I started to install a Soundtraxx DSD-101LC decoder in one of my Spectrum 2-8-0 engines. I bought the decoder on Ebay and it doesn't have the instruction sheet with it or speaker . I am using a QSI High Bass 8 ohm speaker. I printed the Soundtraxx manual for their DSD LC series decoders and they show a capacitor in line with the speaker but don't say what size/rating? and my question is do I need one and if so, what size/model should I use? I also plan to remove the Bachmann light board/pc board as most of the install articles I have been able to find suggest to do this. Does anyone have experience in this install and what would you suggest I do before proceeding? The decoder has no marking on it but I did test it on my NCE decoder tester and it works but the sound is very low (no enclosure so I guess I shouldn't expect it).
- Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
The capacitor provided with the 101LC decoders is a NON-POLARIZED electrolytic type, which is not likely to be available at a local Radio Shack or other electronics store.
The purpose of the capacitor is to block DC voltage to the speaker but pass the AC sound waveform. I don't know the value of the capacitor but believe it is somewhere in the range of 100 Mfd. @ 16 Volts.
No speaker is going to have adequate volume without an enclosure.
Bob,
You may not want to hear this, but the DSD line isn't nearly as good as the Tsunami line. I installed one and wished I hadn't. Big waste of time in my opinion. So, I took it out and replaced with a Tsunami.
I just hope you find the sound you get worth the effort you're putting into the install. BTW, I use two HB speakers in parallel with the Tsunami's and enclosures are key.
Richard
Thanks for the info guys. I finally went ahead and mounted the speaker after a bit of grinding the underside of the coal load. I removed the pc board and wired directly to the decoder. I have run into a couple of problems with it now. 1) I traced the wires in the loco because none of the wires in either the tender or loco follow NMRA color standards. I got the engine to run and the sound works but it has constant intermittant stop/start issues. When it stops I can touch the tender or loco and it will run again. I checked all the solder joints and can't find anything loose or what looks like a cold joint. I didn't install a capacitor (yet). 2). The two pin connector was what I thought was for the headlight and thus wired it as such to the white/blue wires from the decoder. When I plug it in there is a driect short and all stops. Unplug it and it runs. The headlight is always on no matter which direction it runs. ?
Any thoughts as I have tried all I can think of.
PS: Richard, you are right about the sound quality and I would have gone with the Tsunami if it weren't soo expensive. But it is better than the Digitrax one I have in my challenger.
This is typical of an LC (Low Cost) decoder because they are very sensitive to dirty wheels, dirty track, or inadequate weight of the tender. The LC decoders I have used are all going to eventually be replaced with Tsunami or QSI Revolution types because of their intermittent loss of sound and continual restarting..
Add a keep-alive capacitor like the Tsunami has. Marcus' web wite shows you how: http://members.optusnet.com.au/mainnorth/alive.htm
The one LC decoder I have is in a Stewart F7 B dummy, and doesn;t have any problems even without a stay alive capacitor, btu the Stewart dummy is rather heavy and has nice nickle-silver wheels, and picks up on all 8. I can creep around on speed step 1 or fly at warp speed and the sound never cuts out, even over unpowered frogs. Clean track, clean wheels, clean pickups.
--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 put a 100mfd 50wvdc capicator in today and didn't find much difference, although it now only stops and starts on unpowered frogs. I adjusted the sound levels, and chug rates and it sounds pretty good except for a lack of volume on the whistle. It is 100% better than it was when i first ran it but not as loud as the other LC decoder in my Berkshire (both are medium steam decoders). I will attempt to add some weight to the tender and clean the wheels. My track is very clean.
I went back and looked at my notes (TG for notes!) and noticed that the 2 pin connector on my Bachmann Berkshire was for the right/left track pickup and not the light as I thought when tracing the wires on the Consolidation. I went back and switched the wires on the 2 pin connector to red/black track pickup in the tender/decoder and put the two yellow wires to the blue/white from the decoder for the headlight. NOW everything runs as it should; NO STALLING AT TURNOUTS or anywhere and the headlight works only in the forward direction. All is good once again. It is just frustrating sometimes with electrical problems when you think you had everything wired correctly. Thanks for all your input. Now both of the Soundtraxx LC decoders work great, much better than the Digitrax sound decoder.
SOunds might be a bit better with the LC, but the motor control defintiely is not - which is why I used my LC in a dumny with no motor. The LC's don't have a high frequency drive, which means with a lot of motors, it makes the motor hum which interfers with the enjoyment of the sound. LC motor drive is on par with those cheapy motor only decoders Bachmann includes with the DCC on-board - no high frquency drive, lack of speed adjustment outside of a 28 step speed table, and no BEMF. At least the Tsunami added high frquency drive and decent BEMF. Lack of full CV2/5/6 support is inexcusable though, speed tables are needlessly complex and not needed for most speed matching or loco response adjustment.
