A & B Unit


txpitmaster

New Member
I'm thinking of getting a Kato A and B unit, both are DCC Ready. If I want sound I ASSuME I need a sound decoder for the A unit, but can the B Unit have plain jane decoder? can it run with NO decoder? or would it need a sound decoder?

If it matters I have a NCE Power Cab and plan on using either digitrax or NCE decoders on all my locomotives eventually...
 
With a sound decoder in the A unit, the B unit can use a silent decoder, assuming it is a powered unit and not just an unpowered, wherein it wouldn't have any motor or gears in the trucks anyway. I have used NCE's D13SRJ 9 pin quick plug decoder in the past, which has now been replaced by a slightly shorter unit, the D13J. To use the quick plug feature, the locomotive model must have the 9 pin Quick Plug adapter fitted to it's Lighting board. Usually this is stated in the advertising of the loco. They do supply a wiring harness with the decoder if hard wiring in is needed.
Sample: http://www.ovrtrains.com/NCE-174-HO...th-NMRA-9-pin-DCC-Quick-Plug-and-Harness.html
 
A possible better suggestion would be to place the sound decoder in the B unit, and just a motor/lighting decoder in the A. There should be more room inside the B unit for a bigger, better speaker.
 
First of all what A & B Units are you talking about? Are they F Units, E Units, or other? Also, I agree with Toot, no need for a second sound decoder in the lash-up. I also agree with bnsf971, that there might be more space in the B-Unit for speakers, etc.
 
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This might be N scale. If you do a basic decoder in the B make sure it's the same brand as the sound unit. It will then be unnecessary or very easy to speed match the units. for example, Sountraxx Tsunami + Soundtraxx mobile; Lok-sound + Lok Pilot, etc.
 
I can it run with NO decoder?.
Yes, the second unit can piggy back off the first as long as the current draw is not too high. I have several sets of locos where there is only one decoder powering both units. I also have several lashups that one sound decoder powers the motor and a speaker in each unit. Don't know if I really like that construct as in real life the loco prime mover sound would not be synchronized between two units, but it does save a few bucks. So in my roundhouse it depends if it is a "show" or "go" locomotive.
 
Yes, the second unit can piggy back off the first as long as the current draw is not too high. I have several sets of locos where there is only one decoder powering both units. I also have several lashups that one sound decoder powers the motor and a speaker in each unit. Don't know if I really like that construct as in real life the loco prime mover sound would not be synchronized between two units, but it does save a few bucks. So in my roundhouse it depends if it is a "show" or "go" locomotive.
Depending on what engines you are lashing up, but for example, you can use a decoder with dual 567 prime movers, like in an E unit, for a pair of Geeps. The old Tsunami decoders were configurable through a reverb setting to make it sound like two prime movers.
 
From the OP's first post "both are DCC Ready", it would appear both are powered, otherwise what would the DCC be ready for? That said, if I were doing sound, I'd put sound in both, because both in the prototype would have produced sound.

Just my 2 cents.
 



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