38-2 and GP30's as well as my SDP40F's and trio of Athearn F units and pair of Atlas GP40's.
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The stock Bachmann decoders dont have a high frequency drive for silent running, and they don't have much of anything else for motor control either, like the equivalent of dither or torque compensation. Any good quality decoder is a superior item, even the inexpensive NCE D13SRJ. One of those might not fit int he tiny 44 tonner though.
You can greatly improve performance even with the stock decoder by removing the capacitors that are across the motor terminals.
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I have put a DZ125 Digitrax decoder into a 44 ton and ti runs very nicely. I also put the LokSound Micro into a couple 44 tonners. The locos start at almost 1 mph with a max speed of 20 mph.
Rich
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rrinker The stock Bachmann decoders dont have a high frequency drive for silent running, and they don't have much of anything else for motor control either, like the equivalent of dither or torque compensation.
The stock Bachmann decoders dont have a high frequency drive for silent running, and they don't have much of anything else for motor control either, like the equivalent of dither or torque compensation.
Bachmann decoders are plain and simple. They are programmed to 28 speed steps, have you tried changing that?
I have 4 locos with bachmann decoders. Do they work? - Yes. Are they optimal? - No Will they eventually be changed? - Yes
jeffrey-wimberly I had plenty of the howling and growling from the early Bachmann decoders, especially the ones incorporated into the light board. The ones I've seen more recently however haven't had this problem though the control hasn't improved any.
You must be lucky, I bought 2 new bachmann locos with DCC installed, they are noisy. It seems like they need to warm up 5-10 minutes before they run smooth (but still make noise)
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If I get a Bachmann loco with DCC on board, the work bench is the first thing it see's for a decoder transplant. And the extraction of those worthless capasitors. I know the OEM decoders will not meet to my expectations.
I have not thrown them away. maybe I can use them for their lighting functions or car lighting on off switches through DCC. Who knows they may end up in the trash anyway.
If you want a quality non sound decoders at resonable prices, Train Control Systems ( TCS ) is by far the best choice, in my opinion.
Truck.
I have an N scale 44-tonner, 70-tonner, and 4-6-0 with the on-board decoders. I find them okay but not great, but then again these locomotives with decoders tend to be priced very affordably.
My 44-tonner ran better after a proper break-in, about 50% throttle forward for about ten minutes and then reverse. After that, I monkey a bit with start, mid, and top voltage to get the speed profile I wanted, which is basically decent slow speed creep and a believable top speed limit. If I ever get really annoyed at these I may change them, but they're doing fine for now.
Adam
I replaced mine with a NCE decoder. I gave the Bachmann decoder a new address and hooked it up to the drive unit for my Atlas turntable. Now I can control the speed and the direction of the turntable.
Scott
Don't throw the decoder away if you replace it. You can install it inside a caboose or passenger car to provide lighting control for interior lights or marker lights.
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