I received the following information in an email this morning from Athearn:
Looks like the dreams of us modelers have come true!
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Great news - thanks!!
Good move. How many others have basically stopped even looking at Athearn because of the MRC decoders with their quality issues?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley Good move. How many others have basically stopped even looking at Athearn because of the MRC decoders with their quality issues?
Count me in....once I heard of the proramming and running issues of the MRC decoders, I simply crossed Athearn off of my shopping list. I've passed up several models that I really wanted simply because of that dreaded decoder.
That is great news! It looks like they do listen to the customers. Athearn has the article on the front page of their website now. http://ns.horizonhobby.com/nscontent/Brand/ATH/2009.04/04.29.2009_SoundTraxx.html
I'm no sound expert, but when I heard their Big Boy for the first time, I thought it sounded awful. I'm sure it'll sound a lot better with a Tsunami.
_________________________________________________________________
Only the DCC users..The DC users had no issues with the sound..
The problems started the very minute the decoder was set up in the DCC mode..
That was the killer.
Of course savvy DCC users bought the DCC ready units and added DCC/Sound.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
It's about time Athearn woke up and realized how badly the MRC decoders were hurting their sales. I've passed up several models because of the decoders they were using.
FYI: Remember, it was Horizon that made the call to go with MRC in the first place because they were significantly cheaper at their price point than anyone else. Horizon, being an R/C and plastic kit distributer who only just got into model trains, didn't have any clue about MRC's "issues" and blithely went along thinking "sound is sound". Athearn employees tried to warn them, but I guess it was hard to hear them over the sounds the $$$ was making.
Apparently, what changed Horizon's mind was the return to Athearn of many faulty MRC-equipped locos, and that these people wanted their money back. I'm sure the bad press from internet forums influenced their decision as well, but the primary reason was the usual: money. The MR hobbyist voted with their wallets, and Horizon finally was able to dump MRC.
BTW, while I think Tsunami's have the highest quality sound on the market, I wish their speed control was better. I have an Atlas Classic RS-11 with a Alco 251 Tsunami in it, and in one direction it's typical Atlas....great, gradual and smooth control. In the other direction, the loco jumps from zero to 10mph at around 10% throttle, which makes switching with it a bit of a challenge (which wasn't the case when I had the Digitrax DH163 in it earlier). I also wish they would support CV5 and CV6 for Vmax and Vmid, and that they had customizable sound files.
Still, I think Horizon made a wise decision to go with Tsunami. Their 567 recording is great, and the Alco sound isn't too shabby, either. Their horns could use some work, but the loco sounds are very nice.
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
Great news!
I've been purchasing non decoder Genesis units because the few that I had with MRC decoders have given me nothing but problems.
Will we be seeing much of a price increase due to the better decoder?
Thanks
MO
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Interesting...This really contradicts what I was recently told by Athearn. Hopefully the Chinese will install them properly or the change in supplier might not make much of a difference.
Thanks for the info Don.
Yay! So will those GP15-1s have soundtraxx instead of MRC? Also if some of us Have MRC decoders in some of our engines and they break, would we get soundtraxx ones if Athearn runs out of MRC? Hopefully athearn does some more BN units with soundtraxx installed, a genesis version of the SD40-2 would be great.
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
MisterBeasleyGood move. How many others have basically stopped even looking at Athearn because of the MRC decoders with their quality issues?
And wouldn't you know it I just purchased two ABBA sets of F units from a different company last weekend.
Right now I doubt we will be able to purchase the sound stuff separately. The Bachmann Spectrum's have Tsunami Technology decoders and are not available separately. Some people have tried ordering from Bachmann. While it may not be a big issue, the Tsunami in factory Spectrum's do not have all the stuff that Tsunami's you install yourself. I wonder if that will happen with Athearn's versions?
I know SoundTraxx is in Colorado and I believe the decoders are produced there. That could and may have changed.
When there was a great delay for the diesel decoders, I received a letter in an order from Litchfield that Bruce sent out about how SoundTraxx was getting a new computer operated machine to produce the decoders.
I buy DCC ready and I have installed Micro-Tsunami's in my Spectrum's.
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.
richg1998 Right now I doubt we will be able to purchase the sound stuff separately. The Bachmann Spectrum's have Tsunami Technology decoders and are not available separately. Some people have tried ordering from Bachmann. While it may not be a big issue, the Tsunami in factory Spectrum's do not have all the stuff that Tsunami's you install yourself. I wonder if that will happen with Athearn's versions? Rich
I do not doubt for a second that the Tsunamis installed in Athearn and Roundhouse will be "dumbed down" somewhat, just as the Bachmann Spectrum-installed Tsunamis are. As some of the HOn3 experimenters have shown, a retail Tsunami (or micro-Tsunami) decoder has an immense number of CV combinations to allow specific tailoring to your particular installation, motor, speaker, speaker enclosure, etc. Decoder Pro is critical to even beginning to tune all the CVs. All of these possible CV combinations are not needed nor necessarily desirable if being installed into a specific known locomotive with known motor, speaker, etc. And from the locomotive manufacturer's point of view, fewer possible CV combinations means fewer support headaches. At the same time, the locomotive manufacturer gets "credit" for providing an up-scale decoder ready-to-roll.
