I am curous as to the feeling on the forum about adding a sound only decoder to a locomotive that is already operating on dcc. Is one better off to add the sound only unit or is there an advantage to just starting all over with a new motion and sound decoder? Thank you
Old Fat Robert
Robert,
It depends on three things:
To save space, you may need to spring for a sound decoder that has both sound and motor control. Some decoders have better motor control than others.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
There are only 2 sound-only decoder manufacturers that I know of, MRC and Digitrax. Both are low-cost decoders, and you sacrifice something to get that. I don't know about the MRC ones, but the Digitrax sound-only decoders use 8-bit sound encoding, while the higher-end decoders like Soundtraxx use 16-bit sound encoding, which produces a much nicer sound. Some of the Digitrax models, for some reason, have very little output power and are completely drowned out by other sounds, engines and even wheels running over the track.
I am not an audiophile, by any means, and I have a number of SoundBug decoders by Digitrax that are OK for what they do. One's in an older Athearn engine, one's in a dummy F7A, and another is mounted in a building to provide the sounds for a small tank engine that will spend its life within a foot or two of that building switching the carfloat terminal. But, for my better-quality road engines, I've installed Tsunamis and I appreciate the difference.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
If I may ask a related but slightly different question. How do I install a Digitrax Sound Bug with an 8 pin plug in a P2K (older) SD-7 that is "DCC ready" but already has a Dixitrax 163 PS motion only decoder installed in the 8 pin plug on the board?
Mike
Mike,
You can solder wires from the Sound Bug to the same color leads on the DH163PS. I am not aware of a plug-in solution for two 8-pin decoders.
Regards,
Dave
From Mt Pleasant, Utah, the home of the Hill Valley and Thistle Railroad where the Buffalo still roam and a Droid runs the trains
I have tried MRC and Digitrax sound decoders among others. They just aren't that good. They may have a horn sound good, maybe a bell, but not the prime mover. At a street price of around $80 the Soundtraxx decoder has proven all around to be the best for us. We have several locos running at 1 smph or less. Keep in mind that the speaker size/quality and install with the largest enclosure possible(scratch made is usually best) are key to good sound and that takes up a lot of room which normally doesn't allow for 2 decoders.
Richard
I want to thank all of you that responded to my question. I received good, positive information that I can use to make an effective choice. Originally, I was leaning toward "combo" decoders as best and you have cemented that decision. Thanks again.
Old fat Robert