Thanks for that posting Thom, I had forgotten all about this rather interesting and opinionated discussion.Brian
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
gatrhumpy I have three MRC sound decoders and am very happy with them. I love them. They worked perfect right out of the package, and two have been going for more than five years now. I should note I model in N scale, and the diesels I have cannot accept Tsunami or other decoders.
I have three MRC sound decoders and am very happy with them. I love them. They worked perfect right out of the package, and two have been going for more than five years now. I should note I model in N scale, and the diesels I have cannot accept Tsunami or other decoders.
As I see it, you match the decoder with the engine. If you're talking about a $200 diesel, you spend $$$ on the decoder. If you want to upgrade a LikeLike trainset, an MRC decoder is a good choice - it's cheap and you wont notice the better speed control that a more expensive decoder offers.
Personally, I use Digitrax for all my conversions and where possible, just buy engines with DCC already installed.
While I'm not a fan of Digitrax's DCC system, I do like their most recent 8 bit decoders (SDH166D). I've had a lot of luck with them, and they sound great in my Bachmann GP30s. John McMasters from the Yahoo group made a terrific sound set for them. I wasn't about to drop $100+ on a decoder for a locomotive I paid $30 for. These were $44 each.
MRC, on the other hand...ehhh. I can't say I'm all that pleased. I have the drop-in decoder for the Proto 2000 E8/9, and it's an odd product. It has separate common connections that do...I'm not sure what. They don't make lighting work. Maybe it's for 5v bulbs that are too bright? The instructions say any wheel pickup tab can be used as a common. It has acc1 and acc2 functions, and front and rear lights, but it's again unclear what these functions are. I haven't been able to get the reverse light to work for anything.
I now have 6 locos with sound: 3 GP30s with an SDH166D, an Athearn blue box F7 with an SDH166D, the E9 with the MRC 1922 decoder, and a Bachman DDA40X with the Bachmann Tsunami decoder. Of all of them, I think the GP30s sound the best, probably due to the sound set used.
Julian
Modeling Pre-WP merger UP (1974-81)
I have a question, dose NCE make a sound decoder? I have an ABA set of C&O F7s,two that have NCE D13SRJ decoders in them,the B unit has an MRC decoder first gene decoder early Genisi sound, I want to replace the MRC decoder. What is a good NCE decoder with sound?
I have two Tiger Valley Model C420, they do run (DC) only. They both have brass wheel sets. Dose anyone know if you can swap them for NWSL nickel silver wheel sets?
No, NCE does not make a sound decoder.
I think that, unfortunately, the problems with the early MRC decoders caused people to shun them. It's a little short-sighted in my mind, it would be like someone now refusing to buy a Soundtraxx Tsunami 2 because the Soundtraxx LC decoder they bought in 2008 wasn't all that great.
Since I have a fair number of first generation EMD and Alco engines, I find MRC decoders from recent years work well. The sound is good, their single-chime "blat" airhorn choices are just what I need.
Programming is easy - for example, I like to have my diesel's headlights set so the light in the direction of travel is bright, the opposite headlight is on but dim. On some decoders, that required changing three CVs. With MRC, it's only one. CV5 works a little differently than other decoders, so you have to read the instructions.
BTW it's true you can't read back CVs, but mine work fine on DecoderPro. If you're having trouble, and you have a programming booster, try disconnecting the booster. My MRC decoders read and program fine without it.