The difference also gives the DCC-equipped locomotive owner a Soundtraxx upgrade path should they really want more than their OEM Tsunami came with. As Rich pointed out, if you want the full Tsunami experience, you buy DCC-ready and install retail Tsunami decoders.
My question is whether the OEM Tsunamis are just retail Tsunamis with some CVs internally disabled or locked to a particular value, or whether they are actually separate parts. I suspect the former is most likely, and wonder whether Soundtraxx would be willing/able to "unlock" the extra CVs.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
.....thats nice.....now how do I fix/retrofit my Genesis MP-15's? Has there been a previous thread on this topic? Is it possible to replace the decoder and maintain all the lighting features? Thanks for the update!
I sent a congratulations email to Athearn after reading the news and would hope a few of our forum readers might consider thanking them also. .
I want to thank everyone who has emailed athearn in the past few years requesting the Genesis units to be offered as non sound units, which started with some of the latest diesels and the FEF second run.
I purchased five of the Genesis Challengers and some of the Big Boys but never used them since they are DCC challenged to say the least. I did replace the sound and drive on some of those so they could be run and enjoyed with a Tsunami. My models are just a little ahead of time I guess, by three years.
CZ
I suspect the decoders will be like the factory installed ones from Bachmann. They do not look like the ones you buy from DCC suppliers that are fairly small shrink wrapped. The board is almost as wide as the tender from what i have seen. I think there are two different boards in the Spectrum's, a decoder board and maybe a light board from what I see in the Spectrum PDFs.
I have one Roundhouse 4-4-0 that came with MRC sound and the decoder was almost as wide as the tender and wide open, no shrink tubing around it. It was replaced by a Micro.
Since SoundTraxx is already supplying Bachmann, it would not be too big a deal to supply Athearn since the factory programming is the biggest issue.
My Spectrum's were DCC ready, no decoders, only a lighting PC board with NMRA socket.
sparkyjay31Just one question? How will one be able to know that what they are buying is not the MRC decoder? Will Athearn / Roundhouse put a big red sticker on the box labeling it as a Soundtraxx? I'm wondering how many will buy a new loco and not realize it's a MRC until it's too late. I can see more bashing coming very soon..."Well I didn't know it was a MRC." or "Why didn't Athearn put a label on the box?" I know I'd like to see a big label on the box to be sure.
If you take the time to read the announcement carefully, it states that locomotives "announced after 4/27/09" will have the Tsunamis installed. That means there have been no new models announced yet. The last models announced in the Genesis line were the FP7 in WP colors and a weathered Big Boy, both announced on 4/21/09. Those aren't due in until 12/09, so it will be next year before we actually see any Tsunami equipped locos for sale.
Don Zsparkyjay31Just one question? How will one be able to know that what they are buying is not the MRC decoder? Will Athearn / Roundhouse put a big red sticker on the box labeling it as a Soundtraxx? I'm wondering how many will buy a new loco and not realize it's a MRC until it's too late. I can see more bashing coming very soon..."Well I didn't know it was a MRC." or "Why didn't Athearn put a label on the box?" I know I'd like to see a big label on the box to be sure. If you take the time to read the announcement carefully, it states that locomotives "announced after 4/27/09" will have the Tsunamis installed. That means there have been no new models announced yet. The last models announced in the Genesis line were the FP7 in WP colors and a weathered Big Boy, both announced on 4/21/09. Those aren't due in until 12/09, so it will be next year before we actually see any Tsunami equipped locos for sale. Don Z.
But check the link on the Athearn newsletter that takes you to the list of models to be delivered with Soundtraxx:
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=soundtraxx
Note that the long-anticipated SP Mountain and the N scale FP/F45's will come with Soundtraxx, as will a number of Genesis diesels previously announced.
You all feel free to fawn all over the Athearn guys for this much delayed change. I however, got burnt on a total of 10 Genesis diesels that did not have the new decoder. I have a large stable of diesels and I have no reason or need to purchase any more motive power from Athearn. Just not interested. I will continue to look to Atlas and Kato for whatever needs I may have in the future. If they can't supply, I will make other plans or go without.
Athearn has shot me in the foot too many times.
Bob
pastorbobYou all feel free to fawn all over the Athearn guys for this much delayed change. I however, got burnt on a total of 10 Genesis diesels that did not have the new decoder. I have a large stable of diesels and I have no reason or need to purchase any more motive power from Athearn. Just not interested. I will continue to look to Atlas and Kato for whatever needs I may have in the future. If they can't supply, I will make other plans or go without. Athearn has shot me in the foot too many times. Bob
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Capt. Grimek; Why not make it available for everything and be able to use the MRC stuff as trade-in value? I have an F45 that is about 2 months old and have though about getting changed. Although I haven't really had an issue with running it, it is kind of a pain to program since I can't read CVs.
You should be in luck. The announcement came just a week after they started shipping these. What a coincidence . They now make plug and play drop in decoders for athearn genesis.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/index.php?p=1000gn.php
Springfield PA
every engine i have has an MRC decoder in it and I've never had a problem not one. the only difference was I would purchase the engines without decoders and than install the MRC decoder my self. I guess from reading the posts Athearn must have had some unqualified people installing those decoders, and there just might be a problem with the Tsunami decoders as well. I would defiantly recommend checking the decoder installation and all the connection before even placing a new engine on the tracks.