Standalone sound decoders


Hutch

Hutch

Well-Known Member
I'm wondering about adding sound to my tender on a DCC loco. Rather than break into the engine, I just want to add sound to the tender. I see Digitraxx sells one. How do they work, do they need separate addresses? The documentation isn't very good so I hope someone here has done this.
 
Hutch said:
I'm wondering about adding sound to my tender on a DCC loco. Rather than break into the engine, I just want to add sound to the tender. I see Digitraxx sells one. How do they work, do they need separate addresses? The documentation isn't very good so I hope someone here has done this.
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Are you asking about the soundbug decoder ?
 
I did that about 15 years ago with a Big Boy locomotive. It kept getting messed up. Sometimes the sound would work, sometimes only the sound would work.
Just go the extra step of removing the basic decoder and install a full featured decoder.
Basic issue, go cheap, be disappointed.
 
Soundtraxx in a Bachmann 0-6-0. That's about all I know at the moment.

OK, I just checked the Digitrax DH165 series. I now see this is MFG specific.
 
The bitterness of poor quality will remain long after the sweetness of low price are forgotten.
 
bnsf971 said:
The bitterness of poor quality will remain long after the sweetness of low price are forgotten.
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I wasn't thinking about the price so much as the amount of work. I thought it might be less work to just add sound to the tender and be done.
 
Smudge617 said:
Check out ESU decoders
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Darn you Smudge...we think too alike... HIGHLY recommend the sound decoders from ESU. They sell great stuff...I will advocate as above..rip out the old decoder and do from scratch...the amount of time I have spent troubleshooting when I have two dcc decoders in an engine (e.g. Blueline series...)...ugh, I could have easily have done this. It never seems to work well...just my experience, but mayhap others have done better. I love by Loksound and Lokpilots...especially if you have a Lokprogrammer, they are AWESOME and easy to use. Just finishing up a GP7 old Kato sound install with one!
 
I am putting DCC into a Proto 2000, E6A & E6B. A unit powered with an ESU 58429, 21 pin decoder with a Nix mini board, and a Scale Sound speaker. I have also purchased an ESU keep-alive along with new Walthers Proto geared axles just in case the axles are cracked. I am installing an ESU 58210 sound only decoder in the unpowered E6B unit. The Proto units are still in the factory wrap so won't know about axles until I test run the unit. This project has been sitting for over a month. I need to get this done.

I prefer ESU for diesels and TCS for steam locos. However, I just bought an Athearn Genesis UP, 4-8-4 at the train show last weekend and it has the older MRC sound unit in it. I will probably replace the decoder in the FEF with an ESU because ESU has sound files from the UP, FEF, 844 loco that no one else offers.

In my opinion, the ESU sound files are far superior to the Digitrax but each to their own. The best speaker won't make a mediocre sound file sound any better.

My best to all.........John
 
westtexjohn said:
I am putting DCC into a Proto 2000, E6A & E6B. A unit powered with an ESU 58429, 21 pin decoder with a Nix mini board, and a Scale Sound speaker. I have also purchased an ESU keep-alive along with new Walthers Proto geared axles just in case the axles are cracked. I am installing an ESU 58210 sound only decoder in the unpowered E6B unit. The Proto units are still in the factory wrap so won't know about axles until I test run the unit. This project has been sitting for over a month. I need to get this done.

I prefer ESU for diesels and TCS for steam locos. However, I just bought an Athearn Genesis UP, 4-8-4 at the train show last weekend and it has the older MRC sound unit in it. I will probably replace the decoder in the FEF with an ESU because ESU has sound files from the UP, FEF, 844 loco that no one else offers.

In my opinion, the ESU sound files are far superior to the Digitrax but each to their own. The best speaker won't make a mediocre sound file sound any better.

My best to all.........John
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All my HO sound Loco's are either Tsunami or Paragon,and I think I've one ESU, (but as I've never taken the bodyshell off I'm not sure) I rarely run a loco with the sound on for more than 10-15mins, then I mute them, the sound quality is pretty good tho' but as I've never heard one in real life, I can't tell how good/bad the sound file is.
 
westtexjohn said:
I am putting DCC into a Proto 2000, E6A & E6B. A unit powered with an ESU 58429, 21 pin decoder with a Nix mini board, and a Scale Sound speaker. I have also purchased an ESU keep-alive along with new Walthers Proto geared axles just in case the axles are cracked. I am installing an ESU 58210 sound only decoder in the unpowered E6B unit. The Proto units are still in the factory wrap so won't know about axles until I test run the unit. This project has been sitting for over a month. I need to get this done.

I prefer ESU for diesels and TCS for steam locos. However, I just bought an Athearn Genesis UP, 4-8-4 at the train show last weekend and it has the older MRC sound unit in it. I will probably replace the decoder in the FEF with an ESU because ESU has sound files from the UP, FEF, 844 loco that no one else offers.

In my opinion, the ESU sound files are far superior to the Digitrax but each to their own. The best speaker won't make a mediocre sound file sound any better.

My best to all.........John
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What the heck is a FEF?
 
Iron Horseman said:
Union Pacific's bizzare (and I would go as far as using stuipid and a few stronger almost expletives) practice of using letters instead of numbers for steam locomotives designations. Four Eight Four . 4-8-4.
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The letters FEF do indeed stand for 4-8-4 wheel arrangement. Easier to put "FEF" than "Four Eight Four" when writing. I do not know of any UP locos that have letters in the place of numbers actually applied to a locomotive. The 4-8-4 wheel arrangement was also referred to as a "Northern Type" on the UP.
None of this info has anything to do with putting sound in a loco, just to clarify my post in regard to "FEF".
 
Basically, taking short cuts or cutting corners to save money or save a bit of work will ultimately wind up costing you more in the long run. You have a bachmann 0-6-0 to begin with, they were never any good primarily due to their cheap and nasty factory decoders. Trying to mix and match decoders is just asking for trouble and more problems.

Do as one person suggested - scrap the soundtrax decoder altogether and put in either a TCS sound decoder or an ESU decoder, either way, you wont be disappointed, believe me.
 
wombat457 said:
Basically, taking short cuts or cutting corners to save money or save a bit of work will ultimately wind up costing you more in the long run. You have a bachmann 0-6-0 to begin with, they were never any good primarily due to their cheap and nasty factory decoders. Trying to mix and match decoders is just asking for trouble and more problems.

Do as one person suggested - scrap the soundtrax decoder altogether and put in either a TCS sound decoder or an ESU decoder, either way, you wont be disappointed, believe me.
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All in due time. I just got my MERG dcc boards up and running and ran my 0-6-0 and it ran beautiful, all but the smoke. Not that I want to run smoke all the time but it would be a nice effect once in a while.

I'd like to add more lights when I switch out the decoder as this will be part of a Christmas display. The one lame light ain't gonna do it. A glowing cabin is in its future along with sound, jingle bells would be a nice option. A back up light on the tender and a Mars light somewhere. A man can dream
 
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