OK, why do they have to divide things by steam and diesel. Sound decoders are sound decoders, it all depends on what you load in them. I was looking at steam ones.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerThey currently don't have an Athearn format motherboard.
Randy,
The GEN-MB1 motherboard states it's meant for an Athearn diesel:
https://tcsdcc.com/node/520
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
You do realize that motherboard is meant for Bachmann locos, right? They currently don't have an Athearn format motherboard.
But nothing says you need to use a TCS MB with a TCS decoder - Niks Trains DecoderBuddy may be a better fit, plus it has the connector for the functions, so you solder your light wires to a connector then plug the whole thing into the motherboard, instead of soldering right to the motherboard.
Still, my standard sound decoder is Loksound. I'm just glad I model a period when there weren't all sorts of beacons and lights on the locos.
Golden white LEDs are what you want for first gen diesel and steam, there are not blue at all. Sunny White is for modern diesels.
I feel you.
I just finished a Tsunami install on a Brass 2-8-0. It's been about 10 years since my last one. The old eyes even with magnification still had issues. Without the right equipment it's darn near impossible to solder to the little pads on circuit boards. I bought tiny little LEDs with wires and resistors already soldered. But I still used a bulb for the headlight. The LED was not what I expected. Sunny white must be different these days. Still too blue for me.
Pete
Just spent several weeks trying to install LED headlites in an ATH Genesis GP7 ERIE single-barrel lens engine. After destroyng the first MB1 mother board, which has a plethera of solder pads for both LEDs & incandecents (all placed too close together) I purchased a second MB1 Mother Board , after very carefull soldering under a magnifier and subsequent to mulitiple phone calls & e mails as to which common pad to use & which Neg pad ( originally incorrect schematic diragrams were provided) i have since given up and mailed the engine to Scale Sounds of Marion Ohio for professional installation.
As my reward for trying i asked JT Burke of Scale Sounds to install Mars or Gryalites in the engine, even though these features were not proto typical for an ERIE singel lens GP7, but afterall it's my RR.
The good part is that i was able to install & program the MB1 successfully for all the decorder engine functions i selected (the decorder runs very hot) but i will never attempt to install lighting features in a TCS MB1 again.
Factory installed ESU LOK Sound is now my 1st choice.
Bayway Terminal NJ