I want to install a sound decoder in a Proto 1000 CNR C-Liner (Fairbanks Morse prime Mover). I hesitate between those two decoders :
SoundTraxx Tsunami2, TSU-PNP, Baldwin and Others, Diesel 885816 Digital Sound Decoder.
Or
ESU 58821 LokSound V5 DCC Direct Sound Decoder, Baldwin, CAT, Electric, FM & Galloping Goose.
Which one will give me the best sound?
I also hesitate between two choices for speaker : a standard 28 mm round speaker or two sugar cube speakers. Which one will give the best sound?
Room is not an issue in this particular locomotive.
Which speaker would you recommend?
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
Guy Papillon I want to install a sound decoder in a Proto 1000 CNR C-Liner (Fairbanks Morse prime Mover). I hesitate between those two decoders : SoundTraxx Tsunami2, TSU-PNP, Baldwin and Others, Diesel 885816 Digital Sound Decoder. Or ESU 58821 LokSound V5 DCC Direct Sound Decoder, Baldwin, CAT, Electric, FM & Galloping Goose. Which one will give me the best sound? I also hesitate between two choices for speaker : a standard 28 mm round speaker or two sugar cube speakers. Which one will give the best sound? Room is not an issue in this particular locomotive. Which speaker would you recommend?
Take it with a grain of salt...I have not used either of these specific decoders or speaker setups, but I have the pre-Tsunami FM decoder in my C-Liner with a 28mm speaker. I am very pleased with its performance. I have a similar set up in an Erie-Built, though, and I've never been able to get it to run well.
I have the 1100 Tsunami 2 in a H10-44 with a sugarcube speaker, and it sounds good but it is a little touchy.
A freind managed to wedge a Loksound and Speaker in a Stewart Baldwin, and I was really impressed with how good it sounds, so I might consider trying a Loksound in the future.
Gary
Every body seems to like the Loksound. I'm working my up the learning curve with sound, so I'll get to Loksound eventually.
Mike.
My You Tube
Only Baldwin sounds I have are in a couple of Bowser/Stewart switchers, both are Loksound. Even with just one small speaker crammed in, they sound good, and run even better (though they are amazingly smooth locos on DC).
--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 just installed the Loksound decoder in my P1K C-Liner a few weeks ago. Actually I installed one in two C-Liners but I did a bad job on one of them and fried the decoder. For the good one, I installed the twin sugar cube speakers and am very happy with the sound. The horn is very unique. I bought mine from Tony's Train Exchange and they did the programming. I assume the sound is authentic. One thing I have noticed is that there is a noticeable pause from the time I turn up the throttle before the engine moves. The same thing happens when I stop the engine. It doesn't stop immediately so I have to anticipate where I want it to stop and start slowing down before it reaches that point. I don't know if this is part of the programming or if that is built into the Loksound 5 decoder.
John-NYBW,
The delay between turning up the throttle and the engine moving could be one of two things, if not both. Loksounds have a feature they call prime mover delay which is turned on by default. When you throttle up, listen carefully to the locomotive. You will hear the prime mover rev up, then hear the sound of the air brakes releasing, and then see engine movement. This delay can be turned off if desired so that the minute you throttle up, engine movement starts, potentially before the prime mover begins ramping up. You will have to reference your loksound manual on how to shut that off if you want to. I can't remember how off hand and depending on which version of decoder it could be different. The delay could also be a momentum setting. Momentum is also most likely why you see a delay in throttling down and the engine actually stopping. Momentum is adjustable with CV's 3 & 4. If you want an instant stop, set CV4 to zero.
Mike
Water Level Route John-NYBW, The delay between turning up the throttle and the engine moving could be one of two things, if not both. Loksounds have a feature they call prime mover delay which is turned on by default. When you throttle up, listen carefully to the locomotive. You will hear the prime mover rev up, then hear the sound of the air brakes releasing, and then see engine movement. This delay can be turned off if desired so that the minute you throttle up, engine movement starts, potentially before the prime mover begins ramping up. You will have to reference your loksound manual on how to shut that off if you want to. I can't remember how off hand and depending on which version of decoder it could be different. The delay could also be a momentum setting. Momentum is also most likely why you see a delay in throttling down and the engine actually stopping. Momentum is adjustable with CV's 3 & 4. If you want an instant stop, set CV4 to zero.
Thanks. I do hear the sounds you described before the loco starts moving. I do like that feature. I'm having to get use to the gradual stop. I have other locos that do the same thing although they don't take nearly as long to come to a stop and are a bit easier to gage. Depending on the speed, the C-liner can take two to three feet to come to a stop after I shut off the throttle. I'm going to see if I can learn to adjust for that before shutting that feature off. With most of my locos, I make gradual starts and stops by controlling the throttle. I think I like doing that especially when it comes to stopping the loco.
Yeah, start with CV4. See what value it has - cut it in half, see how that works. A value of 0 slams on the brakes, 1 or 2 makes it not quite instant but certainly shouldn't take several feet. I usually keep CV3 (acceleration) fairly high, but since I haven't had a layout since the Drive/Hold feature came out, I was doing that to fake it. I still might, because using high momentum means no need to hit a function key, but also there is no way to do the opposite of starting a heavy train, like going downhill at speed with the prime mover throttles back like you cna with Drive/Hold. I kept CV4 fairly low, but my layout was fairly small and too much coasting and I'd be past the yard completely and on to the next section. Now that I am building a new layout that is much larger, leaving the momentum higher and using the brake button to stop may be more doable.