Randy,
you are right about the motor control, the LC decoders don't have the same speed control as ones wiith BEMF. I was just comparing them to the Digitrax SDH series that I put in my Challenger. I just can't afford the Tsunami or QSI decoders now. I hope to get one for my Big Boy in the future and eventually replace the Digitrax with one as well. Maybe Digitrax or some other company will come out with a 'decent' sound decoder for around $50-$60 that would allow modellers to upgrade their locos without taking out a loan. I love the sound and performance from my BLI Hudsons but since I retired I don't have the $$ to keep purchasing those types of engines.
Thanks for your input, I always look for comments from you on other posts as well. I am glad we have people like you on the forum.
Don't count the Digitrax ones out yet. The new ones seem to have a few teethign problems, I think they are trying to make that poor processor do too much doign both BEMF and producing the sounds - most of the problems liek slowing down when blowign the horn go away when you turn off BEMF. The plain motor decoders plus a Soundbug might be a more reliable way to go. The default sounds are terrible but there are others that don't even sound liek it could possibly be the saem decoder. Unfortunately almost all of those are diesel. The only alternate steam sounds seem to be the british prototypes that AJ recorded himself. I meant to check the sound depot to see if they have the new ones - they just announced a coupel of N scale decoders with soudns that previously weren't in the sound depot and I wanted to try them on my SOundbug if they are available for download to see if they improved them to the level set by some of the third party efforts, although none of the 4 new ones is one that I could actually use for locos from my era.
Maybe I will give the Soundbug a try on one of my diesels that already have a motor decoder. I just assumed they would be the same as the All-in-one sound decoders. I have a Genesis F3 with an NCE decoder that might be a good candidate.
Different loco.
ANd while I do have a Tsunami and it sounds good, the lack of CV6 is extremely annoying, decoderpro or not, speed tables are unecessarily complicated. ANd I am STILL annoyed tha tno matter what I do, both my Soundtraxx sound locos (on an old LC in a dummy, the other the Tsunami) start moving BEFORE the sound throttles up. Not in the least bit realistic, at least not compared to the sounds I hear daily from the trains that stop at the signal 2 blocks from my house. QSI does it much better. I don't knwo that I will b getting any more Tsunamis, but $89 for a powered loco with the Tsunami and speaker already installed, I had to jump on it. And did find that these programming issues and short circuit reset issues are NOT caused by Tsunamis, mine programs AND reads back just fine with no booster, on two different programming systems. And my PM42 resets just fine even with the Tsunami and 2 other sound locos in the same section, plus a pair of non sound locos.
This brings up a point I hadn't noticed until the other day when I was running both Soundtraxx LC decoder engines. One of the engines has the sound on as soon as the power is turned on and the other only starts when the loco starts to move. I don't know what the difference is in the settings but I prefer the engine to have sound before it starts to move, as you mentioned Randy. I have been having a problem getting DecoderPro to run lately, well actually it is my laptop that can't access COM Port 3??? I need to spend some time sorting that out, otherwise I would have compared settings on the two decoders.
BTW, I only paid $40 for each Soundtraxx decoder and also $40 for the Digitrax SDH. Not bad for 3 sound locos.
My LC starts on power up, the Tsunami starts only after the loco gets a command. You shouldn;t have to make it move - on the Tsunami loco I just quick clock to speed step 1 then back to 0 and it does the startup sequence. There is a CV that controls this.
Look in device manager with the PR3 plugged in, maybe it's not COM3? If you used a different USB port then it will be something other than it was before.
Probably a moot point by now but I put two polarized caps in series to make a bipolar, non polarized cap. Connect both plus leads together,. One negative lead to the purple wire, the other negative lead to the speaker terminal.
Use two identical caps. Two 68 ufd will equal one 34 ufd.
I still use a LM386 audio IC with one 100 ufd polarized cap as an inexpensive audio amp in another sound application. Works very well.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Rich,
How do you connect the LM386 and cap to the decoder and speaker. I looked the 386 up and it has a lot of connections (8 pins). Does it improve sound level that much? Also, I don't know it there is enough room in the tender for these added components.
farrellaa Rich, How do you connect the LM386 and cap to the decoder and speaker. I looked the 386 up and it has a lot of connections (8 pins). Does it improve sound level that much? Also, I don't know it there is enough room in the tender for these added components. - Bob
I did a search for lm386 amplifier.
http://web.mit.edu/6.s28/www/schematics/lm386.htm
I do not remember all the details of capacitor/frequency for the LC decoder. I do not use the LC decoder anymore and for the short time I did, all I used was the 33ufd cap as my hearing is not what it use to be.
A good baffle is the important issue though.