TCS Wow Sound vs. ESU Loksound (diesel)

[C&O Fan]

Beside the auto notching with the wow decoder I really like the Dynamic Brake

function which can be activated with a single push of F-5 each press activates 20%

brake But will only slow the loco to 5 SMPH and  is protypically correct

Here's a video i shot The sound quality is poor but it will give you an idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2kOg-QT3A8

[AntonioFP45]

So far I've seen positive feedback regarding the Diesel Wow decoders. Having spent a lot of time in my youth around prototype diesels, I'm a big fan of sound and have been impressed with the Wow and Loksound's offerings.

I'm budgeting to get, both, TCS Wow and ESU-Loksound decoders. Imho, the automatic notching feature on the Wow is impressive and this vid demos it quite well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNCR8FUu48A

I'm glad that the EMD 645-E3 "Turbo" scheme was used for this demo. The sound, imho, was spot on and for me it brought back memories of the Amtrak SDP40Fs that I used to stalk with my camera.

[selector]

C&O Fan

Randy

...

I've heard they just cane out with a new whistle for the H-8

...

Gosh, I HOPE so!  I got the first edition of the Rivarossi H-8 when they began to sell them with sound, and it was the LokSound 3.5, I believe.  There was nothing at all wrong with that wonderful decoder (any LokSound), but whomever decided that one of the heaviest locomotives ever built would sound like a teakettle chuffing, and that its historic hooter ought to be substituted with a shrill leaky steam pipe sound, was doing Hornby/Rivarossi a great disservice.  And the H-8 as well.

[C&O Fan]

I forgot to mention the Auto Notching feature of the TCS wow

as seen in this MR video ad

http://mrv.trains.com/videos/sponsored-videos/2015/03/ads_tcswowsound

 

Not sure if any other Maker has this feature

[C&O Fan]

Randy

The Radio sounds were part of the random sounds on my H-8

I've heard they just cane out with a new whistle for the H-8

but since mine now has the tsunami installed it's no longer important to me

 

[rrinker]

 The older Loksound 3.5 that is in my pair of PCM Reading T1's has a non-era appropriate radio chatter, but it most definitely is NOT part of the random sounds that play (air letoffs, air pumps, things like that). It's only triggered on a high function button. Now, it all depends on what the maker installed, if they made such a silly choice well, then they were just being silly.

The Loksound Select series allows the change between whistels and bells without using a special programmer.

 The loud clicks on notching in the Wow Diesel are the air-operated contactors in the control system. This is probably a mix issue - you should hear them, but they shouldn't be louder than everything else.

                   --Randy

[C&O Fan]

I bought my first Wow Diesel Decoder last week They do have 6 lighting functions

just like the Steam Decoders but i can't answer the ditch light question because i'm using

an older Athearn as a test bed To try the decoder out Its a sepeate thread located Here>

 

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/246155.aspx

 

 

 

 

The sounds are good but the speaker i used (a sugar cube) is too small

to give a good volume level for the prime mover you can see it in action here

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8LAjJkoyxE&feature=em-upload_owner

 

One feature i like is the actual operating dynamic brake

I think it's the only decoder on the market that has it ( not just the sound but it actually slows the loco)20% with each Press of F5

But of course you have to push F5 to make it work and F6 is the brake release

 

Another feature i like is you get a multitude of Prime mover , horn and bell choices

with out having to buy a special programer at an extra cost

I also like that its made in America and has a 1 year no fault Goof proof Warrenty

TCS has outstanding Customer Service

The replacements on the faulty Steam decoder i had took only 2 weeks (snail mail) From the east coast to Texas and cost me only the postage to mail it in

 

The Great Customer Service is why i have 24 Wow Steam decoders

Since my layout is 90% steam and only a few First Generation Diesels GP7-9s and E7-8s

I doubt i will own alot of them But so far i am very pleased with the performance

I only own 1 Locksound that I installed in a doodle bug and it was programed by the supplier

The sound burned out about 9 months after i bought it But to thier credit They did replace it

but sadly it's acting up again after 4 months the primre mover sound comes and goes (Wierd)

I had a Locksound Steam Decoder that came factory installed in my C&O H-8 Allegheny

But the whistle was far to European

for my taste and one of the random sounds was two way radio talk between the engineer and dispatch which was not prototipical for WVA 1920-40 So i took it out gave it away and installed a Tsunami as TCS Wow Steam still hadn't come out yet

 

 

[gmpullman]

I have two of the WOWsound steam decoders installed and I like them very much, however, the default momentum, for me anyway, has to be dialed down quite a bit.

They assign F7 for braking and by the time I find the silly button on my DT 402 I've already run into the back of another train.

I have five of the WOW101 Diesels and have only installed one so far. Haven't really had the time to give it a workout, and I haven't even wired the headlight up yet so I can't comment on the lighting functions, which will be very basic in an F-7—no ditch lights.

Operationally, I like the decoder very much but there are a few gimmicks that they could have left off, like all the silly horns and bells that any reasonable modeler will never use.

The "notching" has a very pronounced click which sounds like a bolt-action rifle. That turns me off.

I am sticking with Loksound, which, for now, is my hands down favorite. I have even invested in the LokProgrammer... now all I have to do is learn how to use it  !

Good Luck, Ed

[Mark R.]

Not sure the logic or reasoning, but my local hobby shop has a good stock of the WoW diesel decoders and nobody has bought a single one .... but they can't keep the Loksounds in stock !

I wouldn't mind trying one out of curiosity, but from what I've seen and read, they are way more complex to use all the features than I really care for. I mean, really - three function buttons just for the horn ? I prefer to concentrate on operating, not have to remember what all the function buttons do, let alone all the multiple features PER button.

Hey, I'm entitled to my two cents !  ;)

Mark.

[Indy Rail]

Hey y'all! I've had my mind set on the TCS Wow ever since I saw it for the first time last Summer. The sounds of the Wow are amazing but just today I realized that it does not have as many lighting functions and the dimming and lights turning on and off is not nearly as realistic as the Loksound. I have not seen the flashing ditch lights on the Wow yet but I am assuming they can be programmed so that they fade in and out realistically? Thanks to anybody who has had experience and can help me out.