I would like to swap out the stock decoder, and am interested in some advice for a replacement. anyone have any ideas?
Bear "It's all about having fun."
Information missing. Is this a two motor, single motor?
The single motor comes DCC ready. Remove a few metal clips on the PC board and solder the decoder wires to the proper tabs. A Digitrax DZ125 works very well. Cut out the capacitors as they cause issues at slow speeds. They will have the C prefix with a number such as C1, C2. The two inductors will not be an issue.
I used this decoder in a two motor 444 ton.
I removed plastic shelf and PC board and hard wired a LokSound Micro and put 16mm x 3mm speaker inside. Quite nice. A Tsunami Micro would work also.
This all assumes you have DCC, electrical, soldering experience.
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.
Here is a non sound install with TCS decoder. If you want a little more space, pull the two inductors and solder in a straight piece of #22 wire.
http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/GE_44_Ton/Bachman%20GE%2044%20Ton%20Diesel%20Switcher.htm
Oops, just noticed, decoder, mine was DCC ready. Sorry.
NCE does have a Bach non sound decoder made for Bachmann diesels but might be too long for the 44 ton.
I have used the Digitrax DZ125 as Rich suggested, or if you want to go with sound, the Micro Tsunami TSU-750. Either way soldering is required, so you might as well toss the board and hard wire it.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
I stuck a TCS MC2 in mine, after cutting off the capacitors. I may redo it and rip the entire board out. The MC2 is nice because it has a plug conenction to the decoder, 7 instead of 9 pins, but it would be a tight squeeze getting a regualr decoder with a 9 pin socket in there. I THINK the ones with a decoder already in them just have it soldered into the holes along the edge of the light board, it's not a huge deal to unsolder them and then hook up a new decoder the same way.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Below is what I posted back in 2009.
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/163593/1801019.aspx#1801019
A little more.
Kapton tape covers everything. The one with the PC board is the second 4 ton I converted. The PC board made it easier to splice the wires.
Very little weight removed for the speaker install.
A Micro Tsunami would work also with a 16mm x 35 mm speaker. Litchfield Station programmed the LokSound for me.
WHich speaker and enclosure did you use there? Rather than put the MC2 back in when I redo mine, I might do sound, it will be neat chugging along shifting cars in my cement plant. I still need to strip and repaint the thing, and despite the fact that I can find no evidence the cement company ever named their locos, mine will have a name as well as a number.
rrinker WHich speaker and enclosure did you use there? Rather than put the MC2 back in when I redo mine, I might do sound, it will be neat chugging along shifting cars in my cement plant. I still need to strip and repaint the thing, and despite the fact that I can find no evidence the cement company ever named their locos, mine will have a name as well as a number. --Randy
Homemade styrene enclosure. The speaker came with the LokSound decoder.
To allow speaker to fit.
Baffle.
I had to use a sanding block with 150 grade paper to slightly narrow the plastic speaker frame. Completely sealed in the baffle with thin coat of bath caulk.
I have bought 8 ohm 16mm x 35mm speaker's for Tsunami installs.
I have pictures from someone of a Tsunami Micro and speaker in the Bachmann 45 ton.
If I do this I will probably go with Loksound, probably a V4 micro because they don;t have the 44 ton sound files for the Select micro available yet. The Tsunami Micro seems to have too many heat issues. I was goign to ask what size spekaer but you labeled it in your picture, took a bit of digging but indeed that is still the same size the ship with the micro decoders. Probably would have found it on the ESU site faster if I just used the German site, must be little bit lost in the translation
When I asked Bruce at Litchfield before he retired, he suggested the LokSound 72843 and did the program for me. I have found Litchfield to be about the best for price, shipping and support. Right now, about $120.00.
ESU LokSound Micro Decoder - GE Cat. D17000 8cylinder, without turbocharger, 1chime airhorn
I have been making a mistake on the spaker, it is a 16mm x 25mm. I confused the size with the 16mm x 35mm I use with the Tsunami.
Not sure if the v4.0 uses the 100 ohm speaker like the v3.5,
No, the V4 uses a 4 ohm speakers, but the V4 Micro comes with the exact same size speaker, 16x25mm, only in a 4 ohm version. The Select series lists a GE Cat sound file but only under the "coming soon" so apparantly they haven't updated it to Select format yet.
rrinker No, the V4 uses a 4 ohm speakers, but the V4 Micro comes with the exact same size speaker, 16x25mm, only in a 4 ohm version. The Select series lists a GE Cat sound file but only under the "coming soon" so apparantly they haven't updated it to Select format yet. --Randy
Thnks. I have not looked into the new versions yet.
richg1998 SNIP NCE does have a Bach non sound decoder made for Bachmann diesels but might be too long for the 44 ton. Rich
SNIP
The NCE Bachmann decoder won't fit the smaller switcher without drastic modification. It's designed for the road-swictchers. That said, I do use them, as I am able to fit the NCE BACH decoder into my 70 tonners. In fact, the hack I do on them actually locates the LED lighting properly, but it involves cutting the circuit board and bending up one end. However, I don't think it will fit in the 44-tonner. better to get one of the small decoders that is virtually a direct swap out for the factory decoder.
FWIW, as for the Micro-Tsu overheating, I've not had that problem. However, I did reduce the output voltage on my NCE system from 14.5 to 12.5 volts. Everything runs cooler and the LEDs don't tend to put your eyes out when you look at them. Another fellow I know did this and has had no problem with any of his TSU-750s.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL