Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

MRC1821 DCC Sound for EMD F

1090 views
4 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, May 26, 2011 6:34 PM

The MRC decoders were so terrible that Athearn finally stopped using them in their sound equipped Genesis loco's.

I remember reading an account by someone who apparently visited the assembly plant of the MRC decoders and it was not a nice description.  The assembly process was described as very poor and as well as the QAQC, with a lot of bad soldering etc such that there was a high percentage of bad decoders.

Athearn Genesis now users the Tsunami sound decoders in their Genesis units for about the last 3 years and going forward.  Hobby fans report them to be superior to both QSI and MRC.  Eventually I hope to get a few myself.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:47 PM

Thom,

I've only heard one MRC decoder: It was in an Intermountain FT and it sounded terrible.  The best description of the prime mover sound that I can come up with would be a UFO taking off...underwater.  The distortion was absolutely awful and it wasn't because of volume level.

The QSI, Paragon2 and Loksound decoders I have range anywhere from good to great.  The Soundtraxx decoders I've heard have been very good, as well.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    November 2010
  • 37 posts
Posted by CWMRRC on Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:26 PM

With all my times with MRC decoders I have never had a luck with one yet. I have all ways had them die or they never sound right,there are cheaply made and do not have great sounds.

But by the way them sell them as you would think there the best,and they say that they get real sound recordings, but I don't think they do.

I would go with a Soundtraxx or a QSI because they sound better and you can control more with them like the sounds and the motor.

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • 91 posts
MRC1821 DCC Sound for EMD F
Posted by cadman11 on Thursday, May 26, 2011 11:54 AM

I am a user of MRC decoders for the most part mainly because I started out with them  and have found it much easier to speed match all my locos using decoders from the same manufacturer. I am not stuck on MRC and have used ESU Loksound, Digitrax, NCE, etc.

My question is whether or not the MRC 1821 for EMD F units sounds as good as the Tsunami or Loksound in representing the correct sound of the 567?

 

Thanks,

Thom

 

 

 

Tags: DCC , LOKSOUND , MRC , Tsunami
Thom Owen

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!