I bought a Roundhouse 2-8-0 as the third locomotive (of a possible four) on my new, small HO retirement layout. One reason for starting over in a new scale was to take advantage of DCC and sound. I understood that this new engine would need some work on that score, but a little reading convinced me that it could be done, so I bought a TSU-1000 for it. I have only the most rudimentary modeler's skills, but I think (with the help of some online resources, including this one) I can install the decoder successfully.
But I also have a great deal of work to do on the layout, and only so much time. I'm fortunate to have the means to "outsource" this job. I've seen some hobby shops offering to do this sort of installation and I'm tempted to use these services. I'm asking if this project is so dead simple that even I can handle it--I'm good at following directions--or would I be smarter to have someone else do it? I'm thinking, for instance, that there may be little snags requiring diagnostic skills or tools I lack, and then there's a speaker to go in, and so on. If I have someone else do it, may I presume that the big names are as dependable for this as for selling and delivering products? Are there pitfalls I should know about? I welcome opinions and reports of actual experience; endorsements may be out of bounds for this site, but say what you can. Thanks.
I've always been a hands-on, do-it-yourself kind of guy. Over the years, I've found that I really can do just about anything model railroad related. At the same time, there are things I like doing more than others, so, while I've been progressing with scenery, I've got a Tsunami and speaker downstairs in the shop, still in their original packaging, and a silent engine on the layout. I'll get to it, eventually.
If you've never done a decoder yourself, I'd suggest starting with a simple, non-sound installation. If that's not possible, then your next best bet might be close to what you're doing - a steamer with a tender to put all the big stuff in. To me, the hard part of installing a sound decoder is getting the decoder itself (Tsunamis are larger than most) and the speaker enclosure into the engine, and an empty tender is ideal for that.)
Given the choice, I buy engines with factory sound installed. Others I've done myself, but one time I did have one done by my LHS. It is a small switcher with no room inside, and it was done perfectly. I love the results.
If you can't spare a weekend to do this, then by all means let someone else do it for you. If I felt time-limited, that's exactly what I would do. At the same time, you can do it if you want.
Good call on the Tsunami, by the way.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Welcome Back!
DCC/Sound is very dependent on good electrical pickup. You mentioned that you bought a 'Roundhouse' 2-8-0. Is this one of the old 'kits' from 20 years ago, or the new 'RTR' version that Athearn has released in their 'Roundhouse' line?
The really old kits had brass drivers, poor gear alignment and rather marginal electrical pick-up. To convert one of those, you may need to isolate the motor brushes and add electrical pick-up wipers(like those sold by Tomar). The current RTR ones are either 'DCC Ready' or have a DCC/Sound decoder installed.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
This looks like a very small locomotive. You might need to use the Tsunami TSU-750 decoder and not the TSU-1000 . You will have more room to work with. The TSU-750 is only good for 3/4 of an amp for the motor, so you may need to check your unit to see how many amps the motor draws when stalled. Use the largest speaker you can fit into the tender and still have room for the decoder and its capacitor.
Does this locomotive have power pick up on the tender trucks as well as the loco?
Will make for a better running unit if it does.
Thanks for the interest and support. This is a new Athearn/Roundhouse that makes a point on the packaging of saying it has no sound (without making much of the fact that it's not DCC-equipped, but it's supposed to be a matter of plugging in both the DCC and the sound). I'm actually more confident of installing the decoder than I am the speaker, so one reason to farm out the job is to get it all done at once, tested, and to some extent guaranteed to work.
If it's "DCC Ready" there is a circuit board in the tender with an NMRA 8-pin socket to accept a plug-in decoder; however, there is going to be very little space left for a speaker and enclosure and a sound decoder as large as a Tsunami.
A LokSound Select is significantly smaller than a Tsunami, but they don't have a 2-8-0 sound file available for their decoders.
Sure you can pay someone to do the job for you. I do instals on my own and for club members too. Some of the club members have given me some of their models to program and repair after they had paid a so called professional to do the job. When it comes to so called professional work you get what you pay for. I have seen some very shoddy work done by so called professionals. My three year old grand daughter could do a better job. I have also seen some top notch jobs done but the installations cost more than the loco and decoder combined. The installing shop has to pay someone to do the job too.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
I cannot make a recommendation as to whether or not to do it yourself. That is really up to you. But if you decide to have a pro do the installation, I can recommend Litchfield Station. They do excellent work and, while not cheap, I suggest you call them and ask for a quote. I believe you get full value for your dollar. No connection here...just a satisfied customer. And they are usually backlogged on installations so you might also want to ask when the install might be done.
Hello,
I too am building a small DCC HO scale retirement layout, diesel era. With some research, a good pencil iron and modest soldering skills I successfully installed a TCS non sound decoder into an older diesel model.
Like you I want to devote my available time to building my layout and modeling structures, so after being bitten by the sound bug recently and wanting to have a SoundTraxx Genesis decoder in my favorite locomotive model, an older Kato NW2 switcher, I decided to hire the job out.
I chose the pro installer after reading an article by Bruce Petrarca in Model Railroad Hobbyist mag. I'm quite satisfied with the work done by the pro, which required quite a bit of precise metal removal and wire routing. I am experiencing some "teething" problems with the Soundtraxx decoder that have yet to be sorted out, but I think this may be due to my primitive programming skills.
good luck and regards, Peter