Before it is pointed out that the MRC decoder has problems I just want to see if others are having the same problems as myself.
With out touching the DCC controls sound just shut off for no reason I can see. This has happen a few times now.
Thursday I went to K-10 Trains (Big Boy was working fine) and resat the CV's for the Chuff sounds from default. This is part of the BIG QUESTION I AM ASKING so please remember this part!!!!!
Tonight sound stop again. Placed the B B on the DC line and did the reset Decoder with hand held DC controler. Had the 5 Program voices come from the B B and then the steam sound that means the decoder has been sat to default. Back on the DCC line, no sound?
Here is where it get odd, back the B B up and the sound started again? Plus not the default CV 55 00 sound but the CV 55 03 steam chuffs?
Before the more advanced members tell me to install a new decoder should I take it back and get another Big Boy from K-10? Or will the other one have the same problem, and I MEAN THE SAME PROBLEM? I have only had it 2 weeks? Decoder going bad in 6 months is one thing, problems with in the second day (when I first had probems but fixed it self) then again this week makes me think this one has more issues than normal.
Do the Challangers decoder have problems as well?
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
At the risk of seeming a bit "snippy", the answers to one of your previous threads on this subject still apply: Many, many folks with MRC sound decoders have been very, very unhappy with them for many, many reasons. Consensus: they are junk. Period.
If you didn't search these forums before, I guess you won't now, either, but if you did, you'd see what I mean. Post after post with all sorts of problems; most encountered within a few days, others within 6 months. Many locos returned (when possible) many MRCs ripped out and replaced, mostly with Tsunami or LokSound.
Sorry, but that's just the way it is.
Have any of you that said rip the decoder out talked with Athearn? After dropping $340.00 on a engine that is 2 weeks old I am not in a hurry to take it apart.
Couple of questions.
1 What would a Tsunami Heavy Steam decoder cost me APX.
2 Will the Tsunami Heavy Steam make radom sounds like the MRC and what options in sound does it have like whisel and chuff sounds. One of the things I like the best is the rail sounds and radom sounds that and it is a B B.
3 Depending on the cost of the Tsunami Heavy Steam decoder would I be better off going with PCM? I am 85% sure I can get a refund on the athearn.
From the sounds of things, it's not Athearn but MRC who is screwing everything up... and Athearn is just "stuck" with them.
Soundtraxx Tsunami DSD is 95.95 @ tony's...
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
lvanhen wrote:I have a Challenger. I have had it about 1 1/2 years. Had problems with the "remote control" for DC, but since going to DCC have had no problems. Dosn't even seem to be a bad sound to my old ears!! Maybe I'm just lucky? Anyone else out there happy with their BB or Challenger?
Had my Athearn Challenger for roughly 6 months, run it on DCC, and it works fine. I have never tried out the remote for it though. I am very pleased with it; it looks great, runs smooth, and pulls like nothing else.
So to say the decoders are all junk is simply not true.
Gilligan, Skipper here. ( I do look something like the skipper) What radius turns do you have? I am having problems with the tender string on a 18" raduis turn, but that I understand. Seen a posting on Tonys Train World in the review of the B B where a owner was string on a 22" turn.
Have you had any problems with string?
cudaken wrote: Gilligan, Skipper here. ( I do look something like the skipper) What radius turns do you have? I am having problems with the tender string on a 18" raduis turn, but that I understand. Seen a posting on Tonys Train World in the review of the B B where a owner was string on a 22" turn. Have you had any problems with string? Cuda Ken
My minimum radius is 22". What exactly do you mean by "tender string" i have not heard this term before?
gilligan wrote: My minimum radius is 22". What exactly do you mean by "tender string" i have not heard this term before?
the weight and dragforce of a long train, along with very sharp curves, causes the tender to tip over or derail. "stringline".
picture your train running through a curve when you grab on and hold the caboose preventing it from moving, the cars between the loco and the caboose will "stringline" and pull into a straight line derailing, and probally falling over.
cudaken wrote: Have any of you that said rip the decoder out talked with Athearn? After dropping $340.00 on a engine that is 2 weeks old I am not in a hurry to take it apart. Couple of questions. 1 What would a Tsunami Heavy Steam decoder cost me APX.
$95.95 from Tony's (and most others) http://tonystrains.com/products/soundtraxx_tsunami.htm
You've clearly not had the chance to play with a Tsunami.
Random sounds? Yes. Plus, you can even set the probability of each of 8 random sounds occuring, such as Fireman Fred shoveling coal, using a socket wrench, using a grease gun, or the pop valve blowing.
The Heavy has 6 whistle options. Plus a separate function that can be either an alternate whistle or a "short whistle" function.
There are 21 separate volume control CVs (including of course each of those 8 random sounds), plus an overall volume control.
For chuff sounds, there are several adjustments, including of course separate volume, rate, how much it decreases when not under load (like coasting downhill).
There's side rod clank (adjustable, of course), brake squeal, etc., etc.
One of my favorites is the braking function -- if you are running at speed and quickly set the speed to zero (and have a fair size value in CV 4 for deceleration rate), the engine will gradually slow and stop, as with any decoder. But if you press the function key assigned to braking, you'll get both the brake squeal and a more rapid deceleration (also adjustable, of course).
3 Depending on the cost of the Tsunami Heavy Steam decoder would I be better off going with PCM? I am 85% sure I can get a refund on the athearn. Cuda Ken
Does the PCM come with LokSound? A few prefer it to the Tsunami, but there have been very, very few posts by people who have anything bad to say about a Tsunami.
Take a look at the Tsunami Steam User's Guide (and the list of CVs on page 72) at http://www.soundtraxx.com/documents/manuals/tsunamisteam_users_guide.pdf
Or look at an early review, of the Beta version (several improvements were made in the production version) at http://tonystrains.com/technews/tsunami-review-070105.htm