I had some fun today !

[ereimer]

about a week a go i received an MRC steam sound decoder (on sale at micro-mark at a price i couldn't resist) . this morning i realized that i had everything i needed to test it ... a bachmann spectrum 4-6-0 , some flextrack , and a digitrax challenger system (DB100a + CT4) that i bought at a train show many years ago when DCC was fairly new , and a troller DC power pack to supply power to the DB100a.

i followed the instructions , plugged everything together , pushed a few buttons and .... chug chug chug CHUG CHUG CHUG , my little engine went steaming down my 3 feet of track !

i spent at least an hour running it out and back and out and back , it was great fun . showed it to my wife when she got home , and she really liked it too ! i haven't run a train since my N scale oval back in the late 1970's .

so i need a few things ...
1) a smaller speaker because the 4-6-0 tender is pretty small and the MRC speaker and enclosure won't fit as-is
2) a newer DCC setup , no function buttons on the CT4 means i couldn't play with any of the other sounds the decoder can make . also even though there are two connectors on the front of the DB100a clearly labeled "LOCONET" and described as such in the manual , digitrax has told me by email that i can't use the UT4 throttle with the DB100a because 'it doesn't have Loconet' . they didn't answer when i replied asking what the connectors were . any ideas ? my guess is they made changes in what Loconet does and the new definition isn't supported by my old box . no problem really , i think i can use the DB100a as either a booster or an auto-reversing section controller
3) a bigger layout than a 3 foot piece of flextrack !

[cheese3]

I wish I could hear it, is the sound quality good in those decoders? I might want a few when i get into DCC

[TrainFreak409]

That sounds awesome. When will we be hearing sound clips, or seeing a short video of it?[:D]

[ereimer]

LOL think i'll be doing any videos , it looks kinda bad with the decoder and speaker double side taped to the topless tender . and i have no clue how to make sound clips or how to post them.

how does it sound ?
i'd say it isn't that good , i suspect lowering the volume might help as it seems a bit distorted . when the LHS gets my soundtraxx decoder for my bachmann 3 truck shay i'll have something to compare it to

[loathar]

Welcome back to the not so dark side. Isn't it amazing how small a hook, line, and sinker you can be caught on?Can't help you with the DCC tech stuff, but welcome back[}:)]

[davekelly]

eriemer,

Isn't it totally way cool when something like that makes you smile and play for an over an hour? Maybe that's why we are all in this hobby!!