Some basic sound and DCC questions

[tppytel]

Besides looking for a family train (in my Xmas train thread), I'm also considering getting into the hobby for myself and am trying to get an understanding of the huge world of stuff out there. At the moment, I have some questions about DCC and sound capability...

DCC - I understand what it is, but not exactly how to read product listings. From what I can tell, a given engine could be plain old DC, DCC-ready, or DCC-equipped, yes? DCC-ready means it's wired for DCC whereas DCC-equipped means it actually has the decoder already? Is there any particular value to having an encoder factory-installed, or could you just as easily (perhaps preferably) buy your own decoder and plug it in later? Assuming I wouldn't actually *need* DCC for quite some time, is there any problem running a DCC train on a conventionally powered track? I can see that the DCC command systems are quite expensive. Also, could you take a non-DCC engine and make it DCC-compaitble by doing some wiring work?

Sound - Like DCC, I don't quite understand what all the possibilities are. Some engines have factory sound, others don't. Can sound generally be installed later if desired? If so, how would this compare to a factory job? Could a factory-installed sound system be swapped out for an aftermarket system if I didn't care for the sounds? How do the sound systems work (if at all) with non-DCC engines?

I guess my overall question is this... if you're going to buy an engine for $150-$200, is it worth springing an extra $75-$100 to get DCC/Sound preinstalled? Or, if I didn't immediately need those features, would I do better to buy the vanilla version and look for aftermarket upgrades when I decide I need them?

 

[CP9302]

Advertising can vary by manufacturer, but in general DC means no decoder DCC-ready means there is an NMRA 8 or 9 pin plug so you can just plug a decoder in with no soldering, DCC equipped would have a decoder in it from the factory. You can add DCC to any engine, some will require more work then others, including isolating the motor and soldering, if that is not your cup-o-tea I'd avoid DC only engines.

You can run one non-DCC train on a DCC system on the 00 address. DCC engines can be run on DC fine as long as the decoder will allow it. Most decoders can be run on DC but not all. You can also set a decoder not to run on DC.

Sound is the same as regular decoders, some will work on DC others won't. You'll have to investigate individual products. You can swap sound decoders, just like any other decoder, some soldering will be involved. The biggest factor with sound is finding room for a speaker in the shell. If you like the sound an engine comes with, it is easier to get it with factory installed sound, but if the engine is available both ways, it will be easy to add you favourite sound decoder later because the engine was designed with room for sound.

The best advice for sound would be to only buy it if you like it. If you don't like the sound offered from the factory, don't buy it and add your favourite later.

If you are not going to go with DCC right away, I wouldn't bother with sound either, as you need DCC to get the full capabilities of a sound unit.

Having said that, I would strongly advise looking at an entry level DCC system to start off and skip DC all together. Lots of people will disagree with that, but I think it is the best way to go.

Hope that helps.

 

[tppytel]

Those are exactly the things I needed to know. Thank you!

 

[Selector]

Just a niggling point, although when I decided four years ago that it was as I will describe in a second, things may have advanced and standardized a lot over the past four years....but I used to read so many horror stories about guys buying "DCC ready" engines and finding out it was no more ready than anything else. The frames were not isolated from the motors (a must!), light boards and lighting that were not DCC-friendly...and certainly not 'ready'...the list goes on.

If across the board, all manufacturers are really providing a hard-wired pin connector on all "DCC-ready" engines, then I will agree with the definition and that it means what it infers.

Sure didn't used to be though....

 

[IronBeltKen]

..., I would strongly advise looking at an entry level DCC system to start off and skip DC all together. Lots of people will disagree with that, but I think it is the best way to go.

...

I have to agree with Fred on this one. Take it from somebody who's "been there"; I amassed a large fleet of DC locomotives thinking I'd just add the decoders later, but that made me more reluctant to switchover to DCC because of the projected cost of all the decoders, and the time I'd need to spend installing them. But I finally made the conversion and I'm glad I did.

 

[diburning]

Caveat: If you buy a bachmann locomotive that is "DCC Ready" it does not have a plug. All it means is that the motor is isolated.

 

[Western Star]

I have some questions about DCC and sound capability... Is there any particular value to having an encoder factory-installed, or could you just as easily (perhaps preferably) buy your own decoder and plug it in later?

Depends on how handy you are with electrical work and soldering. It is really nice to have the DCC installed from the factory so you can take it out of the box, plop it on the rails, call up good old channel 3 and go. On the other hand I really enjoy installing decoders myself. I can set up everything exactly how I want it, plus I have have bunches of locomotives with the exact same control unit in it. That way I don't have to remember or keep handy every single instruction book for every single locomotive.

is there any problem running a DCC train on a conventionally powered track?

Depends on the exact DCC decoder - but generally No.

could you take a non-DCC engine and make it DCC-compaitble by doing some wiring work?

Absolutely. I have yet to meet an HO engine that I could not convert to DCC. Now the Bachman N-scale 4-4-0 would be a different story.

Can sound generally be installed later if desired? If so, how would this compare to a factory job? Could a factory-installed sound system be swapped out for an aftermarket system if I didn't care for the sounds?

Totally different game, but the answers are Yes, Depends, and Yes.
I have several "home" installs that sound way better than the factory, but be advised I am an audiophile and have been installing sound in trains since 1983. Many "home installs" end up sounding terrible for any on of a zillion things that can go wrong. Many of the newer sound systems have programmable sounds if you don't like the sounds of them.

How do the sound systems work (if at all) with non-DCC engines?

Well do you mean sound systems made specifically for DC, or DCC sound systems working in DC mode? There are both. BLI had a "blueline" set of locomotives that were DC. The QSI paragon units have switches (both hardware and/or software) to switch between DCC and DC operations.

I guess my overall question is this... if you're going to buy an engine for $150-$200, is it worth springing an extra $75-$100 to get DCC/Sound preinstalled?

Wow. I am a bargan hunter. I've gotten good (Atlas Master) DCC/Sound equipped locomotives for $69. Recently Train World had a sale for 4-8-2 Mohawks for $199. Factory Direct Trains had BLI 4-6-4s for $199 and F unit AB sets for $109.

Or, if I didn't immediately need those features, would I do better to buy the vanilla version and look for aftermarket upgrades when I decide I need them?

Generally the sound unit is going to cost the extra $75-100 all by its lonesome. So buying it installed is like having it installed for free. So it depends if you want to spend money now or later, and on your craftsmanship or lack there